All posts by Nova Solaris
Nova Solaris

GARRACK x Haikyu!! Smartwatches Expand to Rival Schools

GARRACK is back with more Haikyu!! wristwear: the Japanese lifestyle brand has officially announced a second smartwatch collection — and this time the spotlight falls squarely on the series’ toughest rivals. Three new models will drop in late July, themed around Aoba Johsai, Shiratorizawa Academy, and Inarizaki High.

Three Schools, Three Distinct GARRACK Haikyu!! Watches

GARRACK x Haikyu!! Aoba Johsai Smartwatch
Image courtesy of GARRACK

Each model is priced at ¥10,890 — matching the first collection — and built around its school’s identity: team-colour straps, an alternate black strap, and custom watch-face artwork that goes well beyond a simple logo placement. The Aoba Johsai model (HUC-HK-BD11-A) features Oikawa, Iwaizumi, and crew cycling across multiple dial animations; Shiratorizawa Academy’s watch (HUC-HK-BD11-S) leans into Ushijima and Tendo, with an eagle silhouette surfacing for incoming notifications; and the Inarizaki model (HUC-HK-BD11-I) gives the Miya twins and their teammates their moment, with fox iconography woven through the dial and calorie display.

All three arrive in special branded packaging. GARRACK’s first Haikyu!! collection (Karasuno and Nekoma, launched September 2025) proved popular enough to warrant this follow-up headlining the rival schools fans have been waiting for.

Dials That React to Every Step and Heartbeat

GARRACK x Haikyu!! Shiratorizawa Smartwatch
Image courtesy of GARRACK
GARRACK x Haikyu!! Shiratorizawa watch lifestyle
Image courtesy of GARRACK

The fitness integration is where GARRACK keeps things interesting. Hit step-count milestones and the dial cycles through different character animations from your chosen school’s roster — the more you move, the more of the lineup you see. When your heart rate spikes, your school’s match banner surfaces on screen. It’s a small touch that keeps the Haikyu!! energy alive mid-workout in a way a static design never could.

On the hardware side these are fully capable smartwatches: the body weighs just 16g, a five-minute fast charge gives roughly two days of use, and a full charge lasts up to 14 days. Health tracking covers heart rate, blood oxygen, stress (via HRV), and sleep, alongside 100+ workout modes. iOS and Android are both supported, with music control, camera remote, alarm, stopwatch, and weather functions all included.

Pre-Orders Open 3 July — Units Ship 31 July

GARRACK x Haikyu!! Inarizaki Smartwatch
Image courtesy of GARRACK
GARRACK x Haikyu!! Inarizaki watch lifestyle
Image courtesy of GARRACK

Pre-orders go live on the GARRACK official page at World Wide Watch (Japanese) from 3 July 2026, with general availability from 31 July 2026. Each watch is ¥10,890. No dedicated Singapore retail listing has been confirmed — GARRACK’s collaborations typically reach Singapore fans through direct Japan orders or international proxy and forwarding services.

Given how vocal Singapore’s Haikyu!! community has been about wanting the rival-school arc represented in merchandise, demand for these three models is likely to be brisk. If you’re going to pick one up, registering interest early via the official page before pre-orders formally open on 3 July is the safest move. For more anime merchandise news, keep an eye on our coverage as more Japan-exclusive drops land in the weeks ahead.

One-Punch Man S3 Part 2 — New Key Visual, 2027 Premiere

The One-Punch Man anime’s 10th anniversary is underway in Tokyo — and J.C.STAFF and Shueisha have unveiled an updated key visual for Season 3’s second cour to mark the occasion. Released on 26 June 2026, the new artwork adds Drive Knight and Psychos to the battle line-up as the series builds toward its long-awaited Saitama versus Garou showdown, now confirmed to air in 2027 on Crunchyroll.

The Updated Cour 2 Key Visual

The revised key visual places heroes and monsters face-to-face beneath the tagline 最強 vs 最恐 — “The Strongest vs The Most Terrifying” — expanding the Season 3 poster with two characters central to the second cour’s story. Drive Knight, the secretive S-Class hero whose tactical genius and undefeated record have set high expectations, joins the hero side. On the Monster Association’s side, Psychos (Psykos) makes her first appearance in the key art — she is the organisation’s cold-blooded military strategist and one of its most powerful figures, making her anime debut in Cour 2.

Garou and Saitama face each other in the official One-Punch Man Season 3 Part 2 teaser visual
Image courtesy of J.C.STAFF / Shueisha

The visual was unveiled at the opening of the Anime 10th Anniversary One-Punch Man Exhibition at Tenbo Park inside the Sunshine 60 Observatory in Toshima Ward, Tokyo, which opened the same day, 26 June.

The Monster Association Arc Reaches Its Climax

Season 3 Part 1 — which aired from 12 October to 29 December 2025 on Crunchyroll — adapted the opening stages of the Monster Association arc, covering the heroes’ assault on Monster Headquarters and culminating in Saitama’s battle with the Monster King. Part 2 picks up where that leaves off, steering the story toward what manga readers have long considered the arc’s defining moment: Saitama vs Cosmic Fear Garou, a confrontation that rewrites what we thought possible in this world.

One-Punch Man Season 3 hero key visual featuring Saitama and the S-Class heroes
Image courtesy of J.C.STAFF / Shueisha

Season 3 is directed by Shinpei Nagai, with series composition by Tomohiro Suzuki and animation by J.C.STAFF. Part 2 has no confirmed premiere date beyond 2027.

One-Punch Man 10th Anniversary Exhibition in Ikebukuro

The exhibition — titled アニメ10周年記念「ワンパンマン展」 — runs from 26 June to 20 July 2026 at the Tenbo Park event space inside Sunshine 60 Observatory, Toshima Ward, Tokyo. It spans seven sections covering all three seasons (through Part 1) with original production materials on display.

Fan highlights include a full recreation of Saitama’s apartment, multiple photo spots, and an interactive corner where visitors can reportedly touch a prop recreating Puri-Puri Prisoner’s legendary chest hair. Fifty-one hand-written anniversary messages from series creator ONE, manga artist Yusuke Murata, cast members, and composers line the walls. A collaboration café inside Tenbo Park serves exclusive menu items during the event’s run, and the venue shop sells exclusive goods including acrylic stands, clear files, and character merchandise.

Official Trailer 2 | One-Punch Man Season 3 | VIZ Media — via VIZ Media on YouTube

Streaming in Singapore: Crunchyroll in 2027

One-Punch Man Season 3 Part 1 is available now on Crunchyroll in Singapore, where the series streams with English subtitles and dubbing. Part 2 will join the platform when it premieres in 2027; no specific date has been confirmed. If you have not started Part 1 yet, all 12 episodes are available for binge-watching now — and with Drive Knight and Psychos on the horizon, this is a good time to catch up before the second cour lands.

Follow GameTrader’s anime coverage for updates as the 2027 premiere approaches.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm: FMA Creator’s Anime Hits Netflix 4 July

If the name Hiromu Arakawa means anything to you — and if you grew up watching Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, it absolutely should — mark this Saturday on your calendar. Daemons of the Shadow Realm (original Japanese title: Yomi no Tsugai / 黄泉のツガイ), Arakawa’s first major anime since FMA, arrives on Netflix Singapore on 4 July 2026, with the full first cour available for subscribers from day one.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm | Official Trailer 3 — via Crunchyroll on YouTube

What Is Daemons of the Shadow Realm?

Yuru, protagonist of Daemons of the Shadow Realm, with a hunter's arrow
Image courtesy of Bones Film / Project TSUGAI

The story centres on twins Yuru and Asa, separated at birth and raised in completely different worlds. Yuru grows up as a skilled hunter in a remote mountain village, while Asa is confined to a specialised role inside the same community. In this world, certain humans can bond with pairs of supernatural creatures called Daemons — and twins “born between day and night” are prophesied to wield greater Daemon power than anyone before them.

When Yuru and Asa are finally reunited, their abilities prove far beyond the prophecy’s scope, and the show quickly expands from its rural opening to reveal a modern society with its own agenda for the twins. The manga ran in Square Enix’s Weekly Shōnen Jump+ and Monthly Shōnen Gangan, and Arakawa has described the Daemon bond system as the kind of intuitive, relationship-driven power that drew her to alchemy in FMA — but taken in a new direction.

The Dream Team Behind It

The production is exactly what FMA fans have been hoping for. Bones Film — the studio behind Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Soul Eater, and My Hero Academia — handles animation. Director Masahiro Andō worked on the original 2003 FMA television series, giving him deep familiarity with Arakawa’s source material sensibility. Series composition is by Noboru Takagi, and music comes from Kenichiro Suehiro, whose recent credits include Vinland Saga and Delicious in Dungeon.

The voice cast is equally strong: Kensho Ono (Giorno Giovanna in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 5) plays Yuru; Yume Miyamoto (Ochaco in My Hero Academia) voices Asa; and Yuichi Nakamura (Gojo in Jujutsu Kaisen) appears as the enigmatic Dera. An English dub is available on Netflix from launch.

Netflix Arrival: Binge the Whole First Arc from 4 July

The full cast of Daemons of the Shadow Realm against a modern city backdrop
Image courtesy of Bones Film / Project TSUGAI

The anime originally premiered on Japanese television on 4 April 2026 and has been streaming simultaneously on Crunchyroll with a same-day English dub. Netflix is now bringing it to over 240 countries and territories (excluding Japan and Vietnam) starting 4 July. With the first cour of 12 episodes already fully aired, Singapore subscribers can watch the complete opening arc as a binge from day one — then pick up new episodes weekly on Saturdays as the second cour of the planned 24-episode run unfolds later in 2026.

In Southeast Asia, anime regional licensor Muse Communication holds distribution rights, and the simultaneous Netflix rollout means there are no region-lock concerns for Singapore viewers — the show will be right there in your Netflix library when you open the app on Saturday morning.

For fans who have been waiting for an Arakawa anime since Brotherhood concluded, this is the one. The combination of her world-building instincts, Bones Film’s action pedigree, and a voice cast drawn from the biggest titles of the past five years makes Daemons of the Shadow Realm the highest-stakes premiere of the Summer 2026 season. Check out our Manga & Anime section for more Summer 2026 coverage as the season ramps up.

EVO 2026 Day 3 Recap: Who Won and What to Watch Tonight

Las Vegas is wrapping up its biggest fighting game weekend of the year, and EVO 2026’s final Sunday has already produced some memorable moments. Five game brackets have been settled, the competitive scene is buzzing, and Singapore’s FGC community has been tracking every bracket update from GMT+8 — with the most anticipated finals still ahead tonight.

GBF Rising: Kojicoco Goes Back-to-Back for Japan

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising gameplay at EVO 2026
Image courtesy of Cygames

PAR|Kojicoco has now won Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising at EVO two years running. The Japanese competitor carried Beatrix through the entire bracket on Sunday, resetting the grand finals and closing out the deciding set 3-0 over GS|Shio, who played Lowain throughout. Back-to-back EVO titles in a single game is a rare achievement in any era of the FGC, and Kojicoco’s combination of footsies and neutral control with Beatrix set the bar for the field all weekend. The decisive finish leaves very little room to debate who the world’s best GBVSR player is right now.

Evo 2026: Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Top 8 — via Evo Events on YouTube

Guilty Gear Strive: RedDitto Dominates with Ramlethal

Guilty Gear Strive combat scene
Image courtesy of Arc System Works

RedDitto claimed the Guilty Gear Strive EVO 2026 title running Ramlethal, defeating BMS|Verix — on Nagoriyuki — 3-1 in the grand finals. NitroNY rounded out the top three. It is a strong result for the Ramlethal camp heading into the back half of Season 4; notably, the DLC calendar keeps filling up too, with the just-announced Robo-Ky returning on 2 July. Arc System Works had a banner weekend across multiple titles at the event.

Evo 2026: GUILTY GEAR -STRIVE- Top 8 — via Evo Events on YouTube

Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O.: GentlemanThief Wins at a Historic Moment

Virtua Fighter 5 REVO World Stage gameplay
Image courtesy of SEGA

SF|GentlemanThief won the Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage championship in one of the weekend’s most dramatic finishes, defeating GKJ|Gakusei Sarah 3-2 across five tense sets while rotating between Akira and Jean. The result lands less than 24 hours after SEGA revealed Virtua Fighter: Crossroads, the long-awaited full-series revival — a coincidence that felt almost scripted. If you missed the Crossroads announcement from yesterday, that context makes GentlemanThief’s win feel all the more significant for the franchise’s future.

Under Night In-Birth 2 and Rivals of Aether 2

PAR|BigBlack took the Under Night In-Birth 2 Sys:Celes title with Byakuya, edging out BNP|Knotts 3-2 in a close deciding set — another Arc System Works-adjacent title, another PAR squad win, cementing the team’s weekend as arguably the best of any organisation at EVO 2026. Meanwhile in Rivals of Aether 2, Eggdog|Plup claimed the top spot with Orcane and La Reina.

Arc System Works fighter in action at EVO 2026
Image courtesy of Arc System Works

SF6 and Tekken 8 Finals Tonight: What Singapore Fans Are Staying Up For

The two biggest titles of the weekend have not crowned champions yet. Street Fighter 6 — which drew over 2,400 entrants, the largest pool of the tournament — and Tekken 8 are both running their Top 8 finals this Sunday evening Pacific time, putting them deep in the Monday early hours for Singapore viewers. Defending SF6 champion MenaRD is in the mix, as is Tekken stalwart Arslan Ash. The Tekken 8 Season 3 reveals this weekend — including Bob and Yujiro Hanma — have the community buzzing heading into the bracket’s climax.

Results will be updated on our social feeds as they come in. For all the EVO 2026 game reveals and DLC announcements from this weekend, head to the GameTrader events archive.

Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls — ArcSys’ Marvel Fighter Launches August 6 on PS5 and PC

A new Marvel fighting game is six weeks away — and it is not who you might expect behind it. Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, developed by Arc System Works and published by PlayStation, launches on August 6, 2026 on PS5 and PC. EVO 2026 this weekend served as the game’s biggest showcase yet, revealing Magneto’s full movelist and hosting a pre-release community tournament.

Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls – Official Announce Trailer — via PlayStation on YouTube

What Is Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls?

This is Arc System Works — the studio behind Guilty Gear -STRIVE- and Dragon Ball FighterZ — applying their signature high-quality anime-fighter DNA to the Marvel universe. The result is a 2D fighting game with a comic-book art style that blends American superhero aesthetics with Japanese manga linework. Rather than licensing a generic Marvel brawler, the two companies built an original storyline around a new threat menacing Earth, with the characters and roster structured around thematic teams.

The game was announced earlier this year via a PlayStation State of Play, where producer Takeshi Yamanaka presented the debut trailer and the game’s first roster details on the PlayStation Blog.

Marvel Tōkon Fighting Souls Unbreakable X-Men team key visual with Wolverine, Storm, Magik and Danger
Image courtesy of Arc System Works / Marvel

The Roster — Two Teams Confirmed, One More Coming

Characters in Marvel Tōkon are grouped into named teams, each with its own narrative role in the story. Two teams are fully revealed:

The Unbreakable X-Men — the game’s hero-side starting lineup. Many of the X-Men’s core members are out of action following a recent battle, so a reformed team steps up: Storm (the squad leader, controlling wind and lightning), Magik (wielding her Soulsword and mutant sorcery), Wolverine (battle-scarred but very much unbroken), and Danger (the Danger Room’s AI, who gained autonomy and a physical body). It is an unusual mix of classic and deeper-cut X-Men that suggests ArcSys went carefully into the comics when building the story.

The Knights of Doom — the villain team and the mirror to the X-Men. Confirmed: Magneto, Doctor Doom, Carnage, and Green Goblin. Each is a powerhouse, and the pairing of Doom and Magneto in particular has FGC players very interested in how their team dynamic plays out in-story.

A third team built around Ghost Rider is confirmed but still has three unannounced fighters remaining.

Magneto full movelist card for Marvel Tōkon Fighting Souls, showing Skills and Super Skill inputs
Image courtesy of Arc System Works / Marvel

Magneto at EVO 2026 — How He Plays

At EVO 2026 this weekend, Arc System Works and PlayStation shared Magneto’s complete movelist alongside competitive pre-release match footage. According to the official movelist card and gameplay shown at the event, Magneto plays as a heavy technical zoner — a big, hard-hitting character who also has significant ranged control:

  • Magnetic Blast — a core projectile, usable in the air
  • Gravity Bind — a grounded ranged tool
  • Polarity Shift — another aerial-capable skill
  • Shrapnel Spike — sets up debris in the air
  • Metallic Meteor (Unique Ability) — his signature tool for powering up his skills and charged attacks
  • Magnetic Maelstrom (Super Skill, 50 gauge) — usable in the air
  • Magnetic Retribution (Ultimate Skill, 100 gauge)
  • Tōkon Assemble (150 gauge) — a comeback mechanic available only when one round away from losing

In action during the EVO pre-release tournament, Magneto proved capable of grabbing opponents across the screen with magnetic debris and dragging them into combos — the kind of screen-controlling game that will appeal to players coming from the Sentinel or Dormammu school of Marvel fighters.

Storm gameplay close-up in Marvel Tōkon Fighting Souls, channelling lightning with glowing eyes
Image courtesy of Arc System Works / Marvel

Episode Mode — An Original Marvel Story

Beyond the versus mode, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls includes an Episode Mode with a fully original narrative written in collaboration with a writer from the original Marvel Comics. The story is told through motion comics — a format that blends the look of American comics with Japanese manga panel flow — and centres on a new, unnamed threat closing in on Earth and the opposing hero and villain factions scrambling to respond. ArcSys described the collaboration as crafting a world and story built specifically for this game, not an adaptation of an existing arc.

PS5 and PC — What Singapore Players Need to Know

Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls is a PS5 and PC exclusive — no Switch, no Xbox. For Singapore, that is a straightforward availability picture: the PS5 is widely stocked at local game retailers, and the PC version will be on Steam. The game launches globally on August 6, 2026. No Singapore-specific pre-order bonus or separate SEA pricing has been announced as of this writing; expect standard PlayStation Store and Steam pricing to apply.

With ArcSys behind the wheel and EVO 2026 generating strong early community interest, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls is shaping up as one of the bigger PS5 releases of the second half of 2026 for Singapore fighting game fans.

Zohar Is Coming to Under Night In-Birth II This Summer

Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes is getting its fourth DLC character this summer: Zohar, the claw-wielding fighter known as the Doppelganger. Developer French-Bread and publisher Arc System Works dropped the reveal trailer at EVO 2026, and alongside the character announcement comes a substantial update that rewrites several of the game’s competitive fundamentals.

Who Is Zohar?

Zohar is described in the official announcement as one of the founding members of the Bankikai — the organisation she helped build alongside Ogre and Strix. Her title, the Doppelganger, hints at some form of imitation or transformation ability, though Arc System Works hasn’t yet revealed her full fighting style. She is voiced by Aiko Okubo.

The reveal trailer is deliberately light on gameplay — a menacing close-up, a claw strike, and her character title card with the tagline “Claws encroaching unseen.” Full moveset details are scheduled to arrive before her summer release window.

A Major Competitive Update Lands With Her

Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes gameplay — Hyde vs Seth clash with blue and red energy effects
Image courtesy of Arc System Works / French-Bread

The character reveal is only part of the story. The update arriving this summer brings sweeping changes across the game:

  • Balance overhaul: A broad review of combo damage and gauge gain to curb power creep, plus revisions to the Steer Ender and Throw Escape mechanics and adjustments to powerful moves across the roster.
  • Ranked system for high-level play: High-ranked matches will now see Rating Points fluctuate alongside traditional RIP, with a dedicated ranking leaderboard added for serious competitors.
  • Improved training tools: Frame data now displays opponent information and gap frames in sequences. Frame data is also viewable in Replay Mode — a feature the competitive community has requested for a long time.
  • Mission Mode upgrade: Players can now review their previous play within Mission Mode.

The stated goal of reducing power creep positions this as a proper competitive reset, not a light patch. Players who have found certain combo routes or mechanics dominant should expect a meaningfully different meta after the update lands.

Watch the Zohar Reveal Trailer

[UNI2]Zohar Reveal Trailer — via arcsystemworks on YouTube

UNIB II in Singapore’s FGC

Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes gameplay — Merkava vs Vatista at a poolside stage
Image courtesy of Arc System Works / French-Bread

Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes is available on PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. The game occupies a distinct corner of the anime fighter ecosystem — its deliberate neutral pacing and EXS gauge mechanics attract players who want more strategic depth than the faster-paced alternatives. Singapore’s FGC has a consistent UNIB presence at local brackets and online events.

Zohar is the fourth DLC slot. The Bankikai lore — with Ogre and Strix named alongside her — leaves room for more additions, though nothing beyond Zohar has been announced. Follow GameTrader game news for the full moveset reveal and a confirmed release date as we get closer to summer.

Kill Blue Season 2 Confirmed — Fujimaki’s De-Aged Hitman Is Back

The Spring 2026 anime season just delivered one of its best end-credits moments: Kill Blue Season 2 is confirmed. The second season was announced at the close of the Season 1 finale, which aired on 27 June 2026 — meaning the wait for more Juzo Ogami starts right now.

Kill Blue — Juzo Ogami, 39-year-old assassin in a 13-year-old's body
Image courtesy of CUE / Kill Blue Production Committee

The Kuroko Creator Returns to Jump

Kill Blue is written and illustrated by Tadatoshi Fujimaki, the mangaka behind Kuroko’s Basketball — a series that still sells out in Singapore’s Japanese bookstores and ran a hugely popular anime adaptation from 2012 to 2015. After Kuroko wrapped, Fujimaki took his time on a new series, and when Kill Blue debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump in April 2023, it immediately stood out: darker premise, sharper comedy, and the same gift for ensemble character dynamics that made the basketball team so beloved.

The manga concluded in Jump in September 2025 across 13 collected volumes, and the anime adaptation kicked off in April 2026. It proved popular enough that a second season was greenlit before the final episode even finished airing.

Anime KILL BLUE – Main Trailer No.2 — via DMM pictures on YouTube

A Hitman in the Wrong Body

The premise is gloriously absurd. Juzo Ogami is 39 years old, a legend in the Z.O.O. assassin syndicate, and very good at his job. On a routine hit at a genetics company, he is stung by an experimental wasp that rewrites his DNA — and wakes up in the body of a 13-year-old. His mind, memories, and considerable killing instincts are all intact. His frame is not.

His handlers assign him a new mission: go undercover at a middle school, scope out whether it is safe for the syndicate boss’s daughter to enrol. Juzo intends to treat it as a quick op. What he does not count on is discovering that he genuinely likes studying — or that the school’s cast of students, teachers, and lurking threats will drag him into something far messier than a reconnaissance job.

The comedy of a cold-blooded professional navigating homeroom and PE class is played straight enough to stay funny, while the action sequences (Juzo does not stop being lethal just because he is now small) give the show real bite. The ensemble — particularly Noren Mitsuoka, whose family’s company created the wasp that de-aged him — gives Season 1 its emotional core.

Kill Blue — Juzo and Noren Mitsuoka
Image courtesy of CUE / Kill Blue Production Committee

What We Know About Season 2

The announcement was made in the end-card of Season 1’s final episode. No premiere date or episode count has been announced for Season 2, and no new visual or teaser was released alongside it — just the confirmation that the story continues.

Season 1 covered 12 episodes directed by Yasunori Ide at Studio CUE, with series composition by Hiro Kaburagi. The production team is expected to return, though this has not been formally confirmed. Given the manga is already complete at 13 volumes, Season 2 will have a full roadmap to work from.

One thing worth noting for fans of the music: the opening theme “ATTITUDE” is performed by aespa, and the ending theme “KILL SHOT” is by RIIZE. Whether the K-pop pairings carry over into Season 2 is one of the more interesting open questions.

Kill Blue — Juzo Ogami in class, textbook in one hand and gun in the other
Image courtesy of CUE / Kill Blue Production Committee

Where to Watch Kill Blue in Singapore

Season 1 is fully available now on both Crunchyroll and Netflix in Singapore, with English subtitles and a full English dub produced by Bang Zoom! Entertainment. If you have not started yet, all 12 episodes are up and a second season is already on the way — there has never been a better time to catch up. Check out our other anime coverage for more from the Spring 2026 season.

No Season 2 premiere window has been announced. Keep an eye on the official Kill Blue English site (kill-blue.us) and the official @KillBlue_en social accounts for updates.

Hokuto no Ken Anime Part 2 Confirmed for 2027 as Jagi Arrives

Omae wa mou shindeiru — and so is the wait for more. At the tail end of its 14th and final first-cour episode on June 26, the new Hokuto no Ken – Fist of the North Star anime revealed a preview for Episode 15 confirming Part 2 is on its way in 2027. The first face we see in that preview? Jagi — one of Kenshiro’s most treacherous brothers, and a villain the franchise’s dedicated fanbase has been waiting for since the reboot was announced.

First Cour Complete — All 14 Episodes Now on Amazon Prime Video

The new anime adaptation launched on April 10, 2026 on TOKYO MX and BS11 in Japan, running across 14 episodes that wrapped last Friday. This is not a sequel to the beloved 1984 Toei classic — it is a fresh, standalone retelling of Buronson and Tetsuo Hara’s legendary post-apocalyptic manga, produced by Warner Bros. Japan and directed by Hiroshi Maeda (known internationally for Hellsing Ultimate and the Aquarion franchise).

Every episode of the first cour is available now via Amazon Prime Video, which streams the series worldwide — Singapore included. The cast brings Shunsuke Takeuchi to the role of Kenshiro, with Yuichi Nakamura voicing the elegant swordsman Rei, Ruriko Aoki as Mamiya, and veteran Koichi Yamadera lending his unmistakable voice to the narration. The opening theme is Hallelujah by rock band Alexandros, while the ending pairs Toshl’s reimagining of Ai o Torimodose!! — the iconic Crystal King theme from the original anime — with the new series’ visual style. That particular casting choice should land like a fist for anyone who grew up with the 1984 run.

Rei in an action key visual from the 2026 Hokuto no Ken anime
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Japan / 北斗の拳製作委員会

If you have not started yet, now is a good time to catch up. Fourteen episodes is a tight, well-paced first act — and Part 2 is confirmed to pick up directly from Episode 15.

Jagi Makes His Move — What the Episode 15 Preview Reveals

The preview for Episode 15 aired at the end of the first-cour finale, and it wasted no time: Jagi is here. One of the four Hokuto brothers alongside Raoh, Toki, and Kenshiro himself, Jagi is a vicious and cunning fighter who conceals the scars Kenshiro left on his face beneath a spiked metal mask — and in this new adaptation, he appears in the preview wielding a double-barrelled shotgun in his signature style. His arrival signals that Part 2 will push the story deeper into the inter-brother conflict that defines the Hokuto saga’s most memorable chapters.

Jagi official key visual from the 2026 Hokuto no Ken anime, wearing his signature masked helmet and holding a shotgun
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Japan / 北斗の拳製作委員会

Warner Bros. Japan confirmed the 2027 broadcast and streaming window alongside the preview. A specific premiere date has not yet been announced — the official site (hokuto-anime.com) lists it as coming in 2027, and the official X account @hokutonokeninfo posted the teaser clip shortly after the finale aired.

It is worth noting that Hokuto no Ken is having a genuine cultural moment right now. Kenshiro was recently confirmed as a playable guest fighter in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, bringing him into the hands of fighting game fans for the first time in decades. The new anime and the fighting game collab together suggest the franchise’s owners are making a concerted push to reintroduce one of shonen’s all-time giants to a new generation — and it appears to be working.

Watch the Official Trailer (Warner Bros. Japan Anime)

『北斗の拳 -FIST OF THE NORTH STAR-』PV第2弾|2nd trailer! — via Warner Bros. Japan Anime on YouTube

Catching Up on Hokuto no Ken Before Part 2

Singapore fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can start the series immediately — all 14 episodes are up and the production quality is genuinely strong. If you are new to the franchise, the quick pitch is this: in a post-nuclear wasteland, Kenshiro is a master of Hokuto Shinken, a lethal martial art that destroys enemies from within using pressure points. The manga ran in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1983 to 1988 and remains one of the defining works of the action genre, influencing everything from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure to modern battle shonen storytelling. This 2026 adaptation aims to be the definitive screen version, and the first 14 episodes make a strong case.

For more anime and manga news, keep an eye on GameTrader — we will update as soon as a firm Part 2 premiere date is confirmed.

Keroro Is Back: Sgt. Frog Gets Its First New Film in 16 Years

Keroro Heichou is back on the big screen for the first time in 16 years. New Theatrical Version Sgt. Frog: Upon Revival, Immediately Facing the Threat of Earth’s Destruction! (新劇場版☆ケロロ軍曹 復活して速攻地球滅亡の危機であります!) opened in Japanese cinemas today, June 26, 2026 — and the 20th anniversary theatrical comeback arrives with one of the most unexpected crossovers in recent anime memory: Mobile Suit Gundam.

Official main trailer — 【公式】ケロロチャンネル on YouTube (Japanese)

What the Sgt. Frog 2026 Anime Film Is About

The Keroro Platoon — the lovably incompetent alien invaders who have spent years failing to conquer Earth while living rent-free in the Hinata family basement — find themselves in an unlikely role reversal. When mysterious phenomena begin striking Japan nationwide and an unknown threat puts Earth on the brink of destruction, it falls to Keroro and his squad to defend the planet they were supposed to be conquering.

The 109-minute, G-rated film is directed by Yūichi Fukuda, best known internationally for helming the live-action Gintama films, with Fumitoshi Oizaki serving as assistant director. Animation is handled by BN Pictures, distributed by KADOKAWA and Bandai Namco Filmworks. The theme song, 「また帰ってきたケロッ!とマーチ」 (“We’re Back Again, Kero! March”), is performed by singer-songwriter ano.

Official key visual for the new Sgt. Frog theatrical film 2026 showing Keroro and the platoon in formal suits with Earth in the background
Image courtesy of BN Pictures / KADOKAWA

The Gundam Crossover Nobody Saw Coming

Here is the part that broke the internet in Japan back in June: the film features an official Mobile Suit Gundam crossover. The iconic RX-78-2 Gundam and Char’s Zaku II make dramatic appearances in the film’s climactic battle — a surreal collision of two of Bandai Namco’s biggest properties that feels completely at home in Keroro’s absurdist universe.

To mark the collab, legendary Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin creator Yoshikazu Yasuhiko — the original character designer for the 1979 Gundam series — drew a series of exclusive crossover illustrations placing the Keroro cast alongside Gundam pilots Amuro Ray and other iconic characters. Sgt. Frog creator Mine Yoshizaki contributed pieces on the Keroro side. The resulting artwork is genuinely stunning, blending Yasuhiko’s classic linework with Keroro’s chibi frog designs in a way that somehow works perfectly.

Official Sgt. Frog x Gundam crossover art by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko showing Amuro Ray holding Keroro with giant alien mechs in the background
Collab art by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko — Image courtesy of BN Pictures / KADOKAWA / Sotsu
Second piece of official Sgt. Frog x Gundam collab art showing Amuro Ray and Keroro on a grass field with a GM mobile suit
Collab art by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko — Image courtesy of BN Pictures / KADOKAWA / Sotsu

On the merchandise side, a limited Keroro Robo Mk-II Titans Color Gunpla kit (¥2,200) launched on June 26 alongside the film — a Gundam-style model kit of one of Keroro’s signature mechs done up in Titans dark blue, which is a crossover product that manages to be both ridiculous and highly covetable.

New Characters: Twin Brothers from Planet Keron

The film introduces two new characters: Aruru and Deruru, twin brothers from Planet Keron with a mysterious past connection to the Keroro Platoon. Both are voiced by Jesse, a member of the popular Japanese boy group SixTONES. The original Keroro voice cast returns in full: Kumiko Watanabe as Keroro, Etsuko Kozakura as Tamama, Jōji Nakata as Giroro, and Taketo Yasui as Kururu.

Third piece of Sgt. Frog x Gundam collab art showing a female Gundam pilot with Keroro and a Gundam mobile suit
Collab art courtesy of BN Pictures / KADOKAWA / Sotsu

Can Singapore Fans Watch Sgt. Frog?

For Singapore fans, the situation is familiar: the film opens today in Japan, and there is no confirmed theatrical or streaming release for Southeast Asia at this time. Sgt. Frog has strong roots in the region — the original 358-episode anime series aired extensively on Animax Asia, so a generation of Singapore, Malaysian, and Indonesian anime fans grew up watching Keroro’s botched invasion attempts. The franchise has a genuine following here.

Whether the film eventually surfaces on Crunchyroll (which holds streaming rights for much of the Keroro back-catalogue in SEA) or finds its way to physical release is to be confirmed. Crunchyroll has not announced a streaming date for the film as of publication. Import Blu-ray from Japan is likely the first option for the most eager fans, and Japanese retailers will typically ship to Singapore.

Regardless of how or when Singapore fans can watch it, the fact that Keroro is back on the big screen — and teaming up with Gundam of all things — is worth celebrating. Sixteen years is a long wait. It sounds like it was worth it.

Sources: Anime News Network (English); Anime News Network (Gundam crossover) (English); BN Pictures official site (Japanese). Check our Manga & Anime coverage for more.