Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.3 Phase 2 is now live. The new banners went live on 24 June 2026 and run until 14 July 2026, bringing two new 5-star characters to the roster: the ice-attribute support Cyrene and the physical-attribute DPS Phainon.
New Banners: Cyrene and Phainon
Cyrene is an Ice / Remembrance support character. Her banner is called “Ripples Rejoined”, and her signature Light Cone is “This Love, Forever”. Watch her character trailer below.
Phainon is a Physical / Destruction DPS character. His banner is called “To Evermore Burn as the Sun”, with signature Light Cone “Thus Burns the Dawn”.
Both banners also feature the 4-star characters March 7th, Arlan, and Yukong.
Version 4.3 Events to Clear Before 14 July
Phase 2 brings new limited-time events with Stellar Jade up for grabs:
Wispae Amusement Park — New event launching today. Rewards up to 500 Stellar Jade. Rewards do NOT carry over — complete it before 14 July.
Pixel Plane Rumble — Ongoing event with 1,240+ Stellar Jade available if you haven’t cleared it yet.
What’s Next: Version 4.4
Version 4.4 is expected to drop around 14 July 2026. No official character announcements yet, but leaks are circulating — stay tuned.
For more gacha and mobile game updates, check out our other game news.
Hamster Corporation is kicking off its new Arcade Archives 2 sub-series with one of fighting game history’s most significant titles: the original 1994 Namco Tekken. The arcade ROM drops tomorrow, 25 June, on Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, priced at ¥1,800 — roughly SGD $17–18.
The Arcade Original, Properly Preserved
Before the PlayStation home port, before the franchise sold tens of millions of copies worldwide, Tekken was a Namco System 11 arcade cabinet. Eight fighters, digitised backgrounds, and juggle physics that shaped an entire generation of FGC muscle memory. Hamster’s release preserves that ROM without modification — no balance patches, no additional characters, nothing that wasn’t in the original cabinet.
Image courtesy of Hamster Corporation
What separates this from a barebones ROM dump is the new Arcade Archives 2 platform Hamster has built around it. The updated framework — launching with this title — adds Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) output for tear-free playback on compatible displays, a dedicated Time Attack mode, a rewind function for frame-perfect practice sessions, and global online leaderboards. It is, to date, the most feature-complete official release the original arcade Tekken has ever received.
Why It Matters for the SG Fighting Game Scene
The original Tekken arrived in Southeast Asian arcades at a moment when 3D fighting was still a novelty. Singapore game centres ran it alongside Virtua Fighter 2, and the character archetypes and combo logic that veterans first learned on that hardware never fully left the series. The sidestepping system wouldn’t appear until Tekken 3, but the core damage economy and the juggle-into-wall-oki philosophy that defines modern Tekken competitive play were already visible in the 1994 build.
For anyone active in today’s local Tekken 8 scene, this is a genuinely useful historical reference — and at ~$17–18, a far more accessible one than sourcing original hardware. It also lands at a pointed moment: Tekken 8 just confirmed its Street Fighter 6 Chun-Li crossover DLC last month, meaning players can now run the series’ entire 32-year arc — from System 11 cabinet to rollback-netcode PlayStation 5 fighter — without leaving digital storefronts.
Image courtesy of Hamster Corporation
Official Trailer
At a Glance
Title: Arcade Archives 2 TEKKEN
Developer / Publisher: Hamster Corporation (original arcade by Namco)
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Release date: 25 June 2026
Price: ¥1,800 (approx. SGD $17–18)
New series features: VRR output, Time Attack, rewind, online leaderboards
No Singapore eShop or PSN regional pricing has been confirmed at time of writing. The title publishes digitally tomorrow — check your regional storefront for local pricing.
The Persona series turns 30 this September — and Atlus is celebrating with a global anniversary site and a Japan-exclusive Lawson convenience store collaboration that kicks off on 30 June 2026. For Singapore fans of the franchise, this is the milestone year to watch.
Celebrating 30 years of Persona | Creators Answer — via SEGA on YouTube
Thirty Years of Shadows and Masks
The original Revelations: Persona (女神異聞録ペルソナ) launched in Japan on 30 September 1996 on the original PlayStation. Three decades on, the franchise has grown into one of JRPG’s most beloved series, spanning six mainline titles, arena fighters, dancing games, tactical spin-offs, and anime adaptations. Persona 5 Royal remains a perennial bestseller in Singapore, and the series enjoys one of the most devoted fanbases in the region.
Atlus has opened the global 30th anniversary hub at asia.sega.com/p30th/en/, fully localised in Japanese, English, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Korean, and Thai — a clear signal that the celebration is aimed squarely at Persona’s massive Southeast Asian audience. The site chronicles the series’ history and will be updated as new anniversary content is confirmed.
Lawson Collab — Eight Protagonists, One Convenience Store
The freshest piece of news: a Japan-wide collaboration with Lawson convenience stores launches 30 June 2026. Eight iconic protagonists, from the silent P1 hero all the way through to Ren Amamiya (Joker) of Persona 5, are being spotlighted with dedicated artwork. Exclusive merchandise — including Karaage-kun mini plush keychains themed after the games’ characters — will be on sale in Lawson branches nationwide.
In a distinctly Japanese touch, Lawson stores will also run in-store announcements voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro, the actress behind the beloved Velvet Room attendant Elizabeth since Persona 3. Even buying a convenience store rice ball is going to feel a little special for fans this summer.
Image courtesy of Atlus
What’s Coming Next?
The anniversary site has been carefully worded, with Video Games Chronicle noting that it “quietly mentions the next chapter for the series.” Atlus has not announced anything specific yet, but the franchise’s history of building anticipation slowly ahead of major reveals has fans watching every update closely.
What is confirmed: Persona 4 Revival is in development, bringing a modern reimagining of the beloved Inaba mystery to current-generation hardware. Atlus has a habit of timing big reveals around anniversary milestones — September 30, 2026 would be a very on-brand moment for a surprise.
For Singapore Fans: What You Can Actually Get
The Lawson collaboration is Japan-only, meaning the merch won’t appear on local shelves. That said, proxy shipping services and Japan-based forwarding agents (popular among Singapore collectors for limited JP goods) make it accessible for the motivated fan. The global anniversary site is open to everyone, and any digital announcements Atlus makes will land worldwide simultaneously.
If you have been sitting on the fence about the Persona series, the 30th anniversary is as good an entry point as any — check out our gaming news section for the latest on the franchise.
Last words
Whether you have been with Persona since the PS1 days or discovered it through Persona 5 Royal, this September marks something genuinely special. Atlus has earned its anniversary. Keep an eye on GameTrader for when the next shoe drops — and it will drop soon.
Toby Fox’s Deltarune Chapter 5: The Field of Pink and Gold is arriving tonight at 11pm SGT (11am EDT) — a free update for anyone who owns the existing Chapter 1–4 bundle. Singapore Switch 2 owners, clear some time this evening.
DELTARUNE – Nintendo Direct 6.9.2026 — via Nintendo of America on YouTube
Free for Owners Across Switch, Switch 2, PS5, and PC
Chapter 5 is a free update for players who have already purchased the Chapters 1–4 bundle, priced at USD$24.99 (check your regional storefront for local SGD pricing). The update rolls out automatically on:
Nintendo Switch & Nintendo Switch 2
PlayStation 4 & PlayStation 5
PC (Windows) and Mac
It is worth noting that Deltarune Chapters 1 and 2 have always been free to download separately on PC and Mac — so if you’ve been putting off trying the game, tonight is a genuinely good entry point before Chapter 5 adds even more story to catch up on.
What We Know About Chapter 5
Toby Fox has kept the specifics close to his chest. The Nintendo Direct reveal on 9 June gave us a glimpse of Kris, Susie, and Ralsei back in action — tackling new battles and exploring what looks like a temple setting. The new trailer showed an emotional moment where Ralsei enthusiastically declares his feelings for Susie in his characteristically endearing style, alongside a handful of new adversaries and returning faces. Nothing about the chapter title, “The Field of Pink and Gold,” has been explained — which is exactly how Toby Fox likes it.
Image courtesy of Toby Fox / tobyfox
Deltarune follows Kris in a parallel world called the Dark World, where they team up with classmate Susie and a mysterious being named Ralsei. Chapters 1 and 2 were released back in 2021, with Chapters 3 and 4 arriving together in 2024. The game is a spiritual successor to Undertale and shares its signature blend of RPG combat and emotionally charged storytelling.
Chapter 6 Is Already Ahead of Schedule
Toby Fox has confirmed that development on Chapter 6 is well ahead of where Chapter 5 was at the same stage. Work on Chapter 7 is reportedly set to begin before the end of 2026. That kind of momentum is a significant signal that the series is accelerating towards its conclusion — a pleasant contrast to the multi-year gaps between earlier chapters.
Last Words
For Singapore gamers, Chapter 5 hits tonight at 11pm SGT. If you’re on Nintendo Switch 2, it’s already in your library — just check the eShop for the update. If you’re on Steam or PSN Asia, expect it to appear right around midnight. Deltarune has been one of the most carefully crafted indie RPGs of the past decade, and “The Field of Pink and Gold” finally gets to tell us what happens next. Don’t stay up too late. Or do. Check out more game news on GameTrader for everything else landing this week.
Bandai Namco Entertainment dropped the Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 “Welcome to West City” trailer on 23 June, and it is the clearest look yet at the first mainline Xenoverse in nearly a decade. New characters, a new setting, and two reworked combat systems — this is the update Dragon Ball fans have been waiting for.
DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 3 – Welcome to West City Trailer — via Bandai Namco Entertainment America on YouTube
Welcome to West City — Ten Years On in the Dragon Ball Timeline
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 is set in AGE 1000, a full decade after the events of Xenoverse 2. The hub this time is West City — home of Capsule Corporation — and more specifically West City University, where players are recruited into the Great Saiya Squad by Bulma and Gamma 1.
Alongside those returning faces, four original characters are making their franchise debut: Brett, Lilica, ROM, and Tap. As ever, you create and customise your own protagonist, and these new characters slot into the wider story around your player character. Developer Dimps describes this as “a bold new chapter for the franchise” built on the world Akira Toriyama created.
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Entertainment
Soul Assist and Soul Switch — The Two Systems That Could Define Xenoverse 3
The trailer puts heavy emphasis on two new gameplay pillars:
Soul Assist: Call in a Dragon Ball universe ally mid-battle to unleash a combined attack alongside your character. Think tag-team energy without handing over control.
Soul Switch: Temporarily channel the soul of an iconic Dragon Ball fighter — Krillin, Piccolo, Vegeta, Future Trunks, and Tien are confirmed so far — borrowing their signature moves and abilities for a limited window.
Both systems look designed to bring legendary roster members into your fight without replacing your custom character, which is a smart middle ground. Race choice also matters: Saiyans can still power up into Super Saiyan forms, while other races like Earthlings bring their own distinct playstyle. High-speed aerial combat and Ki attacks remain the bedrock of the action.
Platforms and What Singapore Players Need to Know
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 is confirmed for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. There is no Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 version announced at this stage. The release window is 2027 — no specific date or pricing has been confirmed yet.
Singapore players should have no trouble at launch: the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions will be available through the standard regional PlayStation and Xbox digital stores, and the Steam release is global. If you missed the earlier Xenoverse entries, both are widely available and worth playing ahead of this one — check our game news coverage for more upcoming 2027 releases.
Last Words
Dragon Ball has consistently packed out booths at Anime Festival Asia Singapore every year, and the Xenoverse series has a loyal local following in both the fighting-game and JRPG communities here. Xenoverse 3 looks genuinely ambitious — the new Soul systems, a fresh timeline, and original characters suggest Dimps is not just iterating but expanding the formula. 2027 feels far away right now, but this trailer has done its job. Watch this space for release date and pricing news as it drops.
Twenty years after it first made audiences afraid of the sound of cicadas, Higurashi: When They Cry is getting a brand-new TV anime — with the same studio and every principal voice actor from the original run.
Kadokawa made the announcement on 21 June 2026 during a live-streamed special commemorating the 20th anniversary of the franchise’s first anime adaptation. The tagline landed with appropriate weight: “Okaeri, minna” — welcome back, everyone.
Higurashi: When They Cry – New | Official Trailer — via Crunchyroll Dubs on YouTube
What Was Announced
The green-lit production is a new television anime based on Ryukishi07 and 07th Expansion’s original sound novel franchise. Studio DEEN — which animated both the 2006 and 2007 anime seasons, as well as the GOU (2020) and SOTSU (2021) sequels — returns to handle animation. No premiere date has been confirmed, and details on episode count or cour length have not been disclosed.
A New Story — Not a Remake
This is not a retelling of Onikakushi or any existing arc. According to coverage from Gematsu and Final Weapon, the new series will tell an entirely original story centred on Keiichi Maebara and the club members confronting a new tragedy in Hinamizawa. For fans who have worked through the full original arcs and the GOU/SOTSU chapters, this positions the new entry as fresh ground rather than another lap around familiar material.
The Full Cast Is Back
Image courtesy of Kadokawa / Studio DEEN
All five principal voice actors are confirmed to reprise their roles:
Soichiro Hoshi as Keiichi Maebara
Mai Nakahara as Rena Ryugu
Satsuki Yukino as Mion and Shion Sonozaki
Mika Kanai as Satoko Hojo
Yukari Tamura as Rika Furude
The teaser PV already features newly recorded dialogue from the cast, which signals the production is more than a holding announcement.
Why Singapore Anime Fans Should Pay Attention
Higurashi carries genuine cult status in Singapore — the visual novel era built a dedicated community, and the anime adaptations have streamed here via Crunchyroll, which holds the full catalogue including GOU and SOTSU. The previous modern entries (GOU debuted October 2020, SOTSU in July 2021) both streamed with same-week subtitles, and Singapore fans had full timely access. When a premiere window for this new series is announced, the same access is expected. In the meantime, the Crunchyroll library is worth revisiting if you have not seen the full run — GOU and SOTSU in particular recontextualise the original arcs in ways that make re-watching them very worthwhile before the new chapter arrives.
Last Words
The specifics — director, composer, episode count, premiere season — are all still to come. But the bones are right: a trusted studio, the complete original cast, and a story that is not constrained by having to adapt pre-existing material. For fans of horror, mystery, and the slow-burn dread Higurashi does better than almost anything else in the genre, the wait just got a lot more interesting. Stay tuned to the Manga Anime section for updates as production details drop.
The psychological mind-game thriller is back. Liar Game — MADHOUSE’s long-awaited anime adaptation of Shinobu Kaitani’s acclaimed manga — kicks off its second cour (Part 2) on 6 July 2026, picking up directly from the tense finale of Part 1. And it’s arriving with a sizeable new cast, a fresh key visual, and two brand-new theme songs to mark the escalation.
LIAR GAME – Official Trailer 2 | July 2026 (SUB) — via It’s Anime powered by REMOW on YouTube
What Is Liar Game?
Based on Shinobu Kaitani’s manga that ran in Weekly Young Jump from 2005 to 2015, Liar Game is a psychological thriller built around high-stakes deception. Nao Kanzaki (voiced by Saya Hitomi) is an honest, almost pathologically trustworthy college student who receives 100 million yen out of nowhere and a letter inducting her into the “Liar Game” — a secret competition where players are expected to cheat, steal, and psychologically destroy each other to come out on top. The loser walks away in crushing debt.
Out of her depth, Nao enlists the help of Shinichi Akiyama (Takeo Otsuka), a genius ex-con artist who sees through every opponent’s strategy. Together they try to play a game built for liars without becoming liars themselves. Part 1 launched in April 2026 and has been simulcasting on Crunchyroll worldwide, including Singapore, under the creative direction of chief director Yuzo Sato and director Asami Kawano at MADHOUSE.
What’s New in Liar Game Part 2
The announcement, which landed on 22 June, reveals a substantial cast expansion for Part 2. Headlining the new additions is Natsuki Hanae — known to Singapore fans as the voice of Tanjiro in Demon Slayer — who joins as Norihiko Yokoyan. Readers of the original manga will know exactly why this casting matters: the Yokoya arc is a turning point in the competition where the games get considerably crueller.
Image courtesy of MADHOUSE / Liar Game Production Committee
The full new cast confirmed for Part 2 also includes Junya Hirano as Kota Akagi, Tomohiro Yamaguchi as Kenji Ikezoe, Kengo Tsujii as Yusuke Shibayama, Reigo Yamaguchi as Tajimakaru, Ryumaru Tachibana as Akira Tsumura, Seiyu Fujiwara as Hiroshi Hasegawa, Kikunosuke Toya as Makoto Muratama, and Shinya Takahashi as Tatsuji Wada — a full table of new opponents for Nao and Akiyama to navigate.
New Theme Songs
Part 2 swaps in an entirely new pair of theme songs. The opening theme is “All in” by Kroi, a five-piece Japanese rock band whose tightly wound, high-tension sound suits a show about bluffing your way through impossible odds. The ending theme is “Tarinai” by muque, a three-piece act whose introspective style provides a counterweight to the relentless psychological pressure of the episodes. Part 1 had set a high bar with “Bubble” by Yorushika and “Asahi” by Lucky Kilimanjaro — Part 2 is clearly not taking the music lightly either.
Where to Watch in Singapore
Liar Game Part 2 continues the same simulcast arrangement as Part 1: Crunchyroll is streaming the series globally, Singapore included. New episodes drop in line with the Japanese broadcast schedule from 6 July. If you haven’t started yet, all of Part 1 is available on Crunchyroll now — plenty of time to binge before Part 2 arrives.
Liar Game is produced by MADHOUSE, the studio behind Death Note, No Game No Life, and Hunter x Hunter (2011), so the pedigree for adapting high-stakes psychological material is very much there.
Last words
If Kakegurui’s casino mind games or Kaiji’s nerve-shredding gambles are your thing, Liar Game should absolutely be on your watchlist. Part 2 looks set to deliver the confrontations manga fans have been waiting years for an anime to animate properly. Singapore fans on Crunchyroll, you’re sorted — 6 July, don’t miss it.
Today, June 23, 2026, marks exactly 30 years since Nintendo launched the Nintendo 64 in Japan. Thirty years. A number that hits differently when you realise some of the kids who first plugged in an N64 cartridge in 1996 are now parents handing controllers to their own children — possibly on a Nintendo Switch 2.
Nintendo’s Giant Leap into 3D Gaming
When the Nintendo 64 hit store shelves in Japan on June 23, 1996, it arrived at one of the most exciting inflection points in gaming history. Developers everywhere were scrambling to figure out how to build 3D worlds, and Nintendo answered the question with breathtaking authority. Super Mario 64 launched alongside the console and essentially wrote the rulebook for how 3D platformers should feel — a rulebook that is still being followed today.
The hardware itself was bold. The controller’s central analog stick gave players true 360-degree freedom of movement, a revelation at a time when d-pads ruled everything. Four built-in controller ports meant the N64 became the console of choice for multiplayer sessions — the kind that turned Friday-night sleepovers into legendary marathon gaming events. The N64 sold around 33 million units worldwide, a figure modest by PlayStation standards but punching well above its weight in cultural footprint.
Image courtesy of Nintendo
The Games That Made the N64 a Legend
The N64’s library was relatively small compared to PlayStation’s, but its quality ceiling was extraordinary. Consider this lineup of defining titles:
Super Mario 64 — set the template for 3D platformers, still referenced to this day
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time — routinely called one of the greatest games ever made; introduced Z-targeting and cinematic storytelling to action-adventure games
GoldenEye 007 — proved first-person shooters could thrive on consoles and practically invented split-screen multiplayer as we know it
Mario Kart 64 — four-player chaos that remains the gold standard for party racing
Star Fox 64 — a showcase of cinematic voice acting and on-rails space combat that still feels thrilling
Super Smash Bros. — the crossover fighting game that launched a franchise with its own dedicated competitive scene decades later
The N64 in Singapore’s Gaming Story
For Singapore gamers of a certain age, the N64 holds a special place in the memory. Imported cartridges appeared in Sim Lim Square and Funan Centre not long after the Japanese and North American launches, and the console quickly became a fixture in heartland game rental shops and the homes of anyone lucky enough to have one. The four-player setup was practically made for Singapore’s social gaming culture — tight spaces, big groups, and the kind of competitive energy that only intensifies when you’re crammed around a TV together.
Many of us had our minds blown by Ocarina of Time for the first time on a borrowed cartridge. That sense of scale — Hyrule Field stretching out in every direction, day cycling into night — felt genuinely limitless. It is difficult to overstate how transformative that was for a generation of players who had grown up with sprite-based 2D games.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – Nintendo Direct 6.9.2026 — via Nintendo of America on YouTube
Thirty Years On — The N64’s DNA in Nintendo Switch 2
What better way to mark the N64’s 30th birthday than to look at how much of its DNA is woven into the Nintendo Switch 2 lineup? At this year’s Nintendo Direct, Nintendo dropped the biggest nostalgia bomb possible: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is coming to Switch 2 as a full remake. The beloved N64 classic will be “reborn exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2”, with modern visuals and the first major revisiting of the game since the 2011 3DS version.
Star Fox — the franchise that starred in one of the N64’s finest moments with Star Fox 64 — is also getting a cinematic reimagining for Switch 2, launching this Thursday, June 25. And Xenoblade Genesis, announced for 2027, promises “a new beginning” for a series that has always carried that spirit of grand N64-era adventure. The N64 may be 30, but its ideas are clearly still in production.
Last Words
Three decades is a long time in gaming. The industry has shifted almost beyond recognition since 1996 — online multiplayer replaced the couch sessions, HD replaced blocky polygons, and mobile put a capable gaming device in every pocket in Singapore. Yet the games the N64 gave us are still being discussed, remade, speedrun, and passed down. That is the measure of a great platform.
Happy birthday, N64. You turned our Saturday afternoons into something we still talk about. And from the look of the Switch 2 lineup, Nintendo has not forgotten what made you special. Check out our Game News section for all the latest on what’s coming to Switch 2 this year.
Rakugo fans, the wait is officially short. Akane-banashi — the Weekly Shonen Jump series following a teenage girl’s journey into traditional Japanese storytelling — is getting a second anime season in January 2027, and the production has already dropped a teaser trailer, revealed the arc it will cover, and announced six new cast members.
TV Anime “Akane-banashi” | Season 2 Confirmed! Premieres January 2027 — via Akane-banashi Global on YouTube
The Apprentice Training Arc Takes the Stage
Season 2 will adapt the Apprentice Training Arc, the portion of Yuki Suenaga and Takamasa Moue’s manga where Akane Sakurazaka graduates from high school and commits fully to rakugo as a disciple. Under Shiguma Arakawa’s tutelage, she takes on the professional stage name Akane Arakawa — a formal debut in a world that still leaves little room for women at the top of the craft.
Studio ZEXCS returns to animate, with Ayumu Watanabe directing and Kii Tanaka continuing as character designer and chief animation director. The core returning cast, led by Anna Nagase as Akane, is intact. The announcement, which Anime Corner reported on 20 June 2026, was made on the official Akane-banashi website alongside a commemorative illustration and the Season 2 PV above.
Six New Voices Join the Stage
The production revealed the cast for new characters who appeared in Season 1’s finale:
Hōchū Ōtsuka as Miroku Kashiwaya
Ryōtarō Ōkiayu as Shomei Tsubakiya
Hiroshi Naka as Enso Sanmeitei
Mutsumi Tamura as Urara Ransaika
Shin’ichirō Miki as Ryu’un Kenputei
Tomokazu Seki as Chocho Konjakutei
Image courtesy of Akane-banashi production committee
That is a stacked line-up of veteran seiyū. Tomokazu Seki alone has been on a serious run lately — and his casting here, alongside Ryōtarō Ōkiayu and Shin’ichirō Miki, suggests Season 2 is not treating the new characters as background dressing. Expect them to have real dramatic weight in the arc.
A Quick Primer for New Viewers
Akane-banashi is not your typical Shonen Jump action series. There are no power systems or tournament brackets in the conventional sense — all the drama plays out through rakugo performances. Rakugo is a traditional Japanese sit-down storytelling art form where a single performer uses only a fan and a small cloth to voice dozens of characters and narrate entire comedic or dramatic stories. It is one of Japan’s oldest performing arts and has found a passionate new global audience partly through anime adaptations like Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju.
Image courtesy of Akane-banashi production committee
What makes Akane-banashi stand out is its granular writing about craft — how a performance is built, where a joke lands, why pacing matters — and the fact that its protagonist is a teenage girl fighting for legitimacy in a tradition that historically excludes women. Season 1, which aired from April 2026 on Crunchyroll, covered the groundwork. Season 2 is where that fight really begins.
A Live Rakugo Event in Tokyo This August
Alongside the Season 2 announcement, a live rakugo performance event was confirmed for 9 August 2026 at Suehirotei in Shinjuku, Tokyo — one of Japan’s most historically significant rakugo theatres. Voice actress Anna Nagase (Akane) will perform alongside the show’s rakugo supervisor Kikuhiko Hayashiya. For anyone planning a Japan trip this summer, this is the kind of pop-culture-meets-tradition event worth building a day around.
Last Words
Season 1 of Akane-banashi streamed on Crunchyroll for Singapore viewers and Season 2 will almost certainly follow the same path when it launches in January 2027. If you have not started it yet, you have around seven months to catch up — and the whole thing is worth your time. Rakugo has never looked this good on screen.
