Category Archives: Manga Anime

Manga Anime, News

Pokémon Summer Mac Burgers Revealed: Bulbasaur Beef, Charmander Chicken and Squirtle Shrimp Drop 22 July

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McDonald’s Japan has just dropped the details on the Pokémon 30th Anniversary Burgers — the next phase of the Pokémon Summer Mac campaign we covered when it launched. Eight new menu items go on sale 22 July 2026, and every main burger comes wrapped in the face of one of the original Kanto starters. (Japanese source: Famitsu.com)

Three Starter-Themed Pokémon 30th Anniversary Burgers

Tartar Demi Thick Beef burger for Pokémon Summer Mac at McDonald's Japan
Image courtesy of McDonald’s Japan

The three burgers each carry the packaging design of one original starter, and the flavour profiles lean into each Pokémon’s personality:

  • Tartar Demi Thick Beef (タルタルデミ肉厚ビーフ) — Bulbasaur packaging. A thick beef patty on corn-dusted buns with tartare and demi-glace sauce. ¥580 single / ¥880 value set.
  • Juicy Chicken Spicy Garlic (ジューシーチキン旨辛ガーリック) — Charmander packaging. Crispy chicken with a pepper garlic mayo that delivers a Charmander-worthy kick. ¥490 single / ¥790 value set.
  • Sesame Tartare Shrimp (焙煎ごまタルタルシュリンプ) — Squirtle packaging. A breaded shrimp cutlet finished with roasted sesame tartare sauce. ¥490 single / ¥790 value set.
Juicy Chicken Spicy Garlic burger — Charmander design, Pokémon Summer Mac 2026
Image courtesy of McDonald’s Japan
Sesame Tartare Shrimp burger — Squirtle design, Pokémon Summer Mac 2026
Image courtesy of McDonald’s Japan

The Full Lineup: Evening, Morning and Sides

Beyond the three mains, the campaign adds five more items to round out every daypart:

  • Evening (夜マック, from 5 pm): Tartar Demi Double Thick Beef — two patties for ¥840 single / ¥1,140 value set.
  • Morning (朝マック, until 10:30 am): Tartar Demi Sausage Muffin with Pikachu packaging, ¥420 single.
  • Side: Shaka Shaka Potato Seaweed Salt (シャカシャカポテト のり塩味) — shake-to-season fries with a nori-salt sachet, +¥50 to any fries order.
  • Drinks: Mac Fizz Okinawan Pineapple at ¥300 and Mac Float Okinawan Pineapple at ¥380, available all hours.

All items run from 22 July to early September 2026 at participating McDonald’s Japan locations.

Full price chart for Pokémon Summer Mac burgers at McDonald's Japan 2026
Image courtesy of McDonald’s Japan

The Official TV Campaign

McDonald’s Japan × Pokémon Summer Mac 2026 official TV commercial — via oricon on YouTube

PokéStops and What Singapore Fans Need to Know

The wider campaign still has two more beats incoming. From 20 July, every one of McDonald’s Japan’s roughly 3,000 outlets becomes a sponsored PokéStop and Gym in Pokémon GO — running through 1 September. And on 31 July, the Pokémon Happy Meals arrive, details to be confirmed.

The entire promotion is Japan-only with no Singapore rollout announced. If you are planning a Japan trip this summer, 22 July is the date to mark — the burgers are available nationwide and the GO PokéStop tie-in starts just two days earlier. For those staying in Singapore, the latest gaming and Japan culture news will keep you covered.

Game News, Manga Anime

Granblue Fantasy × Bleach Collab Reveals Full 12-Character Roster — Starts 22 July

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Cygames just dropped the full character line-up for Granblue Fantasy‘s upcoming Bleach collaboration, and it is a stacked roster. BLEACH ECHOES IN THE BLUE HOLLOW runs from 22 July at 5:00 PM to 3 August at 8:59 PM (JST), landing right as Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War — The Calamity premieres on Disney+ on 25 July. Today Cygames released the GBF-style character artwork for all twelve participants — first through 4Gamer (Japanese) and Dengeki Online (Japanese) — making this the first major Bleach x GBF breakdown English-language press has not yet covered.

BLEACH ECHOES IN THE BLUE HOLLOW: Event Overview

This is a full collaboration story event inside the original browser and mobile RPG Granblue Fantasy — not Granblue Fantasy: Relink or Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, but the original gacha RPG by Cygames. Collaboration story events let players experience an original crossover scenario, earn the guest characters, and pull from a limited summon pool featuring the collab IP.

The event title, Echoes in the Blue Hollow, was officially confirmed on the official @granbluefantasy Japanese Twitter account. Full event details — story summary, battle mechanics, summon pool breakdown — are set to release on 21 July, one day before the event opens.

All 12 Characters: The Full Roster

Full character roster for Bleach Echoes in the Blue Hollow GBF collab showing all 12 characters
Image courtesy of Cygames / TV Tokyo

Today’s reveal confirms twelve characters in Granblue Fantasy’s signature watercolour-and-ink art style, spanning both the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo sides of the war:

  • Ichigo Kurosaki (CV: Morita Masakazu)
  • Byakuya Kuchiki (CV: Okiayu Ryoutarou)
  • Toushiro Hitsugaya (CV: Park Romi)
  • Rangiku Matsumoto (CV: Matsutani Kaya)
  • Kenpachi Zaraki (CV: Tateki Fumihiko)
  • Mayuri Kurotsuchi (CV: Nakao Takashi)
  • Nemu Kurotsuchi (CV: Kugimiya Rie)
  • Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez (CV: Suwa Toshiyuki)
  • Neliel Tu Odelschwanck (CV: Kiyoto Arisa)
  • Pesche Guatiche (CV: Kosuge Takahiro)
  • Dondochakka Bilstein (CV: Sato Daisuke)
  • Bawabawa (CV: Yasumoto Hiroki)

Twelve characters is a healthy pull for a GBF collab. For context, the earlier Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia events each brought in around a dozen fighters, so Echoes in the Blue Hollow is in that same tier of flagship crossover event.

Soul Society in GBF Art Style

Ichigo Kurosaki character art in Granblue Fantasy style for Bleach Echoes in the Blue Hollow collab
Image courtesy of Cygames / TV Tokyo

Ichigo gets the classic shihakushō look with his Bankai sword over his shoulder — drawn in Cygames’s signature detailed brushwork that translates manga characters into painterly GBF units surprisingly well. Byakuya comes across as particularly striking, rendered in flowing white haori with his characteristic stillness.

Byakuya Kuchiki character art in Granblue Fantasy style for the Bleach collab
Image courtesy of Cygames / TV Tokyo

Hitsugaya, Rangiku, Kenpachi, Mayuri, and Nemu round out the Soul Society side. Nemu’s inclusion alongside Mayuri is notable — she was the first character revealed who will not be part of the event summon pool, hinting she might appear as a story character or field companion rather than a gacha pull. Full details on who goes where in the summon versus story reward breakdown will be confirmed on 21 July.

Grimmjow, Nel, and the Hueco Mundo Crew

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez character art in Granblue Fantasy style
Image courtesy of Cygames / TV Tokyo

The Hollow and Arrancar contingent is where things get fun. Grimmjow looks exactly as insufferably cool as he should in GBF’s art style — blue spikes, Espada jacket, that permanently unimpressed expression. Neliel Tu Odelschwanck and her companions Pesche Guatiche, Dondochakka Bilstein, and Bawabawa (her giant pet snake) all make the cut, which is a great nod to the Hueco Mundo arc that a lot of TYBW fans have strong feelings about.

The inclusion of Pesche, Dondochakka, and Bawabawa alongside Nel suggests the event story may revisit her time in Hueco Mundo — or these three are purely comic-relief support characters in the GBF scenario, which also tracks.

Timed to TYBW The Calamity — What Singapore Players Should Know

Official Trailer | BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Final Part — The Calamity — via vizmedia on YouTube

Cygames deliberately timed the event to open on 22 July — three days before BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War — The Calamity begins airing on 25 July. Singapore fans can catch The Calamity on Disney+ Singapore as it airs. The collab runs until 3 August, giving you roughly two weeks to clear the story and farm what you need.

Granblue Fantasy is free to play on iOS, Android, and the official web browser version — no region lock, so Singapore players are in from day one. Veterans who still have rupies or crystals saved from summer campaigns will want to factor this into their pull planning; Bleach is a big IP and limited collab characters rarely return outside reruns.

For more on what’s launching this month, check our game news roundups or the full breakdown of BLEACH TYBW The Calamity on Disney+.

Manga Anime, News

The Vermilion Mask Anime Debuts on Crunchyroll in October 2026

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The Vermilion Mask, a dark action-fantasy manga that has been quietly building a following since its debut in Young King OURs, is getting its anime adaptation this October 2026 — and it is streaming on Crunchyroll. At its Anime Expo 2026 panel, Crunchyroll revealed the first main trailer and confirmed the full Japanese voice cast — a lineup that will make longtime anime fans do a double-take.

The Vermilion Mask teaser key visual featuring Peru, Sonarue and Mok
Image courtesy of The Vermilion Mask Production Committee

What Is The Vermilion Mask?

The manga is written by Dr. Poro and illustrated by Nabana Naba, serialised in Shonengahosha’s Young King OURs magazine. With eight collected volumes now in print — Volume 8 landed on shelves just this month on 7 July 2026 — the series has built a devoted readership on the strength of its sharp character work and its willingness to go genuinely dark.

The premise: in a world where mysterious masks grant extraordinary power at a terrifying cost, Peru d’Arrest is an apprentice to the legendary craftsman Gaston Roux. One night, possessed by Gaston’s most fearsome creation — the Mask of the Warrior God — Peru loses himself entirely, slaughtering his master and his fellow apprentices. Haunted by what the mask forced him to do, Peru dedicates himself to a single grim mission: hunt down and destroy every cursed mask Gaston ever made, before they claim any more lives.

Think of it as a story about guilt, atonement, and the impossible weight of surviving what you should not have. If you have a soft spot for morally tortured leads and dark-fantasy action in the vein of early Claymore or Dororo, this one is worth clearing space for in your autumn watch-list.

Watch the First Main Trailer

【First Main PV】TV Anime The Vermilion Mask | Streaming on Crunchyroll in October — via 【ytv animation】読売テレビ アニメ公式 on YouTube

A Star-Studded Voice Cast

The Vermilion Mask full voice cast visual with all eight main characters
Image courtesy of The Vermilion Mask Production Committee

The confirmed cast reads like a who’s who of anime voice acting:

  • Peru d’Arrest — Taihi Kimura
  • Sonarue Maywood (Sona) — Yuuki Yamamoto
  • Mok Sharib — Kazuki Ura
  • Gouon — Takanori Hoshino
  • Totoque — Wataru Komada
  • Zent — Junya Enoki (Yuji Itadori in Jujutsu Kaisen)
  • Gaston Roux — Kazuhiko Inoue (Kakashi Hatake in Naruto)
  • The Mask of the Warrior God — Akio Otsuka (Big Boss in the Metal Gear Solid series)

Having Junya Enoki, Kazuhiko Inoue and Akio Otsuka in the same cast is not a subtle signal. The production stacks generational talent alongside rising voices — and the character pairings are pointed: Otsuka voices the force that breaks Peru, while Inoue plays the master Peru loses. There are going to be some heavy scenes.

Who Is Making the Anime?

The series is produced by One Double-O and directed by Tetsuaki Watanabe, best known for directing Blue Lock Season 1. Series composition is handled by Daisuke Ohigashi, with Hisashi Higashijima as character designer and chief animation director. Music is by Alisa Okehazama. The series airs in Japan on ytv (Yomiuri TV).

When Can Singapore Fans Watch The Vermilion Mask?

The anime premieres in October 2026 as part of the autumn season and streams on Crunchyroll, which is available here in Singapore. The series is structured as a split-cour two-part production — so the October run covers the first half of the story, with a second part to follow in 2027 to complete it.

For more autumn 2026 anime worth adding to your list, head over to our Manga Anime section.

Manga Anime, News

Crunchyroll Store Goes Members-Only in August — What Singapore Fans Need to Know

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If you’ve been browsing the Crunchyroll Store as a free user or a basic Fan subscriber, that’s about to end. Crunchyroll announced on 14 July that, starting this August, the Crunchyroll Store will be exclusive to Mega Fan and Ultimate Fan members — locking out everyone on a lower or no-cost plan.

What’s Actually Changing at the Crunchyroll Store?

The current Crunchyroll Store is an open marketplace anyone can browse and buy from — collectibles, apparel, Blu-rays, manga, and more. From August 2026 onwards, that open access disappears. In its place, Crunchyroll is launching what it calls a “brand-new shopping experience” focused on convention-style merch: curated limited-release drops, exclusive collectibles, and member-only product bundles.

In Crunchyroll’s own words: “This August, we are transitioning the Crunchyroll Store to a brand-new shopping experience that will be available exclusively for Mega and Ultimate Fans.”

Anime collectible figure from the Crunchyroll Store
Image courtesy of Crunchyroll

The shift follows Crunchyroll’s 2022 acquisition of Right Stuf, a move many collectors hoped would expand the store’s anime merchandise range. Instead, fan communities have documented years of shrinking product availability and rising prices — and the membership paywall is the latest source of frustration. Reaction online has been blunt, with collectors arguing it pushes loyal fans to import directly from Japanese retailers instead.

What Does This Cost Singapore Crunchyroll Subscribers?

Here’s the breakdown that matters if you’re in Singapore. Current membership pricing runs approximately SGD 3.89/month for Fan, SGD 5.19/month for Mega Fan, and SGD 7.69/month for Ultimate Fan (check Crunchyroll’s official site for the latest local pricing, as rates can update). The minimum tier that keeps store access is Mega Fan at around SGD 5.19/month — roughly SGD 1.30 more per month than the Fan tier, or about SGD 15.60 extra per year.

Dragon Ball collectible figure from the Crunchyroll Store new arrivals
Image courtesy of Crunchyroll

Whether that’s worth it depends on how often you actually shop the store. The new members-only model promises exclusive drops and curated product releases that won’t be available elsewhere — so for serious collectors, Mega Fan access could pay for itself with one limited-edition item. But if you only buy occasionally or prefer direct import from Japan, the upgrade may not make sense.

Summer Sale Running Now — Act Before the Switch

Crunchyroll kicked off a Summer Sale on 14 July with up to 50% off select items, coinciding with stricter return policies on select products. This is your last window to browse and buy from the store at full open access before the membership gate drops in August.

A few other key dates: Crunchyroll Store gift cards remain valid through 14 August 2026 — after that, unused balances cannot be redeemed. Existing orders placed before the transition will continue to be processed and shipped normally, and customer support will keep handling delivery, address, and defective product issues.

For Singapore fans who shop Crunchyroll regularly, the smart play is to use any gift card balance now and stock up during the Summer Sale while open access lasts. Keep an eye on our anime and merchandise news for updates as Crunchyroll reveals more details about the new members-only store experience.

Game News, Manga Anime

The Splatoon Raiders Manga Launches in CoroCoro Today — Hinodeya Returns One Week Before the Game

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Today in Japan, Sankichi Hinodeya begins a new chapter in the Splatoon manga story. The July issue of Shogakukan’s CoroCoro Comics — on shelves from 15 July 2026 — launches the Splatoon Raiders manga, a tie-in adaptation of Nintendo’s single-player spin-off game that arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 just eight days later, on 23 July.

Hinodeya Returns to CoroCoro

Sankichi Hinodeya is the artist and writer behind the original Splatoon manga series, which ran for 16 volumes in CoroCoro Comics from 2015 and was later extended as Splatoon 3: Splatlands. That run went on hiatus in April 2026 — and now Hinodeya is back with a new serialised adaptation tailored to the Raiders storyline. According to Anime News Network, the manga will expand the game’s lore, introduce new side characters, and dramatise key gameplay beats in Hinodeya’s signature action-comedy style.

Splatoon Raiders Nintendo Switch 2 gameplay screenshot — the mechanic protagonist on Spirhalite Islands
Image courtesy of Nintendo

A Beloved Series for Singapore Fans

The original Splatoon manga has a strong following in Singapore. Kinokuniya Orchard and major bookshops have stocked it in both its Japanese and English editions for years, and the English translation by Viz Media has run to over a dozen volumes. Viz Media also published six volumes of Splatoon 3: Splatlands, with the most recent arriving in April 2026. Singapore readers picking up the series in English are already well-placed for the Raiders manga when the English edition eventually arrives — though Viz has not yet announced a volume schedule or confirmed date for Splatoon Raiders.

Splatoon Raiders Switch 2 — Deep Cut trio Shiver Frye Big Man in the Spirhalite Islands
Image courtesy of Nintendo

What the Raiders Manga Covers

The adaptation follows the game’s central adventure: a player-mechanic protagonist teams up with Shiver, Frye, and Big Man — the trio from Deep Cut — to explore the treasure-laden Spirhalite Islands, take on waves of hostile Salmonids, and uncover the archipelago’s secrets. Hinodeya’s style suits the material well: the Splatoon manga series has always balanced slapstick comedy with genuine energy during ink-battle sequences, and the Raiders set-up of a ragtag crew hunting treasure across a mysterious island chain gives plenty to work with.

Splatoon Raiders – Announcement Trailer & More – Nintendo Switch 2 — via Nintendo of America on YouTube

The Game: Splatoon Raiders on Switch 2, 23 July

As we covered when the game was announced, Splatoon Raiders is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive launching on 23 July 2026. Unlike the mainline Splatoon titles, it is primarily a single-player adventure — though co-op play for up to four is supported locally and online. Players customise their mechanic character, build gadgets, and raid the Spirhalite Islands for treasure across three difficulty modes (Tourist, Raider, Survivalist). The game also introduces HDR support to the Splatoon series for the first time, and leverages the Switch 2’s GameChat for multiplayer sessions.

Splatoon Raiders Switch 2 gameplay — Salmonid boss fight on Spirhalite Islands
Image courtesy of Nintendo

English Edition and Where to Find It in Singapore

The Splatoon Raiders manga is launching exclusively in Japanese inside CoroCoro Comics. An English edition from Viz Media is expected — the publisher has handled all previous Splatoon manga volumes for the English market — but no volume release schedule or confirmed date has been announced yet. Singapore readers who want to follow it as it serialises can pick up the monthly CoroCoro Comics magazine as a Japanese import through Kinokuniya or online import services. A compiled volume release in English typically follows the Japanese run by six to twelve months.

Splatoon Raiders Nintendo Switch 2 physical game box art
Image courtesy of Nintendo

Browse our coverage of manga and anime for more on what SG fans are reading and watching right now.

Manga Anime

From Far Away Anime Reveals Cast and October 4 Debut

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Thirty-five years after the first chapter appeared in LaLa magazine, the TV anime adaptation of Kyoko Hikawa’s landmark shōjo manga From Far Away (彼方から, Kanata Kara) is officially real. A teaser promotional video released today alongside the full voice cast and a confirmed October 4 premiere — and for anyone who grew up on the Viz Media English volumes, this one lands a little differently.

A Shōjo Classic That Earned Its Reputation the Hard Way

Kyoko Hikawa original manga art of Izark and Noriko from From Far Away
Image courtesy of Kyoko Hikawa / Hakusensha

From Far Away ran in Hakusensha’s LaLa magazine from September 1991 through October 2002, collected into 14 tankōbon volumes. The setup reads deceptively simply: ordinary high schooler Noriko is hurled into a parallel fantasy world and lands near Izark, a formidable young warrior carrying a curse-like destiny. What made the series stand out — and what kept it in readers’ memories long after it ended — is that Noriko arrives unable to speak or understand a single word of the local language. Communication is earned, not handed over. Meanwhile, an ancient prophecy frames her arrival as the trigger for an unstoppable catastrophe.

The series won the 35th Seiun Award for best science fiction comic in 2004 and surpassed four million copies in circulation. Hakusensha licensed the English release to Viz Media, which published all 14 volumes between November 2004 and January 2007 — which means Singapore’s manga community had a very clean window to read it. If you never got around to it, there is now a deadline.

The Teaser PV, Cast and Production Team

TVアニメ『彼方から』ティザーPV | 2026.10.4～ON AIR!! — via NBCUniversal Anime/Music on YouTube

Studio DEEN is producing the anime. The director is Noriyuki Abe — known in Singapore for bringing Bleach, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Flame of Recca to the screen — and this marks a notable move into shōjo territory for him. Series composition is by Rika Takasugi; character design by Eiji Abiko; music by Takeshi Hama. Kyoko Hikawa is credited as original work supervisor, keeping the adaptation in close conversation with her vision.

The confirmed main cast, per the Natalie announcement (Japanese):

  • Noriko Tachiki — Tomoyo Kurosawa, best known internationally for her role as Violet in Violet Evergarden
  • Izark Kia Tarj — Kentarō Kumagai
  • Rachef — Yūichirō Umehara, known for Made in Abyss and Black Clover
  • Keimos Lee Goda — Eiji Takeuchi

The teaser leans into atmosphere over action — a close-up of Izark, the alien landscape, a sense of a world that operates by rules Noriko does not yet understand. It reads as faithful to the manga’s tone.

Premiere Date and What Singapore Fans Can Watch

From Far Away Kanata Kara teaser PV still showing Izark close-up, October 2026
Image courtesy of Studio DEEN / 彼方から Production Committee

From Far Away premieres on TOKYO MX on October 4 at 24:00 JST — that is 11 PM SGT on October 4. ABC TV follows on October 10, WOWOW on October 13. No international streaming deal has been announced as of today; we will update this post when a platform confirms rights for Singapore and Southeast Asia. International licensing for Studio DEEN productions has gone various ways in recent years, so it is genuinely to be confirmed.

In the meantime, the full teaser is on NBCUniversal Anime/Music’s YouTube channel, and the official anime site is live with the key visual. For more anime and manga news, browse our full archive.

Manga Anime, News

Tsugumi Project TV Anime Announced — Cult Manga from France

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One of the more intriguing anime announcements to land this week is not a sequel, not a reboot, and not based on a manga you have probably heard of — yet. On 14 July 2026, Tsugumi Project (虎鶫 とらつぐみ ―TSUGUMI PROJECT―) officially received a TV anime adaptation, complete with a teaser visual and a first teaser PV from the official production. Singapore anime fans who love their science fiction dark, their action kinetic, and their post-apocalyptic lore dense should take note.

Tsugumi Project official anime teaser key visual showing Leone and Tsugumi in the irradiated wasteland
Image courtesy of TSUGUMI PROJECT Production Committee

What Is Tsugumi Project?

Written and drawn by artist ippatu, Tsugumi Project is a survival science-fiction action manga set in a devastated far-future Japan. Two centuries of extreme radiation have transformed the island into a forbidden zone — a no-man’s-land overrun by grotesquely mutated creatures that bear little resemblance to anything living today.

At the centre of the story is Leone, a soldier framed for a crime he did not commit and torn from his family. His punishment doubles as a suicide mission: infiltrate the irradiated zone and recover a classified weapon codenamed TSUGUMI. What he finds instead is a mysterious girl — and a journey through Old Japan that defies everything he was told about the place.

Critics and fans have compared its atmosphere and visual ambition to BLAME!, Spriggan, and AKIRA — rarefied company that gives you an instant calibration for the kind of dark, dense, aesthetically ambitious science fiction this series delivers.

Tsugumi Project manga interior page showing the irradiated wasteland and creature design
Image courtesy of TSUGUMI PROJECT Production Committee

From France to Japan — An Unusual Road to Anime

The origin story of Tsugumi Project is almost as unusual as the story itself. French publisher Ki-oon debuted the manga in France in 2019 — before it ever appeared in Japan. The series became a genuine hit with French and European readers, winning a dedicated following in a market that has long embraced manga wholeheartedly.

Only in 2021 did Kodansha begin serialising it in Japan through Weekly Young Magazine, reversing the typical flow of manga publication. By the time the Japanese run concluded with volume 7 in 2023, the manga had built a readership on both sides of the world. It is now complete in seven volumes — which bodes well for a cohesive anime adaptation.

Tsugumi Project manga page showing action sequence and character design
Image courtesy of TSUGUMI PROJECT Production Committee

The Anime: Teaser PV and What We Know

TVアニメ 『虎鷫 －TSUGUMI PROJECT－』 Teaser PV — via NBCUniversal Anime/Music on YouTube

The official teaser site at toratsugumi.jp and the series’ X account @toratsugumi_PJ are both live. The short teaser PV above delivers the first animated glimpse of the post-apocalyptic world ippatu created — all jagged, radiated ruin and looming creature silhouettes.

The production carries the banner of the TSUGUMI PROJECT Production Committee, with NBCUniversal Anime/Music among the credited partners — a label with strong international distribution reach that typically points toward global streaming availability, though no specific platforms have been confirmed yet.

What remains to be confirmed: the animation studio, director, voice cast, and premiere date. Author ippatu said of the announcement, as reported by Dengeki Online (Japanese): “It’s quite a surprise! This happened because everyone read it.”

Tsugumi Project character artwork from the Dengeki Online announcement feature
Image courtesy of TSUGUMI PROJECT Production Committee

What SG Anime Fans Should Know

Tsugumi Project is a completed seven-volume story — adapting a finished manga typically allows production teams to plan a proper beginning, middle, and end without rushing or padding. For Singapore fans of hard SF action anime, the BLAME!/AKIRA comparison is not hyperbole: this is dense, atmospheric, and unafraid to let silence and creature design do the narrative heavy lifting.

The series has been available in English through selected international channels, and a number of SG fans have already found it through fan communities and import channels. An anime adaptation with NBCUniversal involvement is likely to land on a major global streaming platform — watch @toratsugumi_PJ on X for updates. Until then, the seven-volume manga is the ideal preparation.

For more upcoming anime, check our Manga & Anime section.

Game News, Manga Anime

Prince of Tennis Romance Remasters Hit Switch 2 and PC on 30 July — Now in English

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Two of the most beloved Prince of Tennis romance games from 2005 are finally coming back, and this time they are heading west. The Prince of Tennis II: Sweet School Festival ♡−40 and more… and The Prince of Tennis II: Doki Doki Survival ~eternal passion! Tie break ♡game~ both launch on 30 July 2026 for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam — fully remastered, and newly available in English, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese.

For fans across Singapore and Southeast Asia who grew up watching the anime on TV or reading the manga, this is long overdue. The original games were Japan-only PS2 releases; outside Japan you could only admire them from afar. That changes in two weeks.

Sweet School Festival Remastered – Release Date Trailer — via Konami on YouTube

School Festival or Deserted Island? Two Games, One Summer

Sweet School Festival and Doki Doki Survival combined key visual
Image courtesy of Konami Digital Entertainment

The two games put you in very different situations — and that’s the point. In Sweet School Festival, you are living the full school-festival experience surrounded by more than 40 tennis princes from rival schools. Think cultural stalls, drama rehearsals, and heart-racing moments in between. In Doki Doki Survival, a plane detour strands you and a group of fan-favourite characters on a tropical island, kicking off a survival-meets-romance story where the stakes feel just a little higher than finding the right club room.

Both are otome visual novels with fully voiced scenarios in Japanese and date events unique to each character. The Prince of Tennis II cast covers ten schools and dozens of iconic rivals, so whichever game you pick, there are plenty of princes to spend your time with.

What the Remaster Actually Adds

Sweet School Festival remaster gameplay screenshot — character performing on stage at the school festival
Image courtesy of Konami Digital Entertainment

Both remasters get newly drawn high-resolution illustrations, and you can freely toggle between the original PS2-era artwork and the redrawn scenes — a thoughtful touch for anyone who wants nostalgia alongside the upgrade. Some event CGs also have subtle animation added to them in the new version.

On Nintendo Switch 2, the games run at full-screen high resolution with shorter load times and mouse support, plus an exclusive Game Share feature that lets you create and share short mini-dramas using in-game characters. The interface has been overhauled with a cleaner map and navigation system, and character affinity comments change based on how far your relationship has progressed.

Doki Doki Survival Remaster Release Date Trailer — via KONAMI公式 on YouTube
Doki Doki Survival remaster — two characters in an outdoor tropical scene
Image courtesy of Konami Digital Entertainment
Doki Doki Survival remaster — in-game visual novel dialogue scene at night
Image courtesy of Konami Digital Entertainment

Asia Gets a Physical Edition — and Japan Gets the Full Collector’s Set

Sweet School Festival Limited Edition contents — t-shirt, acrylic panel, sticker set, clear file, and Nintendo Switch physical copy
Image courtesy of Konami Digital Entertainment

Regional fans will be glad to know that Asia is getting physical Nintendo Switch editions of both titles alongside the global digital release. Japan’s limited edition sets, available at 15,400 yen each, include the physical game, a special staff t-shirt, an acrylic panel, a sticker set, and a clear file — plus digital bonus content. Specific Asia edition contents are to be confirmed closer to release.

For everyone else, digital pre-orders are live now on the Nintendo eShop and Steam. Each title is priced at US$49.99 (SGD equivalent to be confirmed by Konami at launch). Existing Switch owners who later upgrade to a Switch 2 can use the Upgrade Pass to access the Switch 2 Edition features.

Language support — English, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese text alongside the original Japanese voice track — means Singapore players can dive straight in without any workarounds. If you have been waiting more than two decades for an officially localised way to romance your favourite Seigaku, Hyoutei, or Rikkai rivals, 30 July is your day.

Check out our manga and anime coverage for more on The Prince of Tennis universe.

Manga Anime, News

J.C.STAFF Adapts Wound & Bandage for January 2027 Anime

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A fresh anime announcement landed in Japan today — and English media hasn’t caught up yet. Kizuguchi to Houtai (傷口と包帯), the yakuza caretaker romcom manga by Nanai Kaisei, is officially getting a TV anime adaptation from J.C.STAFF, set to premiere in January 2027 on the ABC Television / TV Asahi nationwide ANiMAZiNG!!! block. The anime’s official site (Japanese) went live alongside the announcement.

Kizuguchi to Houtai Volume 2 cover – Riyo, the mob boss's daughter
Image courtesy of Kodansha / Monthly Shōnen Magazine Comics

What Is Wound & Bandage?

The manga — whose title translates literally as Wounds and Bandages — serialises biweekly on Kodansha’s Comic DAYS platform under the Monthly Shōnen Magazine Comics label. Five volumes are out so far. The setup is deceptively simple: Kiritani, a young and capable member of a yakuza faction, is assigned to act as personal caretaker to Riyo — the sheltered daughter of the organisation’s all-powerful boss. The complication? Riyo has a deeply unusual hobby she calls Yowarā: she becomes intensely excited whenever she watches a strong, intimidating person reveal their vulnerabilities. Being around Kiritani — a man who projects absolute toughness but is now stuck playing babysitter — is basically her dream scenario.

The premise sounds outrageous on paper, and it is, but Nanai Kaisei plays it primarily as a slow-burn romcom with genuine character chemistry. The manga built a strong following on social media when it first appeared as a one-shot, and the series has kept growing since serialisation began.

Kizuguchi to Houtai Volume 3 cover – Riyo in focus
Image courtesy of Kodansha / Monthly Shōnen Magazine Comics

Staff Line-Up

The production team confirmed so far:

  • Animation studio: J.C.STAFF
  • Director: Ishida Miyuki
  • Series composition: Yamakawa Susumu
  • Character design: Oyama Natsuki

No voice cast has been announced yet, and no teaser trailer is available at the time of writing — today’s announcement was limited to the production confirmation and official site launch. Cast and a first promotional video are expected to follow in the months ahead.

Kizuguchi to Houtai Volume 4 cover – Kiritani and Riyo close together
Image courtesy of Kodansha / Monthly Shōnen Magazine Comics

What Singapore Fans Should Know

J.C.STAFF is one of the most prolific studios in Singapore fans’ seasonal watch-lists — past credits include DanMachi, Toradora!, A Certain Magical Index, and more recently Slime Season 3 and Re:ZERO Season 3. The studio’s track record with light, character-driven romcoms is strong, and Wound & Bandage‘s yakuza setting gives it a visual edge that should stand out in the Winter 2027 season.

No streaming rights for Singapore or Southeast Asia have been confirmed yet. The ANiMAZiNG!!! block has historically fed titles into Crunchyroll and bilibili for the Asian market, but nothing is official for this title — keep an eye on announcements closer to January 2027. In the meantime, all five manga volumes are readable digitally via Comic DAYS, which is accessible globally, and a licensed English release from Kodansha has not yet been announced. For more upcoming anime picks and manga-to-anime news, check our ongoing coverage.