Category Archives: Manga Anime

Manga Anime

Thunder 3 Anime Hits Netflix 8 July — What to Expect

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If your Netflix queue needs a fresh weekly obsession this July, Thunder 3 (サンダー3) might be exactly that. The isekai mystery series — based on Yuki Ikeda’s manga from Monthly Shōnen Magazine — debuts globally on Netflix on 8 July 2026, with Singapore subscribers able to stream from day one.

What Is Thunder 3? The Manga That Just Ended

Thunder 3 ran in Kodansha’s Monthly Shōnen Magazine from May 2022 to June 2026, wrapping up its complete 8-volume run literally weeks before the anime adaptation premieres. Written and illustrated by Yuki Ikeda, the series sits at the intersection of isekai, mystery, and science fantasy — a more interesting combination than it might first sound.

Panel from the Thunder 3 manga showing Pyontaro and Hiroshi
Image courtesy of Yuki Ikeda / Kodansha

The story follows three inseparable middle schoolers — Pyontaro Tezuka, Hiroshi Ochanomizu, and Tsubame Azuma, nicknamed the “Small Three” — who stumble upon a mysterious disc belonging to their teacher, Dr. Doc. Playing it unleashes an alien dragonfly from their TV screen, and in the chaos Pyontaro’s younger sister Futaba and the family pet are dragged into a parallel world and captured by its extraterrestrial inhabitants. What starts as ordinary boyhood friendship turns into an interdimensional rescue mission.

Netflix, Fuji TV, and a Surprising Director

Thunder 3 | Official Trailer — via Netflix Anime on YouTube

The TV anime premieres on Fuji TV’s +Ultra block from 8 July 2026, broadcasting every Wednesday night, with Netflix handling global streaming from the same date. Singapore viewers can jump straight in on launch day — no region restrictions.

The creative team is worth noting. Per the Anime Expo 2026 press release coverage, Hiroyuki Seshita directs — the same filmmaker behind the bleak, atmospheric sci-fi of Blame! (2017) and Ajin: Demi-Human on Netflix. Series composition is handled by Hiroshi Seko (Witch Hat Atelier, Rooster Fighter), with studio UNEDN producing the animation. That pairing of a hard-sci-fi director with a chibi-inflected adventure story is one of the more unexpected creative decisions of the summer anime season.

The Small Three — Pyontaro, Hiroshi, and Tsubame — in the Netflix Official Trailer for Thunder 3
Image courtesy of Thunder 3 Production Committee

North American Premiere at Anime Expo 2026

Thunder 3 gets its North American premiere at Anime Expo 2026 on 4 July — Room 408AB at the Los Angeles Convention Center, 3:15 PM PDT — with Seshita and Seko present for the panel. For Singapore fans weighing up a new seasonal watch, that screening lands just four days before the Netflix global drop, so any buzz coming out of LA will be very fresh when the series goes live on 8 July.

Character close-up from the Thunder 3 anime promotional video 2
Image courtesy of Thunder 3 Production Committee

How to Watch Thunder 3 in Singapore

Thunder 3 is a Netflix exclusive in Singapore from 8 July 2026, with new episodes dropping weekly. The manga source is fully concluded at 8 volumes — available digitally through Kodansha USA’s Azuki platform for anyone who wants to read ahead or revisit the story after the credits roll. Browse more anime picks on GameTrader as the summer season gets underway.

Manga Anime

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 — Full Cast Revealed, Coming Fall 2026 on Netflix

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Studio TRIGGER and Netflix have completed the main cast of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, dropping the fourth and final character reveal today alongside confirmation that the 10-episode sequel lands on Netflix — Singapore included — this autumn. A full presentation and the first proper trailer are due tomorrow at Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles.

Meet the New Crew

Season 2 brings an entirely fresh set of edgerunners to Night City, each teased through individual character drops over the past week. Studio TRIGGER and CD Projekt Red introduced them one by one, building to today’s reveal of the fourth main cast member:

  • Weak Kingsley — “Once known as ‘King,’ a veteran edgerunner at the top of his game, Weak now lives in the shadow of his former glory.” Tagline: Heavy is a crown. Heavier is the chrome.
  • D — A Snake Nation netrunner with sharp technical skills and a hunger for revenge. D hunts the killer who wiped out his clan. Tagline: No signal, no survival.
  • Roman Carax — A young cinephile searching for real stories in a city that abandoned cinema for neurodance. He documents the lives of others like a witness to every gig’s cost and every legend’s fall. Tagline: A witness to every gig’s cost, every fall, and every legend.
  • Taliya Yang — “She comes from the corpo towers… but her heart belongs to chrome and violence.” Tagline: From corpo towers to the chrome-forged edge.
Cyberpunk Edgerunners 2 — Weak Kingsley and D character reveal key art
Image courtesy of Netflix / Studio TRIGGER
Cyberpunk Edgerunners 2 — Roman Carax and Weak Kingsley character reveal key art
Image courtesy of Netflix / Studio TRIGGER

Watch the Official Teaser

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 | Official Teaser | Netflix — via Netflix on YouTube

A Standalone Story Built Around Revenge

Edgerunners 2 does not continue David Martinez’s story from Season 1 — this is an entirely new crew in the same Cyberpunk 2077 world. The creators describe it as “a raw chronicle of redemption and revenge,” running 10 episodes, the same length as the original.

At the helm is Kai Ikarashi, a storyboard artist, animation director, and animator on Season 1 who makes his directorial debut here. Masahiko Otsuka returns as screenwriter, and Ichigo Kanno takes over character design from Yoh Yoshinari. The core creative relationship between CD Projekt Red and TRIGGER stays intact; only the story and its people are new.

Cyberpunk Edgerunners 2 Netflix official teaser key art
Image courtesy of Netflix / Studio TRIGGER

A teaser was screened at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival earlier this month, and an official poster released this week sent fans into speculation mode — several observers noted visual cues that might place the new story before Season 1, though neither TRIGGER nor CD Projekt Red has confirmed a prequel setting. Tomorrow’s Anime Expo panel should answer that question.

What to Watch Tomorrow

The Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 full presentation at Anime Expo 2026 is set for June 29 (that’s tomorrow, Singapore time). Expect the first proper trailer, possibly a release window narrower than “autumn 2026,” and likely some story details from the team. Netflix typically streams or mirrors Anime Expo panels, so you should be able to catch it without booking a flight to LA.

Netflix Singapore has the full Cyberpunk catalogue, and Season 1 of Edgerunners remains one of the most-watched anime on the platform — a series that sent Cyberpunk 2077 player counts surging when it dropped in September 2022. The characters that time are all gone, but the neon, the chrome, and the heartbreak appear to be very much back. Follow our anime coverage for the trailer drop and anything else that comes out of Anime Expo tomorrow.

Manga Anime

Fool Night Anime: Sunrise x SHAFT Join Forces on Netflix

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One of the most striking manga you’ve probably never heard of is about to become one of the most visually distinct anime on Netflix — and it’s arriving in 2026. Fool Night, Kasumi Yasuda’s acclaimed dystopian thriller serialised in Shogakukan’s Big Comic Superior, has been confirmed as a global Netflix anime, backed by a studio pairing that has literally never happened before.

Toshiro Kamiya walks through a neon-lit dystopian city in Fool Night
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Filmworks

What Is Fool Night About?

The premise is instantly arresting. Sunlight hasn’t reached Earth in a century — thick clouds have locked the planet in perpetual winter and darkness. Plant life has collapsed, oxygen is critically scarce, and humanity’s response is a morally fraught technology called transfloration: a procedure that implants seeds into the bodies of people near death, gradually transforming them into oxygen-producing plant beings. It is presented as a choice, but one driven entirely by economic desperation.

At the centre of it all is Toshiro Kamiya, a young man struggling with poverty and his mother’s illness, confronting the question the series keeps asking: is life worth preserving if it means ceasing to be human?

Yasuda’s manga has earned serious recognition in Japan — it ranked in the prestigious Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2023 list and took home best suspense manga at the Japan Expo Daruma Awards 2023. But outside Japan it remains largely under the radar, which makes this Netflix adaptation a genuine discovery moment for anime fans in Singapore and across Southeast Asia.

A Historic Studio Pairing: Sunrise Meets SHAFT

A transflorated being cradles a dying flower in a scene from the Fool Night Netflix teaser
Image courtesy of Netflix

The production story is, on its own, something anime fans won’t forget quickly. Fool Night marks the first-ever collaboration between Sunrise and SHAFT — two of anime’s most storied studios, working together for the first time in their respective histories.

Sunrise built its legacy on the scale and ambition of Mobile Suit Gundam, Cowboy Bebop, and Code Geass. SHAFT built theirs on the visually singular, avant-garde craft of Puella Magi Madoka Magica and the Monogatari series — shows defined by daring direction and unforgettable aesthetics. The Fool Night teaser already hints at what this union looks like: Sunrise’s epic scope filtered through SHAFT’s precise, intimate visual instincts.

The Creative Team Behind Fool Night

A close-up of the Fool Night protagonist from the official Japanese teaser PV
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Filmworks

The assembled team is a who’s-who of recent prestige anime:

  • Director: Atsuyuki Yukawa, who served as unit director on Makoto Shinkai’s Suzume
  • Series Composition: Jin Tanaka (Oshi no Ko, Kowloon Generic Romance)
  • Character Design: Robert Sato
  • Sound Director: Yota Tsuruoka (A Silent Voice)
  • Composer: Tatsuya Kato (Dr. Stone)

The voice cast is equally compelling: Koki Uchiyama — the voice behind My Hero Academia’s Tomura Shigaraki and Genshin Impact’s Xiao — takes the lead as Toshiro Kamiya. Minako Kotobuki (K-On!’s Tsumugi Kotobuki) voices Yomiko Horai.

Watch the Official Fool Night Teaser

Fool Night | Official Teaser | Netflix Anime — via Netflix Anime on YouTube

Streaming on Netflix in 2026 — No Singapore Wait

Fool Night is confirmed as a Netflix worldwide exclusive debuting in 2026. An exact premiere date has not been announced yet. Netflix’s global simultaneous release model means Singapore subscribers will get it day-and-date with the rest of the world — no waiting for a regional rollout.

Given the creative pedigree, the unprecedented studio collaboration, and a story with genuinely rare ambition, this is one to add to your watchlist now. For more anime and manga news, check out our Manga Anime coverage.

Manga Anime

Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games Premieres July 7 on Crunchyroll

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With EVO 2026 closing out its final day in Las Vegas, the timing could not be better for the FGC to get its own anime. Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games (Japanese title: Taiari: Ojōsama wa Kakūtō Game Nante Shinai) premieres on Crunchyroll on 7 July 2026 — and it comes with an official Street Fighter 6 collaboration baked right into the adaptation.

Aya and Mio face off in a dramatic fighting game rivalry scene from Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games
Image courtesy of Diomedéa / Crunchyroll

Secret Arcade Sticks in an Elite Academy

The premise: Aya Mitsuki earns a scholarship to Kuromi Girls’ Academy, a prestigious institution where gaming is quietly understood to be beneath the student body. She soon discovers that Mio Yorue — the school’s universally admired “White Lily,” a student who seems almost too composed to be real — has been secretly destroying opponents in a competitive fighting game in an empty classroom after hours.

Neither girl can quite let go of what she saw. What unfolds is a rivalry, an unlikely friendship, and an underground tournament scene that the academy’s image managers would strongly prefer to remain invisible. The original manga by Eri Ejima has been running in KADOKAWA’s Monthly Comic Flapper since January 2020 and now spans 11 volumes — Seven Seas Entertainment holds the English-language rights for anyone who wants to read ahead before the simulcast.

A character from Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games in a cinematic close-up with glowing amber eyes
Image courtesy of Diomedéa / Crunchyroll

Street Fighter 6 Is Literally in the Show

Here is the detail that sets this adaptation apart. In the source manga, the girls compete in a fictional game called Iron Senpai 4. For the anime, Diomedéa struck an official licensing deal with Capcom and replaced that entirely with real Street Fighter 6 gameplay footage — actual character-select screens, actual match UI, actual move animations. Each of the four main characters has a specific SF6 main: Aya plays Luke, Mio plays Ryu, Yū plays Ken, and Tamaki plays Juri. It is a level of integration that goes well beyond a casual cameo or a logo on a cabinet.

HORI and Mad Catz are both listed as cooperation partners on the production, which suggests exactly the kind of peripheral close-ups that FGC fans will recognise from their own setups.

Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games | Official Trailer — via Crunchyroll on YouTube

Cast and Crew

A character in a school uniform reacting emotionally in Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games
Image courtesy of Diomedéa / Crunchyroll

The adaptation is produced by Diomedéa (Himouto! Umaru-chan) and directed by Shōta Ihata, with series composition by Wataru Watari — the same writer behind My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU. Main cast:

  • Aya Mitsuki — Ikumi Hasegawa
  • Mio Yorue — Kana Ichinose
  • Yū Inui — Sayaka Senbongi
  • Tamaki Ichinose — Shino Shimoji

Crunchyroll screened a sneak-peek episode as part of its Anime Nights theatrical programme in June, ahead of the simulcast launch. Early viewer response has been largely positive, with advance coverage noting that the premiere episode delivers on its premise without overselling the drama.

On Crunchyroll from 7 July

An extreme amber-eye close-up from Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games conveying competitive intensity
Image courtesy of Diomedéa / Crunchyroll

Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games begins simulcasting on Crunchyroll on 7 July 2026, day-and-date with the Japanese broadcast on AT-X, Tokyo MX, MBS, BS NTV, and NBC. Singapore Crunchyroll subscribers can watch on day one. It joins a strong summer 2026 anime lineup — and as the only show this season where actual competitive fighting game matches are woven into the main drama, it is a natural follow-on watch for anyone who has spent the past few days glued to EVO 2026.

Manga Anime, News

Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 4 Cour 2 Premieres July 11 on Crunchyroll

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After a four-year wait between seasons, the most determined bookworm in anime is back — and she’s not slowing down. WIT Studio’s Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 4: Adopted Daughter of an Archduke returns for its second cour on 11 July 2026, and the freshly released third promotional video confirms the stakes are higher than ever for Rozemyne.

Official Cour 2 PV3 (Japanese) — via 読売テレビ アニメ公式 on YouTube

New Themes, New Trailer — What the Cour 2 PV3 Shows

The third PV, released on 27 June on the official production website, previews new scenes of Rozemyne wielding ever-expanding arcanist powers against formidable opponents, alongside both new theme songs for the second half. Kana Nishino — one of Japan’s best-selling solo artists — performs the new opening, Power of Love. Singer adieu (Moka Kamishiraishi) handles the ending song, titled Wanna me.

adieu shared her thoughts on the project, as reported by Anime Corner: “I am truly happy to be able to contribute musically to a series that has been loved for so many years,” adding that working on the anime “taught me that believing in the things you love is also believing in yourself.”

Rozemyne close-up with magical water orbs in Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 4
Image courtesy of Ascendance of a Bookworm Production Committee

What the Adopted Daughter of an Archduke Arc Is About

If you haven’t caught the series yet, here’s the short version: Ascendance of a Bookworm follows Myne, a book-obsessed woman reincarnated into a fantasy world with no printing press and rampant illiteracy. The early seasons tracked her ingenious (and endlessly resourceful) campaign to bring books to the commoner class. Season 4 vaults her fully into noble archduke territory, adapting Volumes 8–12 of Miya Kazuki’s light novel series (Japanese), now running to over 30 published volumes.

The Adopted Daughter arc places Rozemyne — voiced by Yuka Iguchi — in a world of high-nobility politics, arcanist magic academies, and increasingly complex power plays. Ferdinand (Sho Hayami) returns as her complicated mentor figure, and the Cour 2 trailer hints at confrontations that dwarf anything from the earlier arcs. Director Yoshiaki Iwasaki and series composer Mariko Kunisawa are back at the helm, with WIT Studio continuing their detailed, lush visual style.

Rozemyne awakening with powerful magical energy in Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 4 Cour 2
Image courtesy of Ascendance of a Bookworm Production Committee

When and Where to Watch — Singapore Guide

Crunchyroll holds worldwide streaming rights for Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 4, explicitly covering Singapore. New Cour 2 episodes premiere every Saturday at 4:30pm SGT starting 11 July 2026 — a prime afternoon slot that makes it easy to slot into your weekend watchlist. All 13 Cour 1 episodes are already live on Crunchyroll if you need to catch up. Seasons 1 through 3 are also available there, giving newcomers the full run from the beginning.

Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 4 Cour 2 PV3 battle scene
Image courtesy of Ascendance of a Bookworm Production Committee

For more summer 2026 anime hitting Crunchyroll in Singapore, browse our anime coverage.

Manga Anime, News

Rent-A-Girlfriend Season 6 Confirmed — Cohabitation Arc Is Next

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The Season 5 finale of Rent-A-Girlfriend dropped on Crunchyroll on Friday, and the official account wasted no time delivering the follow-up news Singapore fans of the series had been hoping for: a sixth season is confirmed, adapting the manga’s Cohabitation arc (also known as the Dousei-hen).

Rent-A-Girlfriend Season 6 confirmed — official celebratory illustration featuring Kazuya, Chizuru and Mini
Image courtesy of TMS Entertainment / Reiji Miyajima

What the Cohabitation Arc Covers

The Cohabitation arc is exactly what it sounds like: Kazuya Kinoshita and Chizuru Ichinose end up sharing a living space, a development that forces a situation the rental-girlfriend arrangement has spent five seasons carefully avoiding. Without spoiling Season 5, the Hawaiians arc laid the groundwork for this shift — and the Cohabitation stretch is widely regarded by manga readers as the point where the relationship dynamics finally start to move in ways that feel earned.

Character designer Hiroshi Hirayama marked the announcement with a celebratory illustration showing Kazuya, Chizuru, and Mini raising glasses together — appropriately festive rather than informative, which is exactly what you’d expect from an announcement this early in production.

What We Know (and Don’t Know) About Season 6

The announcement carries almost no production specifics: no premiere window, no broadcast schedule, no new staff additions. What is confirmed is that TMS Entertainment continues as the production house, director Kazuomi Koga remains at the helm, and the full voice cast returns — Shun Horie (Kazuya), Sora Amamiya (Chizuru), Aoi Yuki (Mami), and Nao Higashiyama, Rie Takahashi and Yu Serizawa for the rest of the main cast. Same team, next chapter.

Rent-A-Girlfriend Season 5 key visual — Chizuru and Mami
Image courtesy of TMS Entertainment / Reiji Miyajima

What This Means for Crunchyroll Viewers in Singapore

Crunchyroll has been the home for the series since Season 1, and Seasons 4 and 5 both streamed with same-day simulcast for Singapore subscribers. There’s no reason to expect Season 6 to change that arrangement, though nothing is confirmed until Crunchyroll makes an official licensing announcement.

Rent-A-Girlfriend has always generated strong reactions on both sides — it’s one of those titles where the discourse is half the entertainment. But Seasons 4 and 5 have generally been received as the series getting its narrative house in order, and the Cohabitation arc is specifically the stretch that manga readers most often point to when they say the story gets good. If you’ve been on the fence about continuing after any previous season, this might be the arc worth waiting for.

Keep an eye on Crunchyroll and the manga-anime section here for a premiere date when it drops.

Manga Anime

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

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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.

Manga Anime

Record of Ragnarok Season 4 Confirmed — Battles 10 and 11 Are Coming

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Warner Bros. Japan officially confirmed on Friday that Record of Ragnarok is returning for a fourth season — and if you’ve been waiting for a particular clash to finally hit the screen, the wait just got a whole lot more real.

Record of Ragnarok IV — Season 4 Production Confirmed Special PV — via Warner Bros. Japan Anime on YouTube

Record of Ragnarok Season 4: What We Know

The announcement landed on 26 June 2026 through Warner Bros. Japan’s official channels, alongside a short production announcement video, the new Record of Ragnarok IV logo, and commemorative messages and art from the original creative team. Season 4 will animate the 10th and 11th battles of the gods-versus-humanity tournament. That’s all the timing information we have for now — no premiere date has been set.

Returning in the director’s chair is Koichi Hatsumi (Season 3 director, known also for Tokyo Revengers), with Yasuyuki Muto back as series composer. Animation production stays with the same pairing of Yumeta Company × MARU Animation that handled all three previous seasons.

What the Creators Are Saying About Battles 10 and 11

Azychika's hand-drawn commemorative illustration for Record of Ragnarok Season 4 featuring two characters from the upcoming battles
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Japan

Illustrator Azychika dropped a celebratory manga illustration alongside the announcement, teasing the style of what’s ahead: “That incredible sword fight in the upcoming match is finally coming to life in animation! There’s even a gunfight!” as reported by Anime Corner.

Story writer Shinya Umemura added: “Season 4 will focus on the 10th and 11th battle. From an all-out, authentic sword-fighting battle to a strategic showdown reminiscent of the Jack the Ripper match…” And structure writer Takumi Fukui summed it up: “I can’t wait to see battles so intense they burn into your memory, and souls that shine with blinding passion.”

Between sword fights, gunfights, and a matchup compared to one of the series’ most psychologically tense bouts, the creative team isn’t underselling this one.

Season 3 Was a Netflix Hit — and Confirmed the Formula Works

Record of Ragnarok III official Netflix key visual showing multiple fighters including the main cast in dramatic poses
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Japan / Netflix

Record of Ragnarok III arrived on Netflix on 10 December 2025 with 15 episodes and immediately posted up in Netflix’s weekly TOP 10 across 83 countries and regions. Singapore was part of that wave — the series has been one of Netflix’s consistent anime performers in Southeast Asia, and all three seasons are streaming there right now.

While Netflix has not yet formally announced distribution for Season 4, the existing relationship makes it the obvious home for the new instalment when it’s ready. We’ll be watching for that confirmation.

Close-up of a dark-haired Record of Ragnarok character with piercing green eyes from the Season 4 announcement PV
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Japan

For more anime announcements worth tracking, head to our Manga & Anime section — there’s been no shortage of them this week.

Manga Anime

Magic Knight Rayearth Is Back: 2026 Anime Reboot Premieres at Anime Expo

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After more than 30 years, the Magic Knights are summoned once more. CLAMP’s beloved shojo isekai Magic Knight Rayearth is getting a full anime reboot — confirmed for October 2026 on TV Asahi, with an all-star production team, a stacked new cast, and a world premiere at Anime Expo 2026 on 4 July in Los Angeles.

Magic Knight Rayearth 2026 anime teaser visual — three heroines in school uniforms with Tokyo Tower
Image courtesy of TMS Entertainment / CLAMP / E&H production

What Is Magic Knight Rayearth?

Originally a manga by CLAMP — the all-female artist collective behind Cardcaptor Sakura, Chobits, and xxxHolic — Magic Knight Rayearth ran in Kodansha’s Nakayoshi magazine from 1993 to 1996 across 29 chapters. The story follows three middle-school girls — Hikaru Shidou, Umi Ryuuzaki, and Fuu Hououji — who are suddenly transported from Tokyo Tower to the magical world of Cephiro, where they must become legendary Magic Knights to save the captive Princess Emeraude. The original 1994 anime series became a touchstone for a generation of fans across Asia, blending magical girl trappings with mecha and high fantasy in a way that felt genuinely fresh at the time.

Decades of fan demand later, TMS Entertainment and E&H production have answered the call. The new series is planned and produced by UNLIMITED PRODUCE by TMS and animated by E&H production — the studio founded by Sunghoo Park, director of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 and Fire Force. That pedigree alone signals this is not a cheap anniversary cash-in.

Magic Knight Rayearth 2026 — the three Magic Knights standing in the world of Cephiro
Image courtesy of TMS Entertainment / CLAMP / E&H production

The Dream Team Behind the Reboot

Director Yui Miura leads the project, with Shigeru Murakoshi handling series composition. The name that will excite the most fans, though, is the composer: Yuki Kajiura — the force behind the soundtracks of Sword Art Online, Fate/Zero, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and Kagurabachi — is scoring the series alongside Takumi Ozawa and Shiho Terada. Character design goes to Satomi Watanabe.

The voice cast is equally impressive. The three leads are played by Ayane Sakura (Hikaru Shidou), Rumi Okubo (Umi Ryuuzaki), and Rie Takahashi (Fuu Hououji). A second wave of casting announced in June 2026 added Saori Hayami as Princess Emeraude, Yuuki Ono as the antagonist Zagato, and Mika Kikuchi as Mokona — the series’ iconic rabbit-like mascot creature.

TVアニメ『魔法騎士レイアース』ティザーPV — via TMSアニメ公式チャンネル on YouTube

World Premiere at Anime Expo 2026 — 4 July

The Anime Expo 2026 full schedule, released today (27 June), confirms that the world premiere of the new Magic Knight Rayearth anime is set for 12:00 PM on 4 July at the JW Diamond hall in Los Angeles. Special guests attending include Rie Takahashi and Saori Hayami, who will be present for the screening of the first two episodes. Additional new details about the series are expected to be unveiled at the event. Tickets for Anime Expo (running 2–5 July at the Los Angeles Convention Center) can be found at the official Anime Expo website.

Magic Knight Rayearth 2026 anime — Hikaru Shidou with flames in a dramatic close-up
Image courtesy of TMS Entertainment / CLAMP / E&H production

What Singapore Fans Need to Know

The series broadcasts on TV Asahi every Wednesday at 11:45 PM JST within the IMAnimation W programming block, starting October 2026. International streaming has not been confirmed yet — but given that the original Magic Knight Rayearth anime is currently on Netflix, a digital route for the reboot seems plausible. No Singapore or Southeast Asia streaming announcement has been made at the time of writing; check back as details emerge closer to the October air date.

For fans who grew up in the 90s watching CLAMP’s work on local TV, this reboot hits differently. With Yuki Kajiura’s orchestral signature woven through it and a studio with recent shonen action credentials steering the visuals, the new Magic Knight Rayearth is shaping up as one of the more serious revival attempts in recent memory — rather than just a nostalgia play. Keep an eye on the AX premiere on 4 July for the first real look at what this reboot has in store.

For more anime news, check out our Manga & Anime coverage.