Category Archives: Manga Anime

One Piece Episode 1169: Scopper Gaban Makes His Anime Debut

Singapore One Piece fans, last night’s episode was worth the wait. Episode 1169 — titled “The Legend Lurking in Elbaph: The Identity of the Mountain-Eater” — finally gave us Scopper Gaban, one of the most anticipated Roger Pirates in the entire series. His anime debut did not disappoint.

ONE PIECE l Episode 1169 Trailer — via Toei Animation on YouTube

Who Is Scopper Gaban — and Why Has Everyone Been Waiting?

If you have only been following the anime, the name Scopper Gaban might feel new. But among manga readers and long-time fans, he is one of One Piece’s great open questions — a name spoken alongside Gol D. Roger and Silvers Rayleigh as one of the three pillars of the Roger Pirates.

Known as the “Mountain-Eater” and the “Left Hand of the Pirate King,” Gaban served as navigator of the Roger Pirates, wielding a pair of enormous axes. His fame is said to rival Roger and Rayleigh themselves. He was present at the God Valley Incident — one of the most pivotal clashes in One Piece’s backstory — and was there when the crew first set foot on Laugh Tale and uncovered the world’s deepest secrets. After Roger disbanded the crew, Gaban slipped quietly off to Elbaph, where he married a giant woman named Ripley and raised their son Colon.

One Piece Episode 1169 Elbaf arc preview — Scopper Gaban reveal
Image courtesy of Toei Animation

Episode 1169: A Reveal That Lived Up to the Hype

Episode 1169 finds Luffy and the Straw Hats navigating the towering giants’ island of Elbaph. The episode’s centrepiece is a local guide known only as “Ya” leading the crew to a hidden chamber that holds the key to Loki’s chains. When “Ya” reveals himself as Scopper Gaban — the very same Roger Pirate who has been hiding on the island for two decades — it lands exactly as it should: a living legend stepping out of the shadows.

What makes the debut work is that Gaban does not play it completely straight. The episode gives him warmth and wit alongside the weight of his reputation. He refuses to hand over the key without a test. He wants to see for himself what the future Pirate King is made of — and that sets up everything coming next week.

One Piece Episode 1170 preview — Luffy vs Scopper Gaban on Elbaph
Image courtesy of Toei Animation

Episode 1170: Luffy vs. Scopper Gaban — Coming July 19

The title of Episode 1170, “Get the Key! Luffy vs. Scopper Gaban,” tells you exactly what to expect. Luffy will have to fight for that key. Episode 1170 airs Sunday, 19 July 2026, on Fuji TV in Japan at 11:15 PM JST, and Crunchyroll will simulcast it shortly after for Singapore and Southeast Asia viewers.

#1170 PREVIEW | ELBAPH | ONE PIECE — via ONE PIECE Official – ENG on YouTube

Watching One Piece in Singapore

One Piece streams as a weekly simulcast on Crunchyroll across Singapore and Southeast Asia. New episodes drop every Sunday night shortly after the Japan broadcast. Episode 1169 is live now, and if you want to be ready for the Luffy–Gaban showdown next Sunday, there has never been a better time to catch up on the Elbaf arc. You can also read our coverage of the latest One Piece manga spoilers for a look at where the story is headed further ahead, and browse more anime and manga news for what else is streaming this summer in Singapore.

Golden Kamuy: The Abashiri Prison Raid Is on Netflix Today — Sugimoto Storms Japan’s Toughest Prison

The battle for Ainu gold just got a whole lot bigger. Golden Kamuy -The Abashiri Prison Raid-, the second live-action film adaptation of Satoru Noda’s celebrated manga, is now streaming on Netflix Singapore from today, 13 July 2026. If you have a Netflix subscription, you can watch it right now.

Golden Kamuy Abashiri Prison Raid - Sugimoto in action with rifle in burning prison corridor
Image courtesy of TOHO / CREDEUS

What Is Golden Kamuy: The Abashiri Prison Raid?

Set in early 20th-century Hokkaido, Golden Kamuy follows Saichi Sugimoto — a war hero so hard to kill his enemies nicknamed him the Immortal — and young Ainu girl Asirpa, who join forces to recover a legendary cache of gold stolen from the Ainu people. The clues to its location were tattooed across 24 escaped convicts, setting off a deadly three-way race between Sugimoto’s team, the Imperial Japanese Army, and a rogue faction of Shinsengumi survivors.

This second film — subtitled The Abashiri Prison Raid — picks up as Sugimoto and Asirpa press into Hokkaido’s Abashiri Prison, Japan’s most feared correctional facility, where Noppera-Bo (the man who hid the gold in the first place) is held. It is also where Asirpa may finally learn the truth about her father.

For fans of the manga and anime, this arc is one of the most anticipated sequences in the entire series — an all-out battle inside one of the harshest environments in Meiji-era Japan, with every faction converging on the same goal.

Golden Kamuy -The Abashiri Prison Raid- | Official Trailer — via Netflix Philippines on YouTube

Kento Yamazaki Returns as the Immortal Sugimoto

Golden Kamuy Abashiri Prison Raid live-action film character close-up
Image courtesy of TOHO / CREDEUS

Kento Yamazaki — whose breakout role in Alice in Borderland on Netflix made him a household name across Asia — reprises his role as Sugimoto. Anna Yamada returns as Asirpa, and Gordon Maeda is back in the ensemble cast alongside Asuka Kudo, Shuntaro Yanagi, and Akihisa Shiono. The sequel also brings in Yū Inaba as Tokishige Usami and Sōkō Wada as Toshiyuki Kadokura, widening the faction dynamics considerably.

Director Kenji Katagiri and screenwriter Tsutomu Kuroiwa return from the first film, ensuring visual and narrative continuity. Japanese rock band 10-FEET provide the theme song, “Kowarete Kieru made” (Until It Breaks and Disappears) — a fist-pump track that fits the film’s escalating stakes perfectly.

The Abashiri Prison Arc — Why It Matters

Golden Kamuy Abashiri Prison Raid Japanese theatrical poster showing the full cast
Image courtesy of TOHO / CREDEUS

The Abashiri arc is where Golden Kamuy’s sprawling cast truly collides. Every faction — Sugimoto, Lieutenant Tsurumi’s 7th Division, and the Hijikata Toshizo-led outlaws — has been working toward this convergence. For manga readers, seeing this on screen with a big production budget and IMAX photography is a genuine treat.

The film opened in Japanese cinemas on 13 March 2026 with IMAX screenings and sold 246,900 tickets in its first three days, earning ¥368.6 million at the domestic box office. The franchise’s blend of brutal action, dry humour, and meticulous Ainu cultural detail has won it a devoted following in Japan — and the Netflix deal puts both films squarely in front of Singapore viewers who may have missed the theatrical window.

Watch It on Netflix Singapore Now

Both films in the live-action Golden Kamuy Netflix series are now available in Singapore: the first film (-The Hunt of Prisoners in Hokkaido-) and this new sequel. If you haven’t watched the first film yet, it makes a great double-bill. The series is available with Japanese audio and English subtitles.

The manga by Satoru Noda ran in Weekly Young Jump from 2014 to 2022 and is published in English by VIZ Media, so if the films hook you, the full source material is easy to track down at local manga shops and major bookstores in Singapore.

Mob Psycho 100 Turns 10 — The Original Staff Just Dropped a Brand-New Short Movie

Ten years is a long time in anime — long enough that the production staff scattered, life happened, and fans wondered if that particular lightning would ever strike again. On July 12, 2026, almost all of the original Mob Psycho 100 team answered that question at the “Mob Psycho 100 Anime 10th Anniversary Event: Reunion” at the Fukagawa Mirai Hall in Kawaguchi City, Saitama. They showed a brand-new animated short movie. It is now live on YouTube, and you can watch it right now.

The Anniversary Short: Reigen in Trouble, Original Staff Back Together

MOB PSYCHO 100 10th Anniversary Special Movie — via Warner Bros. Japan Anime on YouTube

The short is set at the Spirits and Such Consultation Office and features the core crew: Reigen Arataka, Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama, Ekubo (Dimple), and Tome Kurata. The premise, fittingly, starts with an ordinary day at the office before Reigen lands himself in serious trouble — which is very on-brand. No spoilers on how it plays out.

Character designer Yoshimichi Kameda, who defined the series’ visually distinctive style across all three seasons, confirmed that nearly all of the original members were able to reunite and complete it. Kameda also released commemorative artwork to mark the milestone.

Mob Psycho 100 10th anniversary commemorative illustration by Yoshimichi Kameda
Image courtesy of ONE / Bones / Warner Bros. Japan

Ten Years of Mob Psycho 100: A Quick Recap

Mob Psycho 100 10th anniversary key visual
Image courtesy of ONE / Bones

Mob Psycho 100 is the anime adaptation of ONE’s manga of the same name — ONE being the same creator behind One Punch Man. The anime debuted in July 2016 under studio Bones and director Yuzuru Tachikawa, and immediately turned heads for its hyper-kinetic animation and the surprisingly sincere emotional core beneath all the psychic carnage. Three seasons followed: Season 1 (July–September 2016), Season 2 (January–April 2019), and Season 3 (October–December 2022).

Mob Psycho 100 10th Anniversary Special Movie — on YouTube now
Image courtesy of ONE / Bones / Warner Bros. Japan

For Singapore anime fans who somehow missed all three seasons — all of them are on Crunchyroll, available to stream now. The anniversary short itself is free on YouTube with no subscription needed. For more on what is airing this season and beyond, see our manga and anime coverage.

Blue Box Manga Ends After Five Years — Chapter 250 Is the Final Chapter

Five years, 250 chapters, and ten million copies later, Kouji Miura’s Blue Box (Ao no Hako) has reached its final page. Chapter 250 landed in Weekly Shonen Jump Issue #33 on July 13, 2026, concluding one of the most quietly beloved manga serializations in recent Jump history. If you have been reading, today is that bittersweet last chapter. If you have been waiting, the complete story is now there for you.

Five Years, Ten Million Copies, One Final Chapter

Blue Box manga final chapter — Ao no Hako ends in Weekly Shonen Jump
Image courtesy of Shueisha

Blue Box kicked off in April 2021 with a deceptively simple premise: Taiki, a first-year high school student training hard as a badminton player, develops feelings for Chinatsu, a basketball prodigy who happens to move in under the same roof. Kouji Miura built something genuinely warm from there — sports discipline, teenage awkwardness, and slow-burn romance woven tightly together across the Jump pages for over five years.

The series hit 10 million copies in circulation, a milestone that puts it comfortably in the higher tier of Jump’s modern roster. It never traded in the flashy power-scaling that dominates the magazine, and that restraint was exactly what made it resonate with its audience. Singapore and SEA fans who have been following along on Manga Plus can read the final chapter there now, free of charge — Shueisha makes the latest chapters available globally through the platform.

Blue Box by Kouji Miura concludes its Weekly Shonen Jump serialization
Image courtesy of Shueisha

Anime Season 2 Arrives on Netflix This October

Blue Box Season 2 | Official Teaser | Netflix — via Netflix Anime on YouTube

The manga ending does not slow the anime train. Blue Box Season 2 premieres on Netflix on October 4, 2026, announced at AnimeJapan 2026 back in March. Production has shifted to studio Electric Circus under new director Daisuke Sako, taking over from Season 1’s team at Telecom Animation Film. Series composition writer Yuko Kakihara and character designer Miho Tanino are back, so the visual and storytelling feel should stay consistent with what Season 1 established.

Blue Box Season 2 key visual — Chinatsu
Image courtesy of Shueisha / Blue Box Anime Production Committee

Where to Read and Watch Blue Box Now

Blue Box Season 2 promotional visual for Netflix 2026
Image courtesy of Shueisha / Blue Box Anime Production Committee

With the source material now complete, Season 2 will be adapting manga chapters that have a known, finished ending — which is actually a good position for an anime to be in. The production team knows exactly where the story goes.

If you want to read ahead of the anime, the full run is on Manga Plus (Japanese; free globally) and the Viz/Shonen Jump app (English). Season 1 is already on Netflix, and Season 2 follows on October 4. For those new to the series, you have got roughly three months to catch up — which, at 25 episodes, is genuinely manageable. For everyone who has been here since 2021: it has been a good five years. Check out our manga and anime coverage for more on what is airing this season.

Chiikawa’s First Movie Opens 24 July — Is Singapore Next?

Japan’s most adorable — and occasionally most emotionally devastating — anime franchise is heading to cinemas for the very first time. 映画ちいかわ 人魚の島のひみつ (Chiikawa Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island) opens in Japanese theatres on 24 July 2026, with a simultaneous IMAX release making it the biggest moment in Chiikawa history.

Chiikawa Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island — key visual showing the full cast on the island
Image courtesy of Nagano / 映画ちいかわ製作委員会
『映画ちいかわ 人魚の島のひみつ』予告映像 — Official trailer via 東宝MOVIEチャンネル on YouTube

The Siren Arc Finally Gets Its Big-Screen Debut

If you follow the Chiikawa manga on X, you know exactly what the Siren Arc is — and why it left so many fans wrecked. Originally posted between March and November 2023, the セイレーン (Siren) storyline is the longest and darkest narrative the series has ever told: a slow-burn island adventure that starts warmly and turns genuinely tense, with Chiikawa, Hachiware, and Usagi facing something far more threatening than the usual monsters they subdue on commission. It trended repeatedly on Japanese social media and drew a huge international following during its original run.

The film adapts this arc faithfully, with the script written by Nagano — the original creator — herself. New voice talent joining the cast for the film includes Suzuki Minori as the Siren, a significant addition for a character who sits at the emotional heart of the story.

Chiikawa and friends in a tense night scene with the Siren in Chiikawa Movie
Image courtesy of Nagano / 映画ちいかわ製作委員会

CygamesPictures and Uma Musume’s Director at the Helm

Animation is handled by CygamesPictures, the studio that produced Uma Musume: Pretty Derby – Beginning of a New Era, with Kei Oikawa directing. The film score is composed by Tokumaru Shugo and Kamishidataru Chikara. The opening theme 「くつずれ」 (Kutsu-zure) is written by Nagano and performed by Hachiware’s voice actor Tanaka Seijin, backed by the Suginami Children’s Choir.

The full main cast returns: Aoki Haruka as Chiikawa, Ozawa Ari as Usagi, and Tanaka Seijin as Hachiware. Fans who have been waiting for Usagi’s full rapper persona to finally get a proper showcase will not be disappointed — the character’s rap debut in the film is confirmed as a centrepiece moment, and it gets the full IMAX audio treatment.

IMAX — Because Small Things Deserve a Big Screen

Chiikawa Movie IMAX triptych poster showing Hachiware MAX, Chiikawa MAX, and Usagi MAX
Image courtesy of Nagano / 映画ちいかわ製作委員会

The simultaneous IMAX release was confirmed on 9 July, and the IMAX-exclusive triptych poster — showing Hachiware, Chiikawa, and Usagi in extreme close-up with “MAX” plastered across each panel — immediately became a fan favourite. In IMAX, the film’s visuals stretch floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall, and the high-precision audio system means Usagi’s rap will be felt as much as heard.

Early viewers at participating Japanese cinemas also receive one of eight character charm mini-figures, distributed randomly at the door.

When Can Singapore Fans Watch It?

Chiikawa, Hachiware, and Usagi watch fireworks together in a beautiful night scene from the movie
Image courtesy of Nagano / 映画ちいかわ製作委員会

Japan gets the film first on 24 July. Across Asia, Hong Kong and Macau have confirmed a 6 August theatrical release — both in Japanese with Chinese subtitles and a Cantonese dub — making it the closest option for Singapore fans who happen to be travelling in August. The Philippines has also confirmed a theatrical run via Medialink Films.

For Singapore itself, Medialink Films Singapore is the regional distributor for Southeast Asia and has been signalling interest in the local release — but no Singapore date is confirmed yet. Follow @medialinkfilmssg on Instagram for any announcement. Given that Chiikawa merch practically vanishes the moment it hits Japanese lifestyle stores in Singapore, local demand is not going to be the obstacle. Keep an eye on our manga and anime coverage and we’ll report as soon as a date lands.

MURCIÉLAGO Anime 2027: Dark Crime Manga Finally Gets a TV Series

Thirteen years after its debut in Square Enix’s Young Gangan magazine, Kana Yoshimura’s MURCIÉLAGO is finally becoming a TV anime — and the teaser that premiered at Anime Expo 2026 this July confirms the adaptation looks as stylishly unhinged as the manga deserves.

MURCIÉLAGO anime 2027 official key visual showing Kuroko Koumori and Hinako Tozakura
Image courtesy of MURCIÉLAGO Project / Square Enix

A 13-Year Wait for MURCIÉLAGO Fans

MURCIÉLAGO follows Kuroko Koumori, a former death-row inmate who struck a deal with the Japanese government: spare her life, and she’ll eliminate the serial killers, cult leaders and organised criminals that conventional law enforcement can’t touch. Partnered with Hinako Tozakura — an innocent-looking girl with an extraordinary gift for high-speed driving — Kuroko tears through a gruelling case-file of society’s most dangerous criminals in a series that blends violent crime-action, dark humour, horror and a sharp yuri undertone through every volume.

Since its August 2013 debut, the manga has run to 28 volumes in Japan and crossed 2.3 million copies in circulation worldwide. It has long been one of the most-requested adaptations in the seinen/yuri fandom, and the Anime Expo 2026 announcement — complete with a super teaser PV and key visual — is the news readers have been waiting for. Original creator Kana Yoshimura described having a work adapted into an anime as “one of my greatest dreams,” as reported in Anime Corner’s coverage of the announcement.

MURCIÉLAGO teaser PV still showing Kuroko and Hinako in the series' distinctive manga-infused art style
Image courtesy of MURCIÉLAGO Project / Square Enix

What to Expect from the MURCIÉLAGO Anime

The adaptation is a joint production from Satelight (known for Macross Delta) and Staple Entertainment. Takashi Naoya serves as chief director and handles series composition — he previously directed Am I Actually the Strongest? and Tales of Wedding Rings. Matsuo Asami directs episode-to-episode, with Sei Tateishi handling character design, and music composed by Masanori Akita and Yuichi Tsuchiya.

The team has stated it is aiming to capture the stylish crime-action spirit of the original work while pushing its more extreme elements right up to the limits of broadcast standards. Satelight’s CG department is specifically handling the car action sequences — a major element of the manga’s most memorable set pieces — targeting truly cool 3D action scenes.

Watch the Official MURCIÉLAGO Teaser Trailer

MURCIÉLAGO – Official Teaser Trailer — via IGN on YouTube
Hinako Tozakura character close-up from the MURCIÉLAGO anime teaser
Image courtesy of MURCIÉLAGO Project / Square Enix

Streaming Rights and What Singapore Fans Should Know

HIDIVE has confirmed exclusive simulcast rights for the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There is no confirmed streaming deal for Singapore or Southeast Asia yet — HIDIVE does not currently operate in the region. SG fans will need to watch for additional regional licensing announcements as the 2027 premiere approaches.

In the meantime, the manga’s English-language edition (published by Square Enix Manga) is widely available, making now an ideal time to catch up on all 26 international volumes before the anime airs. Keep an eye on the official MURCIÉLAGO announcement on Anime News Network for further cast, air date and regional streaming updates.

Commemorative illustration by MURCIÉLAGO creator Kana Yoshimura celebrating the anime announcement with the text Anime Adaptation Confirmed
Image courtesy of MURCIÉLAGO Project / Square Enix

For more anime and manga news including other 2027 titles to watch, check out our ongoing coverage.

One Piece Card Game Launches 6 New Starter Decks — The Friendliest Way Into OPTCG Yet

The One Piece Card Game just got its most beginner-friendly entry point yet. Six brand-new starter decks — ST-31 through ST-36 — dropped in Japan on 11 July 2026, each built around a fan-favourite character and colour, with the English version set to hit shelves on 31 July 2026. If you have been on the fence about jumping into OPTCG, this is the most straightforward on-ramp Bandai has ever made.

One Piece Card Game ST-31 Red Monkey D. Luffy starter deck box
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco

Six Decks, Six Icons — Pick Your Colour

Bandai has lined up six decks that together cover every major colour in the game’s current meta palette. Each deck is named after a single leader character and leans into that character’s signature combat style:

  • ST-31 (Red) — Monkey D. Luffy: A fast mono-red aggro deck built around Gear 5 Luffy’s effect of attaching rested DON!! cards to characters and overwhelming opponents with Straw Hat Crew power.
  • ST-32 (Green) — Roronoa Zoro: A control-flavoured green deck leaning on Zoro’s endurance and precise timing to outmanoeuvre opponents over a longer game.
  • ST-33 (Blue) — Kuzan: A blue deck revolving around Kuzan (Aokiji), the former Marine Admiral, focused on manipulation and freezing the board state.
  • ST-34 (Purple) — Charlotte Katakuri: A purple deck inspired by Katakuri’s foresight, rewarding players who can read the game and set up multi-turn chains.
  • ST-35 (Red/Black) — Sabo: The only dual-colour deck in the set. Sabo bridges the aggressive power of red with black’s resource disruption, giving new players a taste of multi-colour play without overwhelming complexity.
  • ST-36 (Yellow) — Eustass Kid: A yellow control deck for players who prefer grinding the opponent down and punishing overextension.
One Piece Card Game ST-32 Green Zoro starter deck contents with cards
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco

What’s Inside Each Deck

Every box in the ST-31 to ST-36 range contains the same core set of components:

  • 1 pre-constructed deck of 51 cards (15 unique types)
  • 1 Leader Card and 10 DON!! cards
  • 1 Playsheet (the printed play mat insert for teaching the game)
  • 1 bonus booster pack from OP-16, giving you a taste of the wider card pool

Each deck also includes 5 brand-new cards not previously released, meaning even established players have a reason to pick these up for the fresh additions to the card pool. The remaining slots are reprints of key cards from earlier sets, chosen to teach each colour’s core mechanics.

Sample cards from the One Piece Card Game ST-31 Red Luffy starter deck
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco

Simple Enough for Day One, Ready for the Locals Table

Bandai has specifically designed the ST-31 to ST-36 leader effects to be straightforward — no multi-step triggers, no conditional on-attack effects that require a rulebook check every turn. The intent is that a completely new player can open a box and understand what their leader does within minutes of reading the card.

That said, these are not throwaway products. Each deck’s 5 new cards are being integrated into the current competitive meta, and the ST-35 Sabo dual-colour build in particular has drawn early attention from the OPTCG community as potentially having genuine tournament legs once players figure out the optimal builds around it.

The decks are rated for ages 9 and up on the Japanese packaging, but the actual game has always attracted a broad adult player base here in Singapore — these starter decks are simply a smarter entry point, not a step down in quality.

Beginners Deck Party 2026 — Your First Tournament Starts 31 July

Bandai is pairing the English launch with a dedicated tournament format. The Beginners Deck Party 2026 runs from 31 July to 30 August 2026 at participating local game stores, and the rules are simple: all players must use one of the six ST-31 to ST-36 starter decks, unmodified. No custom builds, no expensive singles — just the box you buy at the counter.

That levels the playing field completely and means your skill at reading the deck — not your collection depth — decides who wins. Both participation prizes and winner prizes come in the form of exclusive card packs, each featuring one card across six different designs tied to the deck series.

One Piece Card Game Beginners Deck Party 2026 Participation Pack sample card
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco

To find a participating store near you, register through the Bandai TCG+ app, which lists local venues once store applications open on 17 July 2026.

Where Singapore Players Can Get These Decks

The Japanese versions are available right now. At least one local retailer — SC Collection at Orchard Towers — has been stocking the Japanese edition at SGD $12 per deck. Stock on the Japanese run tends to move quickly, so if you want a specific colour before the English release, it is worth checking with major game retailers and card gaming shops now.

For those who prefer the English version, the ST-31 to ST-36 decks land internationally on 31 July 2026. SGD retail pricing for the English edition has not been formally announced, but based on historical OPTCG starter deck pricing in Singapore, expect them to land in the SGD $12–16 range at local game retailers and online hobby stores — pricing to be confirmed closer to launch.

Whether you are a longtime One Piece fan who has been curious about the card game, or a lapsed TCG player looking for a low-stakes way back into competitive play, the ST-31 to ST-36 wave is the clearest answer Bandai has given yet. Check out our manga and anime coverage for more One Piece and OPTCG news as it drops.

One Piece Chapter 1188 “Void” Spoilers — Imu Stabs Luffy, Zoro vs Sommers, Break After This Chapter

Early spoilers for One Piece Chapter 1188 are circulating ahead of the official release on 12 July 2026 (~10 pm SGT on MangaPlus and Viz). The chapter is titled “Void” — a name that lands with full weight once you see what Imu does with it.

Imu One Piece Elbaf arc Toei promotional art
Image courtesy of Toei Animation

Imu’s Void Sword Hits Luffy

The chapter’s centrepiece: Imu drives the Void Sword directly into Luffy. Luffy is in Gear 5 genie form — the towering rubbery giant he debuted against Kaidou — and the strike lands anyway. The Void Sword, consistent with its established ability to erase whatever it cuts from existence, appears to interact with Gear 5’s reality-bending properties in a way that is left deliberately unresolved at chapter’s end. Whether Luffy’s Devil Fruit can heal or resist a conceptual erasure is the cliffhanger the chapter hangs everything on.

Imu’s line as the blade connects: “Joyboy could never be this weak.” It’s a pointed dismissal — Imu has been hunting the meaning of Joy Boy across centuries, and whatever they found (or didn’t find) in Luffy, this moment reads as contempt.

Luffy Gear 5 Elbaf arc One Piece Toei Animation
Image courtesy of Toei Animation

Joy Boy Flashback

Chapter 1188 includes a brief Joy Boy flashback — a smile, shown in silhouette. No dialogue, no context given beyond the visual. Oda has deployed this device before (Laugh Tale, the Void Century panels) to signal mythological weight without committing to explanation yet. Placed directly against Imu’s dismissal of Luffy, the juxtaposition is doing heavy lifting for whatever revelation is being built toward.

Subplots: Zoro, Sanji, Robin

Zoro One Piece Elbaf arc Toei anime screenshot
Image courtesy of Toei Animation

Three other fights and plot threads advance in parallel:

  • Zoro vs Sommers — the Elbaf commander introduced earlier in the arc, whose weapon set mirrors a giant-scale sword style. The exchange is brief this chapter but confirms Zoro is still in the thick of it on the battlefield.
  • Sanji vs Killingham — another World Government figure. Sanji’s fight has been building since Killingham’s entrance; chapter 1188 moves the confrontation forward without resolving it.
  • Robin at the Owl Library with Saul — Robin’s reunion with Giant Saul (alive, as revealed in the Elbaf arc) continues in a quieter register. She reaches what spoilers describe as the Owl Library — a repository within Elbaf carrying records the World Government missed in its historical purges. Given Robin’s entire arc is about recovering the true history, this location is significant. A rescue team is also shown moving toward Gunko, the imprisoned giant girl whose storyline has run alongside the main Elbaf conflict.

For context on how Luffy reached this confrontation with Imu, see our recap of One Piece Chapter 1186.

Official Release & Break Notice

One Piece — via ONE PIECE Official – ENG on YouTube

Chapter 1188 releases officially on 12 July 2026 on MangaPlus (free) and Viz / Shonen Jump (subscriber). After this chapter, One Piece goes on break — the next chapter is currently scheduled for 26 July 2026. That’s a two-week gap, so chapter 1188 will need to carry a lot of weight before the wait begins.

More manga and anime coverage on GameTrader.SG

Hanaori-san Still Wants to Fight in the Next Life Premieres Today on Aniplus Asia

Demon lords, reincarnation and a hero who refuses to leave you alone — Liden Films’ summer 2026 romantic comedy Hanaori-san Still Wants to Fight in the Next Life makes its streaming debut today (11 July 2026). Singapore and Southeast Asia fans can catch it on Aniplus Asia, while most other regions get it on Crunchyroll with a same-day English dub.

Hanaori-san Still Wants to Fight in the Next Life promotional art
Image courtesy of Liden Films / Pony Canyon
Hanaori-san Still Wants to Fight in the Next Life | Main PV — via ANIPLUS Asia on YouTube

The Story: A Demon Lord Who Just Wants to Game

Ryusei Narukami is a self-described NEET who keeps to himself and spends his days playing video games. What nobody knows is that he is the reincarnation of a fearsome demon lord from another world. He is perfectly content in his new, quiet existence — until a high school girl named Meteor Hanaori shows up uninvited at his apartment. She is the reincarnation of the very hero who defeated him in his past life, and she is absolutely not willing to let the grudge go.

What follows is a sharp, energetic romantic comedy that plays with the classic isekai power fantasy from an unexpected angle: the protagonist actively wants less adventure and just wants to be left alone. Based on the manga by Hekiru Hikawa, serialised in Kodansha’s Morning Two seinen magazine since 2021, the series mixes fish-out-of-water comedy with a genuinely warm dynamic between its leads.

Production and Voice Cast

The anime is produced by Liden Films, with direction by Hideyo Yamamoto, series composition by Yukie Sugawara and character design by Yousuke Okuda.

Meteor Hanaori as an armored knight in Hanaori-san Still Wants to Fight in the Next Life
Still from ANIPLUS Asia’s official trailer

The cast is headlined by Jun Fukuyama (Lelouch in Code Geass, Felix in Re:Zero) as Ryusei Narukami and Akira Sekine as Meteor Hanaori. Maaya Uchida, who also performs the ending theme “Very Good Encounter,” voices Meru Tsumugina. The opening theme, “High Maintenance Girl,” is by Masayoshi Oishi.

Where to Watch in Singapore

Aniplus Asia is the streaming home for Singapore and Southeast Asia. Crunchyroll does not serve Southeast Asia for this title; the Crunchyroll stream (which includes the same-day English dub) covers North America, Europe, the Middle East, India, Oceania and other regions. Singapore viewers should head to the Aniplus Asia app or website — the dub situation on Aniplus is to be confirmed, but expect the Japanese audio with subtitles as the default.

New episodes follow the Japanese broadcast schedule, with the first airing on ABC TV and TV Asahi on 11–12 July. For more anime news, keep checking back.