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Game News, Manga Anime

Bananya Turns 10 With New Mobile Game and Anime Special

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Crunchyroll and TMS Entertainment are marking Bananya’s 10th anniversary this July with two brand-new releases: Bananya Buddies, the first original game on Crunchyroll Game Vault, and a 10th anniversary anime special that premieres at Anime Expo on 4 July before streaming worldwide on Crunchyroll from 9 July. Pre-registration for Bananya Buddies on Google Play is live right now — here’s everything Singapore fans need to know.

Bananya Buddies — Collect Cats, Decorate Your Hangout Pad

Developed by Crunchyroll Games, TMS Entertainment, and independent studio The MIX, Bananya Buddies is a cozy mobile cat-collecting game launching exclusively on Crunchyroll Game Vault this summer. The premise is simple and delightful: welcome Bananya visitors to your pad, play mini-games to earn coins, and leave out toys and treats to rack up Buddy Points with each little banana-dwelling cat.

The more Buddy Points a Bananya accumulates, the longer it sticks around — and the better the gifts it leaves behind. Reach Best Buddies status and you unlock a sleepover; hit Best Buddies Forever and something even more special awaits (you’ll have to play to find out). It’s the kind of low-key, pick-up-and-put-down mobile experience that cozy game fans have been waiting for from an anime IP this charming.

  • Platform: Crunchyroll Game Vault (exclusive) — available on Crunchyroll Mega Fan and Ultimate Fan tiers
  • Launch window: Summer 2026
  • Pre-registration: Google Play now open; App Store coming soon
  • Languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish (Latin America and Spain)

Bananya Buddies joins nearly 100 titles already in the Game Vault, and as the first original game produced for the platform it marks a meaningful step forward for Crunchyroll’s gaming ambitions.

Bananya 10th Anniversary Special | Official Teaser | Crunchyroll — via Crunchyroll on YouTube

The Bananya 10th Anniversary Anime Special

Bananya 10th Anniversary ensemble key art featuring the full cast of Bananya characters on a sparkly fantasy background
Image courtesy of Crunchyroll / TMS Entertainment

The first Bananya episode aired on 4 July 2016. Exactly ten years later — on 4 July 2026 at 10AM — the Bananya 10th Anniversary anime special will world-premiere at Anime Expo before landing on Crunchyroll on 9 July.

The official synopsis drops the Bananyas into an adventure: the player character wakes to find they’ve somehow become a Bananya themselves, then sets off through forest, mountain, and open land in search of missing treasures. It’s a fresh story that expands the lore while keeping the dreamy, low-stakes tone that made the original shorts such a cult favourite.

The special features an all-star Japanese voice cast:

  • Stray Bananya — Atsumi Tanezaki (Anya Forger in SPY x FAMILY)
  • Little Bananya — Yuina Ito (Zundamon)
  • Tall Bananya — Toshiyuki Morikawa (Minato Namikaze in NARUTO)

The commemorative theme song is “nyanderful nyanderland” performed by TAMAchan, with Bananya’s character voice by Yuki Kaji.

Official Japanese promotional poster for the Bananya 10th Anniversary special, showing the cast in portrait format
Image courtesy of TMS Entertainment / Bananya Lovers — official Japanese promotional poster for the 10th Anniversary
Still from the Bananya 10th Anniversary Special teaser — a giant Bananya rises from the ocean beside a pirate ship
Still from Crunchyroll’s official teaser for the Bananya 10th Anniversary Special

How Singapore Fans Can Watch and Play

Crunchyroll is available in Singapore, and existing subscribers can catch all three current Bananya series — Bananya, Bananya and the Curious Bunch, and Bananya Around the World — right now while waiting for the anniversary special to drop on 9 July.

Bananya Buddies requires a Crunchyroll Mega Fan or Ultimate Fan membership to access via Game Vault. If you’re already on either tier, the game drops into your library at no extra cost when it launches this summer. Not yet subscribed? You can sign up or upgrade on Crunchyroll’s website.

Further 10th anniversary announcements — including merchandise, events, and other celebratory projects — will roll out through the rest of the year via the official TMS Entertainment and Bananya channels on X, Facebook, and Instagram.

Keep up with all the latest anime news right here on GameTrader.SG.

Manga Anime

Kagurabachi Anime Makes Its World Premiere at Anime Expo 2026

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The Kagurabachi anime is making its global debut this week: the first 20 minutes of Episode 1 are being screened at Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles today, Thursday 3 July — a full nine months before the series premieres on television in April 2027.

Episode 1 World Premiere at Anime Expo 2026

The world premiere screening takes place at JW Marriott Diamond from 4:45 to 6:05 PM PDT on 3 July (7:45–9:05 AM SGT on 4 July). Alongside the screening, a special panel features Taihi Kimura (voice of protagonist Chihiro Rokuhira), Takuro Imamura (Editor of the Kagurabachi manga at Weekly Shonen Jump), and Koichi Yasuda (Producer of the Kagurabachi anime). For those who can’t make it to LA, the world tour continues — Paris, Germany, and New York are next in line before the series begins its regular broadcast.

Kagurabachi Anime World Tour premiere screening at Anime Expo 2026 on July 3
Image courtesy of Project Kagurabachi / Shueisha
KAGURABACHI｜Official Teaser Trailer — via SHOCHIKU anime チャンネル【公式】 on YouTube

Chihiro Rokuhira: A Swordsmith’s Son on a Path of Revenge

Kagurabachi follows Chihiro Rokuhira, the son of a legendary swordsmith who sets out on a blood-soaked quest for vengeance after tragedy strikes his family. Armed with one of his father’s famed Enchanted Blades — a sentient weapon that manifests as a black goldfish when dormant — Chihiro navigates a world of sorcerers, criminal syndicates, and supernatural threats. The manga was created by Takeru Hokazono and has run in Weekly Shonen Jump since September 2023, selling over 4 million copies and winning the Next Manga Award 2024. The anime announcement trailer crossed 6 million views in under 24 hours — a number that signals just how long this fandom has been waiting.

Chihiro Rokuhira character design for the Kagurabachi anime, voiced by Taihi Kimura
Image courtesy of Project Kagurabachi / Shueisha

The Studio and Creative Team

Animation is handled by Studio Cypic — the recently rebranded Cygames Pictures — with Tetsuya Takeuchi as director. Takeuchi is known to long-time anime fans as the person behind the legendary Rock Lee vs Gaara fight episode in Naruto, so expectations for the action choreography here are sky-high. Character design is by Keigo Sasaki (Blue Exorcist, The Seven Deadly Sins). The confirmed cast includes Tomokazu Seki as Chihiro’s father Kunishige Rokuhira and Katsuyuki Konishi as Togo Shiba.

Kagurabachi Anime World Tour Schedule

Kagurabachi Anime World Tour Part 1 banner featuring Anime Expo, Japan Expo, AnimagiC, and Anime NYC
Image courtesy of Project Kagurabachi / Shueisha

The Anime World Tour Part 1 hits four major conventions before the full series rolls out:

  • Anime Expo, Los Angeles — 3 July 2026 (world premiere, first 20 min of Ep. 1)
  • Japan Expo, Paris — 9 July 2026 (3:30–4:30 PM, Yuzu Stage)
  • AnimagiC, Mannheim — 1 August 2026 (10:30–11:00 AM, Monorheinhalle)
  • Anime NYC, New York — 22 August 2026 (Main Stage)

A Japan-exclusive tour finale is also confirmed, where the complete first episode will be screened ahead of the broadcast — the only way to watch it in full before April 2027.

Streaming on Crunchyroll — What Singapore Fans Need to Know

Crunchyroll is the confirmed global streaming home for Kagurabachi, covering worldwide territories including Singapore when the series premieres in April 2027. There’s no Singapore-specific event or early screening date announced yet — for now, catching up on the source manga on Shonen Jump is the way to go while the wait ticks down. Browse more anime news on GameTrader for everything else landing on Crunchyroll this season.

Manga Anime

The Apothecary Diaries Movie Opens December 11 — Original Story and First Trailer Revealed

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The Apothecary Diaries is heading to cinemas. Japan gets the franchise’s first theatrical film on December 11, 2026 — the full title was confirmed today alongside a teaser trailer and the news that this is an entirely original story by the light novel’s own author.

The Apothecary Diaries movie scene showing Maomao and Jinshi travelling to the southern water city
Image courtesy of TOHO Animation

What the Apothecary Diaries Movie Is About

The film’s full title is Gekijouban Kusuriya no Hitorigoto: Boki no Hihou (劇場版 薬屋のひとりごと 亡妃の秘宝) — The Apothecary Diaries: The Secret Treasure of the Deceased Consort. Unlike many anime films that adapt an existing arc, this one is an original story conceived by the franchise’s own light novel author, Natsu Hyuga.

The plot follows Maomao and Jinshi as they travel south to return the remains of a concubine who died in the imperial palace five years earlier to her homeland. They arrive in Minanzhou (未南州), a lively water city, and find themselves tangled up in secrets surrounding the consort’s preserved body, a hidden treasure buried somewhere in the city’s waterways, and a band of water pirates who are very much part of the story. The announcement tagline promises this is the series’ largest mystery yet.

The Apothecary Diaries: Season 3 & Movie Production Announcement — via TOHO animation チャンネル on YouTube (Japanese)

New Character: Muqing, Voiced by Mariya Ise

Aoi Yuki (Maomao) and Takeo Otsuka (Jinshi) both return in their lead roles. Joining them is a new character: Muqing (沐清), a young boy described as holding the key to the mystery at the heart of the film. He is voiced by Mariya Ise, a veteran anime voice actress well known among Singapore fans for her roles as Killua Zoldyck in Hunter x Hunter and Levy McGarden in Fairy Tail. Muqing appears closely tied to the deceased consort’s clan, and the announcement suggests his backstory drives much of the film’s second half.

Muqing character visual from The Apothecary Diaries movie — voiced by Mariya Ise
Image courtesy of TOHO Animation

Director and Creative Team

Norihiro Naganuma — who directed Season 1 and served as chief director on Season 2 — returns to helm the film. That continuity is reassuring. Naganuma has a clear feel for the show’s pacing and its particular blend of sharp comedy, slow-burn mystery and political tension. With the story also penned by Natsu Hyuga herself, this is as canonical as a theatrical film can get.

Scene from The Apothecary Diaries movie set in the water city of Minanzhou
Image courtesy of TOHO Animation

Season 3 Is Also Coming — October 2026

The movie is not the only thing on the horizon. The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 is confirmed for October 2026, running in two cours (October 2026 and April 2027), with Akinori Fudesaka directing. The story moves beyond the inner palace and broadens into a wider world — early teasers hint at national upheaval and a mysterious shrine maiden. For Singapore fans who followed Seasons 1 and 2 on Crunchyroll, the franchise’s second half of 2026 is shaping up to be very full.

The Apothecary Diaries movie promotional still
Image courtesy of TOHO Animation

When Can Singapore Watch the Movie?

December 11 is for Japanese cinemas only at this stage. No international theatrical run or streaming date has been announced for Southeast Asia. Both seasons of the TV series are available on Crunchyroll, so a streaming window for the film eventually seems likely — but nothing is confirmed yet. We will update this post as details emerge. In the meantime, browse all our anime and manga coverage on GameTrader for more updates from the season ahead.

Manga Anime

Ghost in the Shell 2026 Anime Premieres 7 July on Prime Video — Science SARU Takes the Helm

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One of anime’s most legendary franchises gets a fresh start this week: 攻殻機動隊 THE GHOST IN THE SHELL premieres on 7 July 2026 on Fuji TV in Japan — and simultaneously on Amazon Prime Video in Singapore and more than 240 countries worldwide. Science SARU, the studio behind Dandadan and Inu-Oh, is taking the helm. The Summer 2026 season has not been short on big premieres, but this is the one that has the broadest conversation going.

Why This Ghost in the Shell Is Different

Ghost in the Shell 2026 Motoko Kusanagi official poster art
Image courtesy of Science SARU / Bandai Namco Filmworks

Every previous Ghost in the Shell anime adaptation has lived in the shadow of Mamoru Oshii’s 1995 film — the muted palette, the slow philosophical pacing, the rain-soaked existentialism that influenced a generation of filmmakers from the Wachowskis to James Cameron. Science SARU is not making that series. Director Mokochan and character designer Shuhei Handa have explicitly returned to Masamune Shirow’s original 1989–91 manga aesthetic — brighter, more kinetic, with Major Motoko Kusanagi rendered closer to Shirow’s own drawings than the Oshii film version most international audiences know.

The script is by EnJoe Toh (円城塔), an award-winning hard science-fiction novelist — not a veteran anime scriptwriter. That left-field choice signals a production pushing for genuine sci-fi prose rather than standard procedural anime plotting. The story follows Kusanagi and the combat unit she leads at Section 9 against a hacker known as the Puppet Master, across a near-future city where cyberbrain technology has reshaped crime, identity, and humanity.

Official Promotional Video 2 — via Ghost in the Shell Official Channel on YouTube (Japanese)

Science SARU: The Right Studio at the Right Moment

Ghost in the Shell 2026 anime scene from Section 9
Image courtesy of Science SARU / Bandai Namco Filmworks

Science SARU was co-founded by Masaaki Yuasa, and while Yuasa is not directing here, the studio’s commitment to handcrafted, design-led animation is well established. Their work on Dandadan — which delivered one of the most visually inventive anime seasons in years — proved they can handle high-energy, action-forward material without losing aesthetic integrity. Ghost in the Shell demands both technical precision and a strong visual identity; Science SARU has demonstrated it can deliver both.

At the world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on 22 June 2026, director Mokochan explicitly stated that zero generative AI was used in production. That commitment, made publicly at the industry’s largest animation gathering, has been a widely noted talking point since — and in an anime industry where AI-in-production debates are intensifying, it positions this series clearly.

Music is from Taisei Iwasaki, Ryo Konishi, and Yuki Kanesaka. The ending theme — titled “Blue” — is performed by Millennium Parade featuring Saya Gray and Daniel Caesar. That combination of Japanese art-pop production and international collaborators should pull listeners well outside the usual anime-music audience.

Watch It in Singapore From Day One

Ghost in the Shell 2026 anime cyberpunk cityscape visual
Image courtesy of Science SARU / Bandai Namco Filmworks

Prime Video is available in Singapore, and the series launches globally on 7 July — meaning Singapore fans can watch the same day as the Japanese broadcast, no waiting, no searching for streams. Just log into your Prime Video account. The series is available in over 240 countries and territories, with the only notable exceptions being China, Russia, and Vietnam.

This is also the first Ghost in the Shell anime title produced outside Production I.G., which had held the anime rights for more than thirty years — from the 1995 Oshii film through the Stand Alone Complex TV series and beyond. Science SARU stepping in is a genuine creative handoff. Notably, Bandai Namco Filmworks, Kodansha, and Production I.G. itself are all in the production committee, confirming this is a franchise succession rather than a licensing side project.

Whether you are a long-time fan of the franchise who remembers Section 9 from Stand Alone Complex, or someone who has only encountered the Ghost in the Shell name by reputation, 7 July is the date. Same day as Japan. Prime Video. For Singapore, there is no easier on-ramp to one of the most anticipated anime of 2026.

Keep up with more Summer 2026 anime on GameTrader.SG.

Manga Anime

Cooking Master Boy Gets Its First TV Anime After 30 Years — Starting 5 July on TV Tokyo

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After thirty years of waiting, Cooking Master Boy is finally getting the TV anime it deserved from the start. 鉄鍋のジャン！ (Tetsunabe no Jan!) premieres on 5 July 2026 on TV Tokyo and its five affiliate stations — making it one of the stealth must-watches of the Summer 2026 season and, remarkably, the first-ever television adaptation of a manga that sold over 10 million copies.

The Manga Singapore Readers Grew Up With

Cooking Master Boy anime key visual showing protagonist Jan and supporting cast
Image courtesy of NBCUniversal Anime/Music

Saijyo Shinji’s manga ran in Weekly Shonen Champion from 1995 to 2007, racking up more than 10 million copies sold across its run — a number that understates its actual footprint across Southeast Asia, where translated editions and bootleg copies passed hand-to-hand through the late 1990s and 2000s. Singapore and Malaysian readers know Jan well: the impossibly arrogant teenage chef who would cook a fire-column fried rice to humiliate rivals, and who made every dish feel like a cage match rather than a recipe.

The premise: 15-year-old Akiyama Sho — nicknamed “Jan,” the Chinese reading of his given name — is the son of a legendary Chinese grand-master chef. Raised to be ruthless, creative, and completely without sportsmanship, Jan tears through China’s most prestigious cooking academy and tournament circuit using techniques no one else would dare attempt. The cooking battles are absurd by design, the characters are wildly over-the-top, and the food somehow looks incredible despite being physically impossible. It defined the cooking-manga genre for a generation of readers across Asia.

Why Now? Nobody Knows — and That Is Part of the Appeal

Cooking Master Boy anime promotional visual 2026
Image courtesy of NBCUniversal Anime/Music

The official site — tetsujan.com (Japanese) — acknowledges the absurdity with wry honesty: 「これまでアニメ化されなかった理由は誰にもわからない」 — roughly, “nobody knows why it was never adapted until now.” For a manga with 10 million sales and a generation of devoted fans, the absence of a TV anime has been a long-running in-joke in fandom circles for decades. 2026 is when that joke ends.

NBCUniversal Anime/Music announced the production earlier this year, and the official teaser PV dropped on their YouTube channel to immediate celebration online. The animation studio is LAPANTRUCK, and music for the series is being handled by tofubeats — the Kobe-born electronic producer known for introspective J-pop and collaborations with Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and Perfume. That is an unconventional pairing for a cooking-battle manga, and it has fans genuinely curious about the tonal direction.

Official teaser PV for 鉄鍋のジャン！ — via NBCUniversal Anime/Music on YouTube

A Voice Cast That Signals Serious Intent

For a cult manga getting its first-ever adaptation, the cast punches well above its weight:

  • Akiyama Sho (Jan): Toya Kikunosuke (戸谷菊之介)
  • Kirico: Hasegawa Ikumi (長谷川育美) — widely known for Bocchi the Rock’s Nijika Ijichi
  • Kei Sawa: Sakurai Takahiro (櫻井孝宏) — whose roles span Shanks in One Piece, Kirito in Sword Art Online, and Itachi in Naruto
  • Ryuji Bito: Sugita Tomokazu (杉田智和) — Gintoki Sakata, Joseph Joestar
  • Narrator: Tsuda Kenjiro (津田健次郎) — Aizen Sosuke in Bleach, Reinhard in Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Cooking Master Boy anime 2026 cast promotional visual
Image courtesy of NBCUniversal Anime/Music

These names do not appear in nostalgia cash-grabs. The combination of Sakurai Takahiro, Sugita Tomokazu, and Tsuda Kenjiro in a single production is a statement of ambition — and it means even fans unfamiliar with the source material have a cast reason to tune in.

Can Singapore Fans Watch It?

Here is the honest answer for now: Tetsunabe no Jan! currently has no confirmed international streaming partner. The platforms listed — ABEMA, U-NEXT, AnimeTimez, and アニメ放題 — are all Japan-domestic services. There is no Crunchyroll, Netflix, or Prime Video deal announced for international territories at the time of writing.

ABEMA occasionally opens streams without region locks for select simulcasts, and platforms sometimes add overseas access post-launch. We will update this post if an international stream is confirmed. For now, Singapore fans will need to follow this one through Japan-region services.

For those who have never read the manga: the original Weekly Shonen Champion run is worth tracking down to understand why a 30-year-old property getting its first TV anime is genuinely exciting news. 鉄鍋のジャン！ premieres 5 July 2026 on TV Tokyo and affiliates at 17:30 JST. Official site: tetsujan.com (Japanese). More anime premieres this summer on GameTrader.SG.

Manga Anime, News

Code Geass Turns 20: Rozé of the Recapture Hits TV on 11 July, New Anime Revealed

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Code Geass is turning 20 this year, and Sunrise and Bandai Namco are not letting the milestone pass quietly. Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture — the eight-part ONA that’s been streaming on Disney+ Singapore since 2024 — makes its Japanese TV broadcast debut on 11 July 2026, a brand-new anime sequel has been announced, and a two-city anniversary exhibition is headed to Tokyo and Osaka later this year.

Code Geass Rozé protagonist Ash Phoenix with Zi-Apollo mecha
Image courtesy of Sunrise / Bandai Namco

Rozé of the Recapture Comes to TV

Rozé of the Recapture begins its Japanese television run on MBS, TBS, CBC, and BS-TBS (the Animeism block) from 11 July, airing as a 12-episode series — the ONA chapters restructured and expanded for broadcast. The story follows Ash Phoenix and his Zi-Apollo Knightmare Frame as he fights to reclaim a Europe under Britannian occupation, set after the events of the original series. A new key visual has been produced specifically for the TV run, separate from the original ONA promotional artwork.

Singapore fans already have access: Rozé of the Recapture is streaming in full on Disney+ Singapore right now. If you missed the ONA run, it’s worth catching up before the TV broadcast conversation picks up in July. The original 50-episode Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion series is also free to watch on the official Sunrise YouTube channel, where it was made available from 28 December 2025.

Code Geass Rozé Zi-Artemis Knightmare Frame from Disney+ Singapore trailer
Image courtesy of Sunrise / Bandai Namco

New Anime: Code Geass: Aspal the Star Chaser

Alongside the TV broadcast news, a new Code Geass anime has been announced: Code Geass: Hoshi Oi no Aspal (working English title: Code Geass: Aspal the Star Chaser). The project is directed by Kazuya Nomura, with further cast and production details to follow. The English title has not been officially confirmed yet — expect a formal announcement closer to production milestones.

Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture | Official Trailer | Disney+ Singapore — via Disney+ Singapore on YouTube

20th Anniversary Exhibition: Tokyo and Osaka

A dedicated 20th anniversary exhibition organised by Movic (株式会社ムービック) has been announced for two Japanese cities. The Tokyo leg runs at Space Galleria (Animate Ikebukuro 8F) from 4 September to 12 October 2026; the Osaka leg follows at Space Gratus (Animate Osaka Nihonbashi 3F) from 6 November to 7 December 2026. Details were reported by Famitsu on 2 July (Japanese) and have not yet been covered in English-language anime press at time of writing. No international touring dates have been announced.

Rounding out the anniversary slate: a crossover manga pairing Gundam Wing and Code Geass, drawn by Tomofumi Ogasawara, is also in the works — a secondary project, but a notable one given both franchises’ histories with Sunrise. For the latest on all things Code Geass and anime in Singapore, follow our manga and anime coverage.

Manga Anime, News

Strange: Junji Ito’s Live-Action Horror Series Premieres Tonight With IVE’s ‘Jigsaw’

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Thirteen of Junji Ito’s most unsettling horror manga stories are getting the live-action treatment tonight, as Strange — Junji Ito’s Strange Stories for Sleepless Nights premieres on TV Tokyo’s “Drama 24” block. Produced by Global Stage Hollywood and TV Tokyo, it is the first major anthology series built specifically around Ito’s short-horror catalogue — and it’s opening with a K-pop twist Singapore fans will recognise immediately.

Strange Junji Ito live-action series key visual illustration
Image courtesy of TV Tokyo / Junji Ito

Thirteen Manga Stories, One Anthology

Strange adapts thirteen of Ito’s short horror manga across its run. Confirmed titles include Lovesickness, The Mansion of Phantom Pain, The Rib Woman, The Bully, Face Thief, A Father’s Love, Memory, In Old Records, Penpal, Further Tales of Oshikiri, Earthbound, and Tomio: Red Turtleneck — each adapted as its own self-contained episode with a new cast. The format suits Ito’s output perfectly: short stories built for maximum dread per page, no need for continuity across episodes.

Three directors share duties across the series — Atsuhiro Yamada, Yūta Shimotsu, and Ryōta Kondō — with scripts by Daisuke Hosaka (Sadako 3D 2) and Tatsurō Inamoto (Trigun Stampede, Pluto). The cast includes Nijirō Murakami in the premiere episode The Mansion of Phantom Pain, Kanata Hosoda across the multi-part Lovesickness (spanning episodes 2, 8 and 10), Yōko Maki in The Bully, and Wan Marui in Earthbound. An episode-order reshuffle announced on 28 June means the TV broadcast sequence now differs slightly from the original line-up.

Grid of all 13 Junji Ito manga stories adapted in Strange
Image courtesy of Junji Ito / Asahi Shimbun Publishing

IVE’s ‘Jigsaw’ and 10cm’s Ending Theme

The opening theme is “Jigsaw” by IVE — the K-pop group behind “After LIKE”, “I AM” and “Baddie”, and one of the most-streamed acts across Singapore right now. Pairing a K-pop vocal act with J-horror body-dread imagery is an unexpected call, but it tracks with the series’ co-production ambitions: this is clearly aimed at audiences beyond Japan’s domestic drama viewers. The ending theme, “The Darkest Night”, is by 10cm (Kwon Jeong-yeol), the South Korean singer-songwriter, bringing a quieter, more melancholic close to each episode.

World Premiere at Anime Expo 2026 — Tonight in LA

Before the TV broadcast airs in Japan, Strange gets its world premiere at Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles — the international premiere of Episode 1 and the world premiere of Episode 2, screening tonight (3 July) at 6:45 PM PDT at the 411 Theatre. The AX panel brings together Douglas Montgomery (Executive Producer, Global Stage Hollywood), Mayu Nobe (Producer, TV Tokyo), Kwok-Wai Hanson (CEO, Anime Trending), and director Rei. The fact that the series world-premieres in LA before its Japan TV slot signals a deliberate push for international attention rather than the usual “Japan first, rest of world eventually” model.

Strange: Junji Ito’s Tales for Sleepless Nights | Official Trailer | Anime Expo 2026 — via GlobalStageHollywood on YouTube

No Singapore Stream Confirmed Yet

For Singapore fans: no streaming deal for the region has been announced. The TV Tokyo broadcast airs tonight (3 July) at 11:12 PM SGT, with a second airing on BS TV Tokyo on 12 July. Given IVE’s involvement as opening theme artists, the US co-production structure, and the AX world premiere, an international streaming announcement feels like a matter of when, not if — but nothing is confirmed as of now. Keep an eye on our manga and anime coverage for any streaming updates as they drop. In the meantime, the official trailer above is the best taste of what’s coming.

Manga Anime

Re:ZERO Season 4 Recapture Arc Premieres August 12 on Crunchyroll

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Re:ZERO fans, mark your calendars — the Recapture Arc, the high-stakes second half of Season 4, lands on Crunchyroll on 12 August 2026. With the first episode of the new arc being screened today at Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles as part of KADOKAWA’s 10th Anniversary Panel, the anticipation is already running high for Singapore fans.

Where Season 4 Left Off

Re:ZERO Season 4 Loss Arc key visual featuring Subaru surrounded by characters and the tagline Who are you?
Image courtesy of KADOKAWA / Re:ZERO4 PARTNERS

White Fox’s fourth season launched on 8 April 2026 with the Loss Arc (喪失編) — eleven crushing episodes set in the Watergate City of Priestella. Subaru and his allies clashed with the Archbishops of Gluttony and Lust, emerging with a fractured victory that cost them dearly: Rem fell into an unending sleep under the Authority of Gluttony, Crusch lost her memories entirely, and Julius’s very name was devoured from the minds of everyone who knew him. Subaru himself came out the other side suffering from amnesia.

The Loss Arc concluded on 17 June 2026 and all eleven episodes are on Crunchyroll right now — perfect for Singapore viewers who need to catch up before the Recapture Arc drops in August.

The Recapture Arc — “Take it back, no matter what”

The new key visual, revealed on 17 June, says everything about the shift in tone. Subaru surges upward with his arms outstretched and desperation on his face, surrounded by Emilia, Beatrice, Ram, Echidna, and the rest of the cast — while Rem, still lost in her unending sleep, sits quietly in the lower right corner. The warm, golden palette of library-lit amber couldn’t be further from the cracked, shadowed blue of the Loss Arc’s ominous “Who are you?” poster.

The Recapture Arc (奪還編) covers Arc 6 of Tappei Nagatsuki’s original light novels and runs for 8 episodes (Episodes 12–19). Subaru’s mission leads him into the Auguria Dunes — a vast and unforgiving desert that stands as the only path to the Pleiades Watchtower, where the Sage Shaula may hold the key to reversing the catastrophic damage wrought by the Archbishops of Gluttony.

“Stay Alive ~Regain~” — ten years of Emilia in three minutes

「Stay Alive 〜Regain〜」Studio Performance — via Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活チャンネル【公式】 on YouTube

To mark the end of the Loss Arc, the official Re:ZERO channel released a studio performance video of “Stay Alive ~Regain~” — a new rendition of the beloved Season 1 ending theme, now performed by Emilia’s voice actress Rie Takahashi. Written, composed and arranged by Heart’s Cry, the track became available on digital platforms from 18 June 2026.

Stay Alive Regain single artwork showing a close-up of Emilia's eye, with text showing the song title and Rie Takahashi as voice actress
Image courtesy of KADOKAWA / Re:ZERO4 PARTNERS

It’s the first time Takahashi has performed the song in character since Season 1 — and the weight of that decade shows. As she explained in the official announcement relayed via Anime Corner: “While preserving the feelings and spirit of the original song, I embraced it with the warmth that Emilia carries in her heart today.” The performance doubles as a celebration of Re:ZERO’s 10th anniversary — the original web novel series began in 2012, and this franchise has defined isekai storytelling for an entire generation of fans.

When and Where to Watch in Singapore

Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 4 streams on Crunchyroll, which is available in Singapore and across Southeast Asia with both subtitled and English dubbed episodes, simulcast alongside the Japanese broadcast. Episode 12 — the first chapter of the Recapture Arc — goes live on 12 August 2026.

Director Masahiro Shinohara leads the production at White Fox, with character designs by Haruka Sagawa. The season’s opening theme is “Recollect” by Konomi Suzuki and Ashnikko; the ending theme is “Ender Ember” by Myth & Roid and TK from Ling Tosite Sigure.

If you’re powering through the backlog, all previous seasons are on streaming platforms — and you can find more anime coverage right here on GameTrader.SG.

Manga Anime

Wazamonogatari: Karen Ouga Is the Next Monogatari Series Arc

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The Monogatari Series is heading back into SHAFT territory this winter — and it’s Karen Araragi’s turn to step into the spotlight. Aniplex revealed on 2 July 2026 that the next arc under the Off & Monster Season umbrella will be Wazamonogatari: Karen Ouga (業物語 かれんオウガ), with winter 2026 confirmed as the broadcast window and both a first key visual and official PV released to mark the announcement.

業物語PV｜〈物語〉シリーズ オフ&モンスターシーズン — via アニプレックス チャンネル on YouTube

What Wazamonogatari: Karen Ouga Is About

The title confirms what longtime fans have hoped for: an arc devoted entirely to Araragi Karen (阿良々木火憐), Koyomi’s hard-hitting younger sister and one half of the Fire Sisters duo. The story finds Karen in her first year of high school. Her karate master has recognised her exceptional strength — but rather than a promotion, Karen receives an order: solo mountain training across the Ōga Sanzan (逢我三山), a trio of peaks comprising Kikaiyama, Senbaridake, and Kachikachi-yama. The arc revolves around what waits for her at the other end of that ordeal.

The first key visual encapsulates the arc’s energy. Karen is shot from below, yellow track jacket billowing, lunging upward toward an outstretched hand — motion and momentum in every line. The tagline printed alongside her reads: 「青春は、登り続ける物語。」 — “Youth is a story of continuous climbing.” For a character defined by physical grit and relentless forward drive, that framing lands exactly right.

Monogatari Series Off and Monster Season cast ensemble visual featuring Araragi Karen and other characters
Image courtesy of Aniplex

Off & Monster Season — The Ongoing Stage

Off & Monster Season is the umbrella season carrying the Monogatari Series forward after the main chapters of Final Season concluded. Production on this run was first announced in July 2025 (Japanese), and the season has been delivering self-contained arcs focused on supporting and peripheral characters rather than Koyomi taking centre stage — a format that gives the series room to explore its deep bench in depth. The arc immediately preceding Karen Ouga in the season is Aserollamonogatari: Bon Appétit (あせろらボナペティ), which is still running at the time of this announcement.

Wazamonogatari: Karen Ouga will follow in the same format — a focused arc, standalone enough to be accessible but deeply rewarding for anyone who has followed Karen since her Nisemonogatari and subsequent appearances.

Monogatari Series Off and Monster Season key visual showing Nadeko and another character under a night sky
Image courtesy of Aniplex

The Production Team

The core creative pillars are firmly in place. NisiOisiN (西尾維新) provides the original novel — Wazamonogatari (Kodansha BOX) — with VOFAN continuing as the character design originator whose distinctive art has defined the series’ look since 2009. Overall direction remains with Shinbou Akiyuki (新房昭之), while Yoshizawa Midori (吉澤翠) serves as arc director. Series composition is shared between Higashitomi Ayako (東冨耶子) and Shinbou, with Watanabe Akio (渡辺明夫) handling character design adaptation and chief animation direction. SHAFT produces, as it has for every entry in the series since Bakemonogatari.

Wazamonogatari Karen Ouga official title logo
Image courtesy of Aniplex

What Singapore Fans Should Know

A winter 2026 broadcast window in Japan typically means an October-to-December air date, placing Wazamonogatari: Karen Ouga just a few months away. Previous Off & Monster Season arcs have streamed internationally, with earlier Monogatari entries available through major platforms — streaming availability for this arc is to be confirmed closer to release, so keep an eye on official Aniplex and NisiOisiN Anime Project announcements. For now, the official X account (@nisioisin_anime) is your best source for real-time updates.

For Singapore fans who have been watching this franchise since the Bakemonogatari days, getting a Karen-centric arc — written by NisiOisiN, built by SHAFT, and arriving winter 2026 — is a significant step for a character who has always felt like she deserved more than a supporting role. Check our manga and anime coverage for more as this one develops.