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Manga Anime, News

Akane-banashi Season 2 Confirmed — Rakugo Returns in January 2027

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Rakugo fans, the wait is officially short. Akane-banashi — the Weekly Shonen Jump series following a teenage girl’s journey into traditional Japanese storytelling — is getting a second anime season in January 2027, and the production has already dropped a teaser trailer, revealed the arc it will cover, and announced six new cast members.

TV Anime “Akane-banashi” | Season 2 Confirmed! Premieres January 2027 — via Akane-banashi Global on YouTube

The Apprentice Training Arc Takes the Stage

Season 2 will adapt the Apprentice Training Arc, the portion of Yuki Suenaga and Takamasa Moue’s manga where Akane Sakurazaka graduates from high school and commits fully to rakugo as a disciple. Under Shiguma Arakawa’s tutelage, she takes on the professional stage name Akane Arakawa — a formal debut in a world that still leaves little room for women at the top of the craft.

Studio ZEXCS returns to animate, with Ayumu Watanabe directing and Kii Tanaka continuing as character designer and chief animation director. The core returning cast, led by Anna Nagase as Akane, is intact. The announcement, which Anime Corner reported on 20 June 2026, was made on the official Akane-banashi website alongside a commemorative illustration and the Season 2 PV above.

Six New Voices Join the Stage

The production revealed the cast for new characters who appeared in Season 1’s finale:

  • Hōchū Ōtsuka as Miroku Kashiwaya
  • Ryōtarō Ōkiayu as Shomei Tsubakiya
  • Hiroshi Naka as Enso Sanmeitei
  • Mutsumi Tamura as Urara Ransaika
  • Shin’ichirō Miki as Ryu’un Kenputei
  • Tomokazu Seki as Chocho Konjakutei
Akane-banashi Season 2 commemorative illustration by character designer Kii Tanaka
Image courtesy of Akane-banashi production committee

That is a stacked line-up of veteran seiyū. Tomokazu Seki alone has been on a serious run lately — and his casting here, alongside Ryōtarō Ōkiayu and Shin’ichirō Miki, suggests Season 2 is not treating the new characters as background dressing. Expect them to have real dramatic weight in the arc.

A Quick Primer for New Viewers

Akane-banashi is not your typical Shonen Jump action series. There are no power systems or tournament brackets in the conventional sense — all the drama plays out through rakugo performances. Rakugo is a traditional Japanese sit-down storytelling art form where a single performer uses only a fan and a small cloth to voice dozens of characters and narrate entire comedic or dramatic stories. It is one of Japan’s oldest performing arts and has found a passionate new global audience partly through anime adaptations like Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju.

Akane-banashi Season 2 announcement PV screenshot
Image courtesy of Akane-banashi production committee

What makes Akane-banashi stand out is its granular writing about craft — how a performance is built, where a joke lands, why pacing matters — and the fact that its protagonist is a teenage girl fighting for legitimacy in a tradition that historically excludes women. Season 1, which aired from April 2026 on Crunchyroll, covered the groundwork. Season 2 is where that fight really begins.

A Live Rakugo Event in Tokyo This August

Alongside the Season 2 announcement, a live rakugo performance event was confirmed for 9 August 2026 at Suehirotei in Shinjuku, Tokyo — one of Japan’s most historically significant rakugo theatres. Voice actress Anna Nagase (Akane) will perform alongside the show’s rakugo supervisor Kikuhiko Hayashiya. For anyone planning a Japan trip this summer, this is the kind of pop-culture-meets-tradition event worth building a day around.

Last Words

Season 1 of Akane-banashi streamed on Crunchyroll for Singapore viewers and Season 2 will almost certainly follow the same path when it launches in January 2027. If you have not started it yet, you have around seven months to catch up — and the whole thing is worth your time. Rakugo has never looked this good on screen.

More anime news on GameTrader.SG

Manga Anime, News

Sunrise x SHAFT Team Up for the First Time — Anime Reveal Tonight at 11:30pm SGT

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Two of anime’s most storied studios are teaming up for the very first time, and the big reveal lands tonight. Sunrise — the studio behind Mobile Suit Gundam, Code Geass, and Love Live! — and SHAFT — the house that built Puella Magi Madoka Magica and the Monogatari series — have launched a joint account (@sunrise_shaft) on X, and their first-ever joint anime project reveals tonight at 11:30 p.m. SGT (24 June, 12:30 a.m. JST).

Sunrise x SHAFT joint anime teaser art showing neon urban imagery
Image courtesy of Sunrise x SHAFT

Why This Collab Is Unlike Anything Before

Sunrise and SHAFT have each defined a distinct corner of anime for decades. Sunrise sits inside Bandai Namco Filmworks and is the powerhouse behind mecha royalty: Gundam has been running since 1979, and Code Geass remains one of the genre’s most beloved strategy thrillers. SHAFT, founded in 1975, took a very different path — its signature visual fingerprint, long associated with director Shinbo Akiyuki, gave the world Madoka Magica‘s heart-breaking mahou shoujo deconstruction and Monogatari‘s text-art layering and head-tilts.

These studios occupy genuinely different creative worlds. That is exactly what makes the announcement of a first-ever joint project so striking: nobody saw this coming, and the question of what happens when you blend Sunrise’s action-driven storytelling with SHAFT’s avant-garde visual language has no precedent to draw from.

What the Teaser Shows — and What It Doesn’t

The teaser posted on @sunrise_shaft uses color script artwork — the atmospheric painting technique animators use before full production begins — to suggest the story’s mood rather than show its world outright. The clip hints at neon-drenched urban settings. Two images stand out: a figure holding a knife, and another figure scribbled out and walking through a crowd in neon light. The account’s profile picture is a red spider lily, which in Japanese symbolism is associated with death, farewell, and the boundary between worlds.

None of this confirms a title, source material, genre, or cast. All of that is for tonight.

What Fans Are Speculating

The visual language in the teaser has led some fans to point toward Fool Night, a manga by Kasumi Yasuda about a street artist who takes a risky gamble on someone else’s identity. The knife, the crossed-out figure, and the urban neon palette are consistent with that premise. But the production has confirmed nothing about source material. This is fan pattern-matching — worth noting, but not confirmed fact.

How to Watch the Reveal Tonight

The official announcement drops tonight at 11:30 p.m. SGT. The easiest way to follow along is to head to X and watch @sunrise_shaft directly. There is no confirmed streaming platform for the eventual series yet — that information will likely come as part of or after tonight’s reveal.

Last Words

Singapore fans know both studios well. Gundam has had a consistent presence here — from the model kit aisles at Bugis+ to the crowds that turned up to dedicated mecha exhibitions. SHAFT’s catalogue is practically required reading for any serious anime fan, and Madoka Magica in particular has had a lasting grip on the local community. Whatever this joint project turns out to be, tonight’s reveal is one of the more genuinely anticipated anime moments of 2026. Set your alarm for 11:30 p.m.

More anime news on GameTrader.SG

Manga Anime, News

Uma Musume World Tour Heads to LA, London, Seoul, and Yokohama

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Uma Musume: Pretty Derby is leaving Japan for the first time. Cygames confirmed today that the franchise’s 7th EVENT WORLD TOUR “THE STAGE” will go international, with shows lined up in Los Angeles, London, Seoul, and Yokohama after a sold-out Tokyo run this past weekend.

Uma Musume 7th EVENT WORLD TOUR THE STAGE announcement
Image courtesy of Cygames

From Ariake Arena to the World

The Uma Musume live event franchise is arguably the most elaborate in anime history. Each production puts voice actresses onstage in full character costumes, performing original songs and theatrical set pieces drawn from the franchise’s horse-girl universe — it sits somewhere between an idol concert and a stage musical, and the production values are notorious for being enormous.

The 7th EVENT kicked off at Tokyo Ariake Arena on 20–21 June 2026, one of Japan’s largest indoor venues. With the Tokyo run now concluded, Cygames announced today that the tour doesn’t stop there.

Uma Musume 7th EVENT WORLD TOUR 「THE STAGE」開催地決定！ — via パかチューブっ!【ウマ娘公式】 on YouTube

The Four International Stops

Four cities have been confirmed for the world tour leg:

  • Los Angeles — Peacock Theater (dates TBA)
  • London — venue TBA
  • Seoul — venue TBA
  • Yokohama — venue TBA

Specific dates and ticketing for all four have yet to be announced. Cygames has said further details will follow through official channels, so it’s worth following @umamusume_eng on X if you want to be first to know.

Uma Musume 7th EVENT WORLD TOUR world tour cities poster
Image courtesy of Cygames

Missed Tokyo? There’s a Rewatch Stream

A Tokyo Review Livestream is scheduled for 28 June at approximately 7pm on ABEMA Global, giving fans worldwide a chance to catch what the Ariake Arena crowd experienced live. It’s the next best thing to being in the front row at one of Japan’s biggest indoor venues.

What This Means for Singapore Fans

There’s no Singapore or Southeast Asia date on the list — at least not yet. Seoul is the closest confirmed stop and is well within reach for Singapore fans on a direct flight. If you’ve been curious about what an Uma Musume live event actually looks and sounds like, the June 28 ABEMA stream is the easiest way to find out before tickets go on sale for any of the international venues.

The broader picture is harder to ignore: this is the first time the franchise has taken its live show overseas. A world tour that includes Asia (Seoul) and the West (LA, London) is a significant signal of where Cygames sees the franchise going. A Southeast Asian stop in a future edition — Singapore, Bangkok, or Kuala Lumpur — doesn’t feel far-fetched from here. Check our events calendar and we’ll update when dates drop.

Last words

Uma Musume’s world tour crossing into North America, Europe, and the rest of Asia for the first time is a landmark moment for the franchise — and a preview of what the horse-girl live experience can become on a global stage. Dates and tickets are still incoming, but if you’re planning to make the trip to Seoul or anywhere else on the list, now’s the time to start keeping an eye on official announcements.

Manga Anime, News

Pokémon Horizons Season 3 Part 3 Lands on Netflix 26 June

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The wait is almost over — Pokémon Horizons: Season 3 — Rising Hope Part 3 lands on Netflix this Friday, 26 June 2026, picking up where one of the most story-driven Pokémon anime seasons in recent memory left off.

Pokémon Horizons Season 3 Part 3 — official clip still featuring Dot's Gimmighoul and Sinistcha
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

What’s Happening in Part 3

Part 3 takes Liko, Roy, and the rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers to Blueberry Academy, where the intensity dial gets turned all the way up. Training is the focus — and not just any training: the young trainers are preparing to challenge Elite Four members and sharpen their edge against the Explorers, the organisation threatening to spread Laquium across the world.

Mysteries around Terapagos deepen as the crew works to understand its connection to Laquium, while the Brave Olivine receives a surprise message that sends everyone scrambling. Dot’s newest partner, Gimmighoul, steps into the spotlight — as does the match-green tea Pokémon Sinistcha, featured in the official Part 3 clip below. New rival Ult, who declared himself Roy’s challenger last season, continues to push the group forward.

An Astonishing Battle! | Pokémon Horizons: Season 3—Rising Hope Part 3 — via The Official Pokémon YouTube channel

Catch Up Before Friday

If you’re joining late, Rising Hope is the 28th season of the Pokémon anime and the third arc following Liko and Roy — the freshest protagonists since Ash hung up his Poké Balls. The season opened with a year time-skip, placing the Rising Volt Tacklers in a new chapter after the events in Laqua left the group without a leader.

Parts 1 and 2 — 22 episodes between them — are already on Netflix. Season 3 runs to 47 episodes in total, so Part 3 adds a substantial new stretch to the story. The official episode count for Part 3 has not been confirmed at time of writing, but previous releases suggest around 10–12 new episodes.

Pokémon Horizons Season 3 Rising Hope — official Netflix trailer key art
Image courtesy of The Pokémon Company

Where Singapore Fans Can Watch

Netflix Singapore carries Pokémon Horizons, so Part 3 should be available on your account from 26 June — no VPN needed. For fans who want to watch without a Netflix subscription, the Pokémon Asia ENG YouTube channel has been streaming Season 3 episodes for free since March 2026, making this one of the most accessible Pokémon anime releases for fans in the region.

Check the official Pokémon announcement for the latest details, and see all our anime coverage here.

Last words

Singapore Pokémon fans have been eating well lately — between Pokémon GO events, the TCG, and Pokémon Champions Mobile hitting #1 on iOS locally, this is a genuinely great time to be a Trainer here. Part 3 of Rising Hope arrives just as the Summer 2026 anime season heats up, making this Friday’s drop a tidy warm-up for what’s ahead. Save your Netflix queue for 26 June.

Manga Anime, News

Kagurabachi Anime Casts Tomokazu Seki, Coming April 2027

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The wait for the Kagurabachi anime just got a whole lot harder. The production has officially cast the legendary Tomokazu Seki as Kunishige Rokuhira — master swordsmith and father of protagonist Chihiro — dropping a dedicated character trailer to mark the announcement.

KAGURABACHI | Official Teaser Trailer — via CyberAgent ANIME Global on YouTube

Why Tomokazu Seki as Kunishige Is Such a Big Deal

If you have watched anime for any stretch of time, you know Tomokazu Seki’s voice — Gilgamesh in the Fate franchise, Dino in Dr. Stone, Touya Mochizuki in In Another World with My Smartphone, and dozens of commanding roles across three decades of the medium. Landing him as Kunishige — a swordsmith of mythical skill who is also a deeply devoted father — is a casting choice that tells you exactly what register this show is aiming for.

Seki commented on the role in the official press release: “Kunishige Rokuhira is a legendary swordsmith, but at the same time, he is also a warmhearted father.” That duality — the fearsome craftsman and the gentle dad — is central to why Kagurabachi‘s opening chapters hit so hard.

Kunishige Rokuhira character visual from the Kagurabachi anime
Image courtesy of CyberAgent ANIME / Cypic

Chihiro’s Voice and the Full Creative Team

The lead — Chihiro Rokuhira, the son who sets out for revenge — is voiced by Taihi Kimura, who took home the Best New Actor prize at the 2025 Seiyu Awards. It is a strong debut for a role that will carry the entire series.

Direction is by Tetsuya Takeuchi, with character design by Keigo Sasaki, at studio Cypic (a CyberAgent group company). Shochiku and CyberAgent are co-chief production partners.

Chihiro Rokuhira character visual from the Kagurabachi anime
Image courtesy of CyberAgent ANIME / Cypic

The Manga Behind the Anime: 4 Million Copies in Two Years

Kagurabachi, written and illustrated by Takeru Hokazono, launched in Weekly Shonen Jump in September 2023 and immediately became one of the fastest-rising titles the magazine had seen in years. It has now surpassed four million copies sold (as of May 2026), won the Next Manga Award 2024 in the Print Category, and is available in English via VIZ Media. The premise: after witnessing his father’s murder at the hands of criminals seeking the family’s legendary enchanted swords, Chihiro dedicates himself to hunting down those responsible — blade in hand.

The World Tour and What It Means for Singapore Fans

Before the full series drops in April 2027, the first 20 minutes of Episode 1 will screen at four international anime conventions as part of the Kagurabachi Anime World Tour Part 1:

  • Anime Expo 2026 — Los Angeles, 3 July 2026, 4:45 PM PT
  • Japan Expo — Paris, 9 July 2026
  • AnimagiC — Mannheim, 1 August 2026
  • Anime NYC — New York, 22 August 2026

Singapore fans won’t need a plane ticket: the full series is confirmed for MUSE, the Southeast Asian streaming platform that already carries a broad catalogue of Shonen Jump anime, when it premieres in April 2027.

Last Words

Between Tomokazu Seki in a career-defining role, an award-winning VA pairing at the lead, and a production team clearly taking the manga’s legacy seriously, Kagurabachi is building into one of the most anticipated anime of next year for Singapore fans. If the manga is still sitting on your to-read list, consider this your reminder — Volume 1 is on shelves now via VIZ Media. Keep tabs on our manga and anime coverage as more details drop ahead of the April 2027 premiere.

Manga Anime, News

Studio Ghibli Has a New President: Kenichi Yoda Takes Over

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One of anime’s most legendary studios just turned a new page. As of today, June 22, 2026, Kenichi Yoda has officially stepped in as the new President and Representative Director of Studio Ghibli, with the studio’s shareholders’ meeting confirming the transition from outgoing president Hiroyuki Fukuda.

Studio Ghibli films including Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro
Image courtesy of Studio Ghibli

Who Is Kenichi Yoda, Studio Ghibli’s New Head?

Yoda’s name is familiar to those watching Nippon Television’s growing role in Ghibli. A General Specialist at NTV’s Content Strategy Headquarters, he has served as the network’s primary liaison to the studio since the 2023 acquisition. His most prominent production credit is the acclaimed stage adaptation of My Neighbor Totoro, which broke box office records at London’s Barbican Centre — a reminder that his experience lies in expanding Ghibli’s world well beyond the cinema screen. He brings a clear events-and-exhibition eye to the studio, which fits the direction NTV has been steering Ghibli: more live experiences, more global brand-building.

Hiroyuki Fukuda Steps Back — But Doesn’t Leave

The outgoing president Hiroyuki Fukuda (64) took the helm in 2023, the same year Nippon Television acquired Studio Ghibli as a subsidiary. He concurrently held the role of President and Representative Director at NTV Holdings, making his appointment a natural bridge between the two companies during the acquisition period. Fukuda will continue serving as a board director at Studio Ghibli, keeping the NTV–Ghibli connection intact even as he passes the executive baton.

Studio Ghibli classic film poster collage
Image courtesy of Studio Ghibli

The Creative Pillars That Aren’t Moving

For the fans most likely to panic at any Studio Ghibli headline — breathe. The studio clarified that no other changes to its upper leadership structure are planned:

  • Hayao Miyazaki continues as Honorary Chairman of the Board.
  • Toshio Suzuki, the legendary producer behind decades of Ghibli films, remains Representative Director and Chairman of the Board.
  • Goro Miyazaki stays on as Managing Director.

The studio’s creative backbone — Miyazaki and Suzuki at the top — remains exactly as it was. Yoda’s appointment is a strategic and executive move, not a creative one.

NTV, Ghibli, and What Comes Next

When NTV acquired Studio Ghibli in 2023, it sparked plenty of debate about what corporate ownership could mean for such a fiercely independent studio. Three years in, the answer has been a gradual, carefully managed integration — with stage productions, international exhibitions, and global licensing expanding alongside the films. As Studio Ghibli stated at the time of the announcement, as reported by Anime News Network: “By combining the resources of both companies, we aim to create new innovations.” Yoda, coming from exactly that events-and-content side of NTV, looks built for this mandate.

Last Words

For Singapore Ghibli fans, the studio’s beloved films remain as accessible as ever — streaming across major platforms, with merchandise at specialty retailers islandwide. What Yoda’s presidency means for future productions is still an open question, but the continued presence of Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki at the top suggests that the studio’s creative soul is in safe hands. This feels less like the end of an era and more like a carefully managed handoff — Studio Ghibli remains Studio Ghibli, just with a fresh name steering the ship. Stay tuned to our anime and Japan culture coverage for any updates from the studio.

News, Singapore Gaming Scene

Pokémon GO Flying Taxi: Shadow Reshiram and Squawkabilly Debut This Week

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Your Pokémon GO calendar for the next seven days just filled up. Starting this Tuesday, 23 June, the Flying Taxi event brings two game firsts at once — Squawkabilly makes its GO debut and Shadow Reshiram appears in the game for the very first time.

Pokémon GO Flying Taxi event featuring Squawkabilly debut
Image courtesy of Pokémon GO / Niantic

Flying Taxi Event: Squawkabilly Arrives in Pokémon GO

The Flying Taxi event runs from Tuesday, 23 June at 10:00 a.m. to Monday, 29 June at 8:00 p.m. local time. Its headliner is Squawkabilly, the Parrot Pokémon from Scarlet and Violet, debuting in GO with a regional form system that matters specifically for Singapore players.

Squawkabilly comes in four plumage forms, each tied to a hemisphere:

  • Yellow Plumage — worldwide
  • White Plumage — worldwide (also appears in the wild and Field Research)
  • Green Plumage — Eastern Hemisphere only — this is what Singapore trainers will encounter
  • Blue Plumage — Western Hemisphere only

Wild spawns during the event include Hoothoot, Rookidee, and White Plumage Squawkabilly, with shiny encounters available. Field Research rewards include Spearow, Hoothoot, Rookidee, location-based Squawkabilly, and Wattrel.

Raid bosses for the Flying Taxi period: 1-Star — Swablu, Starly, Vullaby; 3-Star — Hisuian Braviary, Corvisquire, Bombirdier.

Flying Taxi: Taken Over — Shadow Reshiram’s First Appearance

Pokémon GO Flying Taxi Taken Over — Shadow Reshiram makes its debut
Image courtesy of Pokémon GO / Niantic

Overlapping with the main event, Team GO Rocket’s takeover runs from Thursday, 25 June at 12:00 a.m. to Monday, 29 June at 8:00 p.m. local time. The headline: Shadow Reshiram makes its very first appearance in Pokémon GO.

To encounter it, you’ll need to work through the GO Pass: Flying Taxi, earn a Super Rocket Radar, and track down Giovanni — who appears exclusively at PokéStops during this event, not in balloons. That means heading out to explore, not waiting at home. Defeat him and you get your shot at Shadow Reshiram, with shiny encounters possible.

Sierra, Cliff, and Arlo are also running updated lineups, and new Shadow Pokémon have been added across all Grunt encounters, including Shadow Rookidee, Shadow Noibat, Shadow Seel, and Shadow Hoothoot — all shiny-eligible.

GO Pass and Bonuses

The GO Pass: Flying Taxi unlocks automatically when the event opens on 23 June. Progress through the pass to earn Tier 1 bonuses including 2× Catch Candy, and Tier 2 rewards increased Stardust from Team GO Rocket encounters. Paid upgrades: GO Pass Deluxe (US$4.99) for enhanced rewards, or GO Pass Deluxe + 6 Ranks (US$6.99) to fast-track to Rank 7 automatically.

Last words

For Singapore trainers, this is a serious week to be outdoors. Shadow Reshiram is a top-tier Dragon and Fire legendary that has been absent from GO until now, and Green Plumage Squawkabilly is an Eastern Hemisphere exclusive you can only grab here. Combined with the Mega Skarmory Super Mega Raid Day on Saturday 27 June, the end of June is shaping up as one of the most event-dense weeks of the season. Check out other GO events we’ve covered to stay on top of the rest of the schedule.

Manga Anime, News

BanG Dream! YUME∞MITA Drops 2nd PV and Opening Theme — Premieres 2 July

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BanG Dream!’s next anime chapter is taking shape fast — the staff behind YUME∞MITA dropped the second promotional video, a clean opening animation, and the series’ main key visual on 21 June, all ahead of a three-episode premiere night on 2 July 2026.

BanG Dream! YUME∞MITA main key visual featuring Mugendai Mewtype
Image courtesy of Bushiroad / NICHICALINE

What Is BanG Dream! YUME∞MITA?

YUME∞MITA is the latest entry in the long-running BanG Dream! franchise — but it comes with a twist that makes it feel genuinely new. The anime centres on Mugendai Mewtype, a five-member virtual girl band made up entirely of VTubers. Each member has a real online presence and a dedicated fan base, and the series threads their digital personas into a full TV anime narrative.

The five members: Arale Nakamachi (vocals), Nonoka Miyanaga (lead guitar), Ritsu Minetsuki (rhythm guitar), Miyako Fuji (keyboard), and Yuno Sengoku (DJ and manipulator). If you already follow any of them on stream, you’ll be watching familiar faces in a completely new form.

Opening Theme: Our Survival, Written by Unison Square Garden

The PV2 and clean opening sequence reveal the series’ opening theme: “Kore wa Boku-tachi no Seizon no Arasuji” (Our Survival) performed by Mugendai Mewtype. The song was written by Tomoya Tabuchi, guitarist and vocalist of Unison Square Garden — a band whose anime credits include the Kekkai Sensen openings and the Boku dake ga Inai Machi ending theme. His involvement gives the track a sharp, indie-rock edge that sets YUME∞MITA apart from earlier BanG Dream! idol-pop entries.

BanG Dream! YUME∞MITA — Official PV2, via バンドリちゃんねる☆ on YouTube

Production — NICHICALINE and Director Tomomi Umetsu

The series is animated by NICHICALINE, a studio building its identity in music-forward anime. Tomomi Umetsu directs with Hiroshi Morita as assistant director, and Midori Gotō handles series composition alongside writers Akiko Waba, Yotsuji Haibuchi, and Hitomi Ogawa. Character designs are by Osamu Nobusawa and Mochipuyo.

The broadcast plan is ambitious: the first three episodes air simultaneously on 2 July at 23:00 JST on Tokyo MX, with additional broadcasts on BS NTV and Sun TV. Dropping three episodes on night one is an increasingly popular strategy for summer anime that wants to make an immediate impression — you get a complete story arc before the weekly wait begins.

Where to Watch in Singapore

Crunchyroll confirmed in January 2026 that BanG Dream! YUME∞MITA would be part of its 2026 anime lineup. Crunchyroll is available in Singapore, so the expectation is that Singapore fans will be able to stream from 2 July — though exact territory availability for SG had not been confirmed at the time of writing. Check Crunchyroll’s official announcements closer to 2 July for the final word.

Last words

Between the VTuber concept, the Unison Square Garden writing credit, and a three-episode opening night, YUME∞MITA is shaping up as one of Summer 2026’s more interesting sleeper picks. Singapore fans who already live in the VTuber world will have a head start on the lore — check out more Summer 2026 anime we’ve been tracking ahead of the July season kick-off.

Manga Anime, News

BLEACH: The Calamity — 25 July Premiere and Two New Themes

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The date is finally locked in. BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War — The Calamity premieres on TV Tokyo at 11:00 PM JST on Saturday, 25 July 2026 — and today’s announcement also confirms two brand-new theme songs, chosen with direct input from series creator Tite Kubo.

BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War — The Calamity key visual featuring Ichigo's Horn of Salvation form
Image courtesy of TV Tokyo / Studio Pierrot
Official Trailer | BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War Final Part – The Calamity | INTL SUBS — via vizmedia on YouTube

The Date BLEACH Fans Have Been Waiting For

The Calamity is Part 4 — and the final part — of the Thousand-Year Blood War anime adaptation, taking the story to Yhwach’s ultimate confrontation with Ichigo and crew. Studio Pierrot returns under chief series director Tomohisa Taguchi and director Hikaru Murata. The key visual puts Ichigo front and centre in his Horn of Salvation form, the definitive fusion of his Soul Reaper, Hollow, and Quincy powers — a visual shorthand for just how much is riding on this final cour.

The July 25 TV premiere had been listed as TBC for months. That question is now answered.

Two New Theme Songs — and Tite Kubo Picked Both

The opening theme is “I-BULL” performed by jo0ji. The ending theme is “Rasen” (Spiral) performed by singer-songwriter 9Lana. According to Anime News Network’s coverage of today’s announcement, Kubo personally listened to and selected the theme songs for The Calamity — a hands-on involvement that also extends to checking storyboards, production graphics, and settings throughout the final arc. For a series that has always used music as emotional punctuation, knowing the creator himself signed off on these picks carries real weight.

BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War — The Calamity character visual
Image courtesy of TV Tokyo / Studio Pierrot

Catch the First Three Episodes Early — Theatrical Screenings

Before the TV broadcast begins, Fathom Entertainment and Viz Media are screening the first three episodes of The Calamity in U.S. theatres from 25–29 June 2026, in both Japanese-with-subtitles and English dub versions, including an exclusive behind-the-scenes conversation with Kubo, Taguchi, and Murata. UK fans are getting their own theatrical run on 26 June, as confirmed by Anime News Network. Singapore cinema screenings for The Calamity have not been announced at the time of writing — watch for local news closer to launch.

Where Singapore Fans Can Watch BLEACH: The Calamity

The first three parts of Thousand-Year Blood War streamed on Disney+ in Singapore, and The Calamity follows the same international distribution. Check your Disney+ app for a Singapore listing around the 25 July premiere date — a simulcast or same-week stream is the expectation based on previous parts. Exact local start times for Southeast Asia have not been officially confirmed yet; keep an eye on Disney+ Singapore’s schedule. More anime news on GameTrader

Last words

Thirteen years after the manga ended and two years into the most visually ambitious arc BLEACH has ever put on screen, the final curtain is drawing near. For Singapore fans who have been with the Thousand-Year Blood War adaptation since its 2022 launch, 25 July is the date to circle. With Tite Kubo personally hand-picking the soundtrack and the Horn of Salvation visual signalling the absolute endgame, The Calamity looks set to give BLEACH the send-off it deserves.