Tag Archives: Anime 2026

Manga Anime

Mushoku Tensei Season 3 Premieres 5 July on Crunchyroll

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After a wait that tested even the most patient fans, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3 has a confirmed premiere date: 5 July 2026 on Crunchyroll. Studio Bind returns to helm the production, and the newly released key visual and main trailer point to one of the most emotionally charged arcs in the series.

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3 — Official Main Trailer — via AnimeSelect on YouTube

Premiere Dates and How to Watch in Singapore

Season 3 opens with a special double-episode premiere in Japan on 4 July 2026, broadcast on Tokyo MX and ABEMA at 20:00 JST (21:00 SGT) for Episode 1, and 20:30 JST for Episode 2. These opening episodes kick off the Eris Training Arc before the season expands into its broader story threads.

The Crunchyroll simulcast begins on 5 July 2026, with new episodes arriving weekly every Sunday from 12 July. Crunchyroll is available in Singapore and across Southeast Asia, so local fans can watch on day one. Previous Mushoku Tensei seasons also appeared on iQIYI, WeTV, and Muse Asia in the region — it is worth checking those platforms closer to the premiere to see whether they secure Season 3 as well.

Mushoku Tensei Season 3 promotional still
Image courtesy of Studio Bind

What Season 3 Covers

Season 3 picks up directly after the second season’s finale, continuing Rudeus Greyrat’s journey as the consequences of earlier choices begin to press in from multiple directions. The opening episodes center on Eris — her drive to become stronger and the personal cost of the path she has chosen — before the narrative threads begin to converge.

Studio Bind, which has produced all three seasons, brings back the same careful animation and deliberate pacing that distinguished the earlier runs. No directorial changes have been announced, meaning longtime fans should find the transition into Season 3 seamless.

Mushoku Tensei Season 3 anime scene
Image courtesy of Studio Bind

Key Visual and Opening Theme

The Season 3 key visual places the main cast in a composition that carries the same atmosphere as earlier seasons’ promotional art. The opening theme is “Ketsui no Uta (Song of Decision)” by Yuiko Ohara, a name familiar to fans of the franchise — her previous contributions to the series’ soundtrack give the choice a satisfying sense of continuity.

Mushoku Tensei Season 3 character visual
Image courtesy of Studio Bind

Catch Up Before 5 July

If you are new to the series — or just want a refresh before Season 3 drops — Seasons 1 and 2 of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation are available on Crunchyroll now. The anime is based on Rifujin na Magonote’s light novel, and covers one of the more thoughtfully constructed isekai narratives of the last decade. For more summer 2026 anime coverage, browse the Manga/Anime section on GameTrader.

Manga Anime

Bleach TYBW: The Calamity — Final Arc Premieres 25 July

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After four years of production, the Bleach anime is finally crossing the finish line. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity — the fourth and final cour of the TYBW adaptation — has been confirmed for a 25 July 2026 premiere, and it will adapt the manga’s absolute endgame. This is it: Ichigo vs Yhwach, the conclusion of a 16-year story.

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

What is Bleach TYBW: The Calamity?

The Calamity (Japanese title: Kashin-tan) is Cour 4 of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, produced by Pierrot Films under chief director Tomohisa Taguchi and series director Hikaru Murata. It adapts manga chapters 664 through 686, the final chapter of Tite Kubo’s run — covering the last push against Yhwach, the collapse of the three realms after Ichigo is tricked into striking the Soul King, and the climactic battle that ends the series.

Kubo has remained closely involved throughout the anime’s production, reviewing graphics, storyboards and settings. The result has been an adaptation that corrects and expands on some of the original manga’s rushed ending, making The Calamity the most anticipated of the four cours for long-time fans.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity official poster
Image courtesy of Pierrot / VIZ Media

When and where to watch in Singapore

The Calamity premieres on TV Tokyo at 11 pm JST on 25 July 2026, which is midnight on 26 July in Singapore. Streaming follows shortly after broadcast.

For Singapore viewers, the most accessible legal option is expected to be Ani-One Asia on YouTube, which streamed previous TYBW cours in over 30 Asian territories including Singapore — though official confirmation for Cour 4 is pending at time of writing. Disney+ has handled international distribution for earlier parts as well; check both platforms from 25 July. In the US, the show is exclusive to Hulu.

If you have not caught up yet, all three previous TYBW cours are currently available on streaming platforms — now is a good time to get through them before the finale arrives.

The Calamity’s new theme songs

Tite Kubo personally selected both theme artists from demo submissions, which is on-brand for an arc that has treated its music as seriously as its animation.

  • Opening: “I-BULL” by jo0ji
  • Ending: “Rasen” (Spiral) by 9Lana — Kubo praised the track for its “very strong” melody, lyrics and arrangement, as reported by Anime News Network; the song releases digitally on 25 July
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity promotional art
Image courtesy of Pierrot / VIZ Media

US theatrical screenings — and what they tell us about The Calamity’s ambition

Before the TV broadcast, Fathom Events and VIZ Media ran limited US theatrical screenings on 25–29 June 2026 showing the first three episodes in both subtitled and English-dubbed versions, with a bonus behind-the-scenes conversation between Kubo, Taguchi and Murata. The theatrical run sold out quickly in several markets, which speaks to the appetite for this final arc even among audiences who follow the show purely on streaming.

For Singapore fans, the main event is still 25 July on streaming — but the theatrical response suggests Pierrot has delivered something worth the long wait. Keep an eye on the official Anime News Network coverage for streaming confirmation closer to the date.

Manga Anime, News

Singapore’s Kasagi Labo Announces Ninja Scroll Film, Casshan 2045 and Ars Gratia at Annecy

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A Singapore-based studio just made three major anime announcements at one of the world’s most prestigious animation festivals — and two of them involve classic Japanese franchises that fans have waited decades to see revived.

Kasagi Labo, the anime venture studio headquartered on Keong Saik Road in Singapore, unveiled three separate projects during its panel at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on 24 June 2026: a new Ninja Scroll film, a reimagining of the 1973 classic Casshan titled Casshan 2045, and an original sci-fi feature called Ars Gratia.

Ninja Scroll | 4k Restoration Trailer | Coming to Theaters Oct 2026 — via HIDIVE on YouTube

Ninja Scroll: A Singapore Studio, a Legendary Franchise

The new Ninja Scroll project is being produced as a film, and Kasagi Labo has brought on Masao Maruyama — co-founder of Madhouse and MAPPA, and producer of the original 1993 Ninja Scroll film — as a special creative advisor, as reported by Anime News Network. Having Maruyama on board is a significant mark of legitimacy: he helped shape one of anime’s most iconic action films in the first place.

Plot, cast, and release window are not yet announced. The announcement arrives in the same season that the Ninja Scroll 4K restoration — supervised by original director Yoshiaki Kawajiri — is getting a limited US and Canada theatrical run in October 2026, following its world premiere at the Berlinale film festival in February. A 4K Blu-ray Steelbook is also planned for early 2027. No Singapore theatrical dates have been confirmed for the restoration; local fans will likely need to import the physical release.

Ninja Scroll 4K restoration theatrical poster
Image courtesy of HIDIVE / Sentai Filmworks

Casshan 2045: Yoshitaka Amano Reimagines a 1973 Classic

Casshan 2045 takes on Tatsunoko Production’s foundational TV anime Shinzō Ningen Casshan (1973), the story of a scientist’s son who transforms himself into a robot warrior to combat humanity-threatening machines — sacrificing his own humanity in the process. The project is still at the tentative-title stage, but Kasagi Labo has already confirmed that Yoshitaka Amano, the legendary artist whose work defines the visual identity of the Final Fantasy series, is providing original character design concepts, per Anime News Network.

Original Shinzo Ningen Casshan 1973 TV anime artwork
Image courtesy of Tatsunoko Production

Amano’s involvement alone makes this a headline. His ethereal, detail-dense style is immediately recognisable worldwide — bringing him in to reimagine Casshan signals that Kasagi Labo is after genuine artistic reinvention rather than a nostalgia cash-in. No further details on cast, studio partners, or release window have been disclosed.

Ars Gratia: An Original Sci-Fi Feature

The third announcement is an entirely original work. Ars Gratia (tentative title) is a sci-fi feature developed alongside Good Smile Company and LIDEN FILMS, with Ilya Kuvshinov — the prolific Russian-Japanese artist known for his character design work on Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 — serving as both director and character designer, per Anime News Network. Kuvshinov’s instantly recognisable digital painting aesthetic gives this one a very distinct look before a single frame of animation has been shown.

A Singapore Studio at the Centre of Anime Revival

GATE 2 anime key visual by Kasagi Labo
Image courtesy of Alphapolice / GATE 2 Production Committee

Kasagi Labo — led by CEO Kendrick Wong with offices in Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan — has been building steadily toward moments like this. The studio secured a USD $33 million anime production fund targeting legacy IP revivals and original works. It is already in production on GATE 2 (sequel to the beloved Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri) and an original shōnen sci-fi adventure. As Wong told Anime Corner, the studio “aims to bridge Japan’s legendary creators to global audiences hungry for authentic anime storytelling.”

For Singapore anime fans, this carries a double significance. A studio based in our own city is producing anime that will reach global audiences — which remains a rare enough fact to be remarkable. And the franchises being revived, Ninja Scroll and Casshan, are exactly the kind of classic anime that older Singapore fans encountered growing up, giving these reveals a personal resonance that a completely new IP would not have.

No release windows have been announced for any of the three projects. We will update as details emerge. For more anime news and announcements, head to our manga and anime coverage.

Manga Anime

Youjo Senki II Premieres 8 July — Saga of Tanya the Evil Returns After Nine Years

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Nine years is a long time to wait. Youjo Senki II — the second television series adaptation of Carlo Zen’s alternate-history military fantasy light novel — has an official premiere date: 8 July 2026. Studio NUT confirmed the date via the official Youjo Senki anime website (Japanese) and Kadokawa’s anime channel, and the first main PV is already live. After the 2017 Season 1 and the 2019 theatrical film, the TV story is finally continuing.

Youjo Senki II — official Season 2 key visual
Image courtesy of KADOKAWA / Studio NUT
TVアニメ『幼女戦記Ⅱ』 — Official Main PV #1 — via KADOKAWAanime on YouTube

Nine Years in the Making — Why This Is Such a Big Deal

Youjo Senki (The Saga of Tanya the Evil) premiered in January 2017, ran for twelve episodes, and quickly built an audience well beyond the usual isekai crowd. Its pitch — a ruthless Japanese salaryman reincarnated as a small girl with extraordinary magical ability in a WWI-analogue fantasy world, then conscripted into an imperial air corps — was strange enough to be memorable and executed with enough tactical and moral seriousness to keep people watching. The 2019 film extended the story but left the main arc unresolved on television. Season 2 picks up that thread.

For Singapore anime fans, the franchise has stayed in the conversation: both the series and the film are on Crunchyroll in the region. Season 2 is the continuation those viewers have been waiting for since 2017.

New Setting, Higher Stakes

Season 2 moves the war east. It is Autumn 1926 in the show’s Unified Calendar — Tanya von Degurechaff has been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and now commands the newly formed Kampfgruppe Salamander, a mobile strike unit built for harsh-weather operations against the Federation on the eastern front. The shift in theatre matters: the eastern campaign in Season 2’s source material is darker, more attritional, and involves opponents with a different strategic logic than the western-front enemies of Season 1. The PV suggests the production is leaning into that tonal shift.

Youjo Senki II — Season 2 announcement event visual
Image courtesy of KADOKAWA / Studio NUT

New Characters Join the Fight

Two significant additions to the cast have been confirmed. Mikhel, a Federal aerial mage on the opposing side, is voiced by Tomokazu Sugita — one of the most recognisable voices in Japanese animation (Joseph Joestar, Persona 5’s Ryuji, Genshin Impact’s Zhongli). Lilia, a political commissar attached to Mikhel’s unit, is played by Yoko Hikasa, known for Mio Akiyama in K-On! and Rias Gremory in High School DxD. Neither character is a simple antagonist; both carry the moral complexity the show has always used to keep its ideological debate alive.

Youjo Senki II — new character Mikhel, voiced by Tomokazu Sugita
Image courtesy of KADOKAWA
Youjo Senki II — new character Lilia, voiced by Yoko Hikasa
Image courtesy of KADOKAWA

Behind the Camera

Studio NUT returns for Season 2, preserving visual continuity with the original run. The director’s chair changes, however: Yutaka Uemura, who led Season 1, is replaced by Yamamoto Takayuki. Series composition is by Inohara Kenta, with character designs by Hosokoshi Yuji. The PV’s animation quality holds up well against the benchmark the 2017 series set, and the orchestral score carries the same propulsive military energy the franchise is known for.

When and How to Watch From Singapore

Youjo Senki II premieres on 8 July 2026, airing at 9:30 PM JST on AT-X, TOKYO MX, Sun TV, KBS Kyoto, BS11, and TV Aichi in Japan. Streaming details for Singapore and Southeast Asia have not been officially announced as of this writing — the regional licensing for anime in this tier typically lands in the weeks before broadcast. Given that Season 1 and the film are on Crunchyroll in the region, that platform is the most likely home for Season 2; Muse Asia is the other strong candidate. Keep an eye on both for a confirmation before 8 July.

The first main PV is already up on the official KADOKAWAanime YouTube channel (embedded above) — worth watching even if you do not read Japanese. For more anime news and seasonal coverage, check our Manga Anime section.

Manga Anime, News

Liar Game Part 2 Drops 6 July — New Cast, New Theme Songs

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The psychological mind-game thriller is back. Liar Game — MADHOUSE’s long-awaited anime adaptation of Shinobu Kaitani’s acclaimed manga — kicks off its second cour (Part 2) on 6 July 2026, picking up directly from the tense finale of Part 1. And it’s arriving with a sizeable new cast, a fresh key visual, and two brand-new theme songs to mark the escalation.

LIAR GAME – Official Trailer 2 | July 2026 (SUB) — via It’s Anime powered by REMOW on YouTube

What Is Liar Game?

Based on Shinobu Kaitani’s manga that ran in Weekly Young Jump from 2005 to 2015, Liar Game is a psychological thriller built around high-stakes deception. Nao Kanzaki (voiced by Saya Hitomi) is an honest, almost pathologically trustworthy college student who receives 100 million yen out of nowhere and a letter inducting her into the “Liar Game” — a secret competition where players are expected to cheat, steal, and psychologically destroy each other to come out on top. The loser walks away in crushing debt.

Out of her depth, Nao enlists the help of Shinichi Akiyama (Takeo Otsuka), a genius ex-con artist who sees through every opponent’s strategy. Together they try to play a game built for liars without becoming liars themselves. Part 1 launched in April 2026 and has been simulcasting on Crunchyroll worldwide, including Singapore, under the creative direction of chief director Yuzo Sato and director Asami Kawano at MADHOUSE.

What’s New in Liar Game Part 2

The announcement, which landed on 22 June, reveals a substantial cast expansion for Part 2. Headlining the new additions is Natsuki Hanae — known to Singapore fans as the voice of Tanjiro in Demon Slayer — who joins as Norihiko Yokoyan. Readers of the original manga will know exactly why this casting matters: the Yokoya arc is a turning point in the competition where the games get considerably crueller.

Liar Game anime Part 2 new character visuals
Image courtesy of MADHOUSE / Liar Game Production Committee

The full new cast confirmed for Part 2 also includes Junya Hirano as Kota Akagi, Tomohiro Yamaguchi as Kenji Ikezoe, Kengo Tsujii as Yusuke Shibayama, Reigo Yamaguchi as Tajimakaru, Ryumaru Tachibana as Akira Tsumura, Seiyu Fujiwara as Hiroshi Hasegawa, Kikunosuke Toya as Makoto Muratama, and Shinya Takahashi as Tatsuji Wada — a full table of new opponents for Nao and Akiyama to navigate.

New Theme Songs

Part 2 swaps in an entirely new pair of theme songs. The opening theme is “All in” by Kroi, a five-piece Japanese rock band whose tightly wound, high-tension sound suits a show about bluffing your way through impossible odds. The ending theme is “Tarinai” by muque, a three-piece act whose introspective style provides a counterweight to the relentless psychological pressure of the episodes. Part 1 had set a high bar with “Bubble” by Yorushika and “Asahi” by Lucky Kilimanjaro — Part 2 is clearly not taking the music lightly either.

Where to Watch in Singapore

Liar Game Part 2 continues the same simulcast arrangement as Part 1: Crunchyroll is streaming the series globally, Singapore included. New episodes drop in line with the Japanese broadcast schedule from 6 July. If you haven’t started yet, all of Part 1 is available on Crunchyroll now — plenty of time to binge before Part 2 arrives.

Liar Game is produced by MADHOUSE, the studio behind Death Note, No Game No Life, and Hunter x Hunter (2011), so the pedigree for adapting high-stakes psychological material is very much there.

Last words

If Kakegurui’s casino mind games or Kaiji’s nerve-shredding gambles are your thing, Liar Game should absolutely be on your watchlist. Part 2 looks set to deliver the confrontations manga fans have been waiting years for an anime to animate properly. Singapore fans on Crunchyroll, you’re sorted — 6 July, don’t miss it.

Catch more anime news and season updates on GameTrader.

Manga Anime

The World Is Dancing — Final Trailer Out Now, Streaming on Muse Asia from 29 June

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Historical anime The World Is Dancing dropped its final pre-broadcast trailer today, with the premiere exactly one week away. Singapore and Southeast Asia fans can catch it via Muse Communication — mark 29 June on your calendar.

The World Is Dancing anime key visual — Oniyasha performing on a Noh stage
Image courtesy of Shochiku / Cypic

Dancing Through the Muromachi Period

Based on Kazuto Mihara’s manga serialised in Kodansha’s Morning magazine (2021–2022, six volumes), The World Is Dancing follows Oniyasha — the childhood name of Zeami Motokiyo, the historical figure credited as the father of Noh theatre. Set in 14th-century Japan during the chaotic Northern and Southern Courts conflict, the story revolves around a deceptively simple question: why do people dance? When Oniyasha witnesses a performance he instinctively knows is “good,” something shifts — and a lifelong artistic obsession begins.

The anime is produced by Cypic and directed by Toshimasa Kuroyanagi, with series composition by Sawako Kawamitsu and character design by Keigo Sasaki. What sets it apart from most historical productions: choreography for the Noh sequences was supervised by a Kanze-school Noh performer, supported by choreographers who also worked on the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics Opening Ceremony. The dance scenes are being held to a standard well above typical anime stagecraft.

Watch the Final Trailer

The World Is Dancing — Official Trailer (English Subtitles) via IGN on YouTube

The final trailer, released today by Shochiku, previews the ending theme “Namonai Hana” (Unnamed Flower) performed by three-piece band hockrockb, and introduces the last two newly-announced cast members. The footage shows Oniyasha’s troupe navigating the political intrigues of the Muromachi court alongside the electrifying rivalries between performance schools.

A Cast That Actually Sings

The World Is Dancing assembled one of the more eye-catching voice casts of the summer season. Yumiri Hanamori leads as Oniyasha, with Katsuyuki Konishi as troupe master Kan’ami, Takahiro Sakurai as the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Romi Park as rival performer Zojiro, Maaya Uchida as Kogane, Mamiko Noto as Nariko, and Inori Minase as Chiharu.

Today’s announcement rounded out the ensemble with two veterans: Yoji Matsuda joins as Inuo, a mysterious figure who drifts in and out of Oniyasha’s life and shapes his artistic path, and Miyuki Sawashiro takes on Shirabyoshi, a woman struggling to survive the era’s brutal social order. Matsuda noted this is his first time appearing as a series regular in a serialised animation.

Crucially, the performers are not just lending their voices — they are singing in-show. Hanamori and Park have already recorded songs for the series, heard in an earlier music trailer. The opening theme, “Shusho” by Macaroni Empitsu, feels like a perfect match for a story about finding one’s artistic voice in a turbulent age.

The World Is Dancing main cast visual — Oniyasha, Kan'ami, and troupe members
Image courtesy of Shochiku / Cypic

How Singapore and SEA Fans Can Watch

Muse Communication holds streaming rights for South and Southeast Asia. Singapore fans should keep an eye on the Muse Asia YouTube channel and affiliated platforms for the rollout — a precise SEA start date has not been officially announced at time of writing, but Muse titles typically follow the simulcast window closely.

The series lands early on Amazon Prime Video Japan on 29 June at 22:00 JST, ahead of its main television broadcast on 2 July on Tokyo MX and BS Asahi in Japan. HIDIVE is streaming it from 29 June for North America and several English-language markets. The world premiere of Episode 2 will screen live at Anime Expo 2026 on 2 July at 6:45 pm PDT.

For more of the season’s anime offerings, browse our Manga & Anime coverage.

Last words

Summer 2026 is not short on anime, but The World Is Dancing occupies a lane entirely its own — a slow-burn historical drama about the birth of Noh theatre, assembled with real choreographic craft and a singing cast that includes some of Japanese voice acting’s biggest names. If the final trailer is any measure, Cypic is building something quietly worth following. Check Muse Asia when the 29 June window opens, and dive in from the start.

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

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.

Manga Anime

Higurashi: When They Cry Gets a New TV Anime — 20 Years On

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On June 21 — Watanagashi, the Cotton Drifting Festival day in the series’ own lore — KADOKAWA announced that Higurashi: When They Cry is getting a brand new television anime, two decades after the original first aired.

New TV Anime Production Announcement PV (「ひぐらしのなく頃に」新作TVアニメーション制作決定PV) — via KADOKAWAanime on YouTube

みんな、おかえり — Everyone, Welcome Home

During a live-streamed 20th anniversary special on Sunday, KADOKAWA confirmed that a new Higurashi: When They Cry TV anime is now in production. The announcement came with a teaser visual featuring a smiling Rena Ryugu and the tagline みんな、おかえり — “Everyone, welcome home” — a phrase that is both deeply warm and deeply ominous if you know the character. A short promotional video with newly recorded voice dialogue was also released through the official KADOKAWAanime YouTube channel.

Higurashi: When They Cry 2026 new anime teaser visual with cast
Image courtesy of KADOKAWA

The Original Cast and Studio DEEN Are Back

The entire main voice cast is returning for the new series:

  • Keiichi Maebara: Soichiro Hoshi
  • Rena Ryugu: Mai Nakahara
  • Mion Sonozaki / Shion Sonozaki: Satsuki Yukino
  • Satoko Hojo: Mika Kanai
  • Rika Furude: Yukari Tamura

Animation production returns to Studio DEEN, the studio behind the original 2006 and 2007 anime adaptations — not Passione, which handled the 2020–2021 GOU and SOTSU remakes. That is a deliberate homecoming on multiple fronts, and the announcement makes no effort to be subtle about it.

New Higurashi anime visual from Studio DEEN and KADOKAWA 2026
Image courtesy of KADOKAWA

New to Higurashi? Here Is the Short Version

Higurashi: When They Cry (ひぐらしのなく頃に) is a horror-mystery visual novel series by Ryukishi07 via 07th Expansion, originally released in chapters from 2002 to 2006. It follows a group of friends in the rural village of Hinamizawa during the summer of 1983 — where, every year around the Cotton Drifting Festival, someone dies or goes missing. The series is known for its psychological horror, time loop mechanics, and a knack for making cheerful character designs do a lot of unsettling work. It is not for the faint-hearted, and that is precisely why it still has such a passionate following two decades on.

Last Words

No premiere date or streaming platform has been confirmed yet. Previous Higurashi adaptations — the original series and both GOU and SOTSU — have been available on Crunchyroll in Southeast Asia, so that is the platform Singapore fans would naturally look to, but nothing for the new series is confirmed. KADOKAWA says further announcements are coming soon.

For Singapore’s horror-anime crowd, Higurashi at twenty feels as alive as ever. Whatever direction this new series takes, that Watanagashi timing was not an accident — the team is very much in on the joke, and Rena is smiling. Keep an eye on our anime coverage for updates as they drop.