Tag Archives: anime 2027

Manga Anime

Multi-Mind Mayhem: Isekai Tensei Soudouki Anime Drops PV1 and Sets January 2027 Premiere

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Studio DEEN’s adaptation of the popular isekai light novel series Isekai Tensei Soudouki — known in English as Multi-Mind Mayhem — has released its first promotional video alongside a complete cast and staff lineup, with a confirmed January 2027 broadcast premiere. Fans who love a good scheming-nobleman story with a twist will want to pay attention to this one.

Noble × Warlord × Otaku — A Three-Soul Premise

Isekai Tensei Soudouki TV anime announcement visual
Image courtesy of Alphapolis / Isekai Tensei Soudouki Production Committee

The central hook of Isekai Tensei Soudouki is its unusual triple-soul gimmick. Bard Cornelius is the young son of a Maurician nobleman — but crammed into his body alongside his own consciousness are two souls from past lives: Oka Sanai Sadatoshi, a ruthless Sengoku-era warlord, and Masaharu Oka, a modern Japanese high school student with a passionate love of kemonomimi. The result is a protagonist who can out-negotiate a merchant, out-manoeuvre a general, and probably name every anime cat-girl in history — all at age eight.

The light novel series was written by Ryōsen Takami and originally ran on Shōsetsuka ni Narō from 2013, before being published in print by AlphaPolis (Japanese) across 14 volumes. The series has sold over 1.35 million copies in total. A manga adaptation drawn by Honoji has run for 14 volumes through AlphaPolis, with English-language editions published by One Peace Books (print) and Alpha Manga (digital) — both ship internationally, so Singapore readers can get into the story now ahead of the anime.

Watch the First PV

「異世界転生騒動記」PV第1弾 ｜ 2027年1月から放送開始！ — via アルファポリス公式 on YouTube
Isekai Tensei Soudouki PV1 promotional image — Bard flanked by Oka Sanai and Masaharu Oka
Image courtesy of Alphapolis / Isekai Tensei Soudouki Production Committee

The PV is deliberately restrained — there is no big action sequence or song reveal — but it does exactly what it needs to: sell the triple-personality dynamic. Director Hiroaki Sakurai (Di Gi Charat, Bottle Fairy) is helming the series at Studio DEEN, with Keiichirō Ōchi (The Quintessential Quintuplets) on series composition and Ryoshi Takagi composing the music.

Full Cast and Staff

Official character design for Bard Cornelius — Isekai Tensei Soudouki anime
Image courtesy of Alphapolis / Isekai Tensei Soudouki Production Committee

The voice cast was confirmed alongside the PV:

  • Bard Cornelius — Yūsuke Kobayashi
  • Oka Sanai Sadatoshi (the warlord soul) — Takashi Matsuyama
  • Masaharu Oka (the otaku soul) — Satoshi Inomata
  • Seillune (Bard’s maid) — Yukari Anzai
  • Selina (beastgirl merchant) — Ayasa Itō
  • Silke (noble-school student) — Sumire Morohoshi

Kobayashi commented at animatetimes.com (Japanese) that voicing Bard is both rewarding and demanding precisely because the character must convey three distinct internal personas at once — the noble boy, the battle-seasoned warrior, and the pop-culture-obsessed teenager — while still reading as a single coherent child.

Official character design for Oka Sanai — grizzled samurai soul in Isekai Tensei Soudouki
Image courtesy of Alphapolis / Isekai Tensei Soudouki Production Committee

No broadcaster or streaming platform has been named yet — a broadcaster announcement and second PV are likely to follow in the months ahead. Follow the official @soudouki_anime account on X for the latest updates. For more anime and manga news, check our ongoing coverage.

Manga Anime, News

ELECEED Anime Confirmed for Crunchyroll — Full Cast Revealed, Early 2027 Premiere

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Webtoon readers, this one is for you. ELECEED — one of the biggest action manhwa on the planet with over a billion global reads — is officially getting its anime adaptation, and Crunchyroll has just confirmed it will stream it worldwide (outside Japan and China). That means Singapore fans are fully in the coverage window, no workarounds needed.

ELECEED anime teaser key visual showing Jiwoo, Kayden the cat, and another Awakened fighter
Image courtesy of DandeLion Animation Studio / ELECEED Animation Partners

What Is ELECEED?

Created by Jeho Son and illustrated by ZHENA, ELECEED has been serialised on Naver Webtoon since October 2018 and has racked up more than one billion global views — making it one of the most-read manhwa series on the platform. The premise is deceptively breezy: Jiwoo Seo (Kazahaya Yuu in the Japanese anime) is a warm-hearted teenager with cat-like reflexes who quietly uses his abilities to help people around him. One day he rescues an injured stray cat, which turns out to be Kayden Break — the world’s most powerful Awakened, currently stuck in the body of a decidedly rotund orange tabby while recovering from injuries. What begins as an odd-couple household gradually escalates into full-scale Awakened-vs-Awakened action, with Jiwoo growing from a good-natured bystander into a force in his own right.

ELECEED | Official Teaser Trailer (English ver.) — via the official ELECEED anime channel on YouTube

The ELECEED Anime Voice Cast

The first full trailer, released in July 2026, revealed the main Japanese cast. Note that the anime localises the webtoon’s Korean character names into Japanese, so fans of the manhwa will hear different names on screen:

  • Junya Enoki as Jiwoo Seo / Kazahaya Yuu — Enoki is best known as Yuji Itadori in Jujutsu Kaisen, which makes him an inspired pick for another physically gifted, morally wholesome lead
  • Tasuku Hatanaka as Wooin / Jin Tatsuoka
  • Setsuji Sato as Dr. Delein
  • Hayato Dojima as Jisuk Yoo / Sota Yanagi
  • Shizuka Ito as Jiyoung Yoo / Amane Yanagi

One conspicuous gap: the voice actor for Kayden — easily the casting fans are most curious about — has not yet been announced.

ELECEED anime combat scene showing two Awakened fighters surrounded by electric lightning
Image courtesy of DandeLion Animation Studio / ELECEED Animation Partners

The Studio and Creative Team

The adaptation is being produced by DandeLion Animation Studio — the South Korean studio behind the acclaimed THE FIRST SLAM DUNK film, which was a big theatrical hit here and across Asia. The key staff:

  • Director: Hiroshi Nishikiori (Toaru Majutsu no Index III, Honey Lemon Soda)
  • Series Composition: Yosuke Kuroda (My Hero Academia)
  • Character Design: Minami Sakura (GRIDMAN UNIVERSE)

Yosuke Kuroda on scripts is a particularly reassuring sign — his fingerprints are all over My Hero Academia‘s best story arcs, and ELECEED‘s blend of underdog growth and escalating power battles sits squarely in his wheelhouse.

The series was originally slated for a 2026 broadcast. In June 2026, the production team announced a delay to early 2027 alongside a new key visual; given the calibre of the studio and staff, the extra time is probably the right call.

When and Where to Watch — Singapore

Crunchyroll confirmed the streaming deal at AnimagiC 2026 on 1 August, with rights covering worldwide territories outside Japan and China. Singapore sits firmly within that window. No exact premiere date within the early 2027 window has been set yet — keep an eye on Crunchyroll’s upcoming anime announcements for the full schedule. Given WEBTOON’s enormous existing readership in Singapore — and the pedigree of DandeLion plus the My Hero Academia script team — this is shaping up to be one of the more anticipated Crunchyroll debuts of early next year.

Manga Anime, News

Free Fire Daybreak: First Trailer Reveals Kelly’s Story and the World of New Dawn

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The first official story trailer for Free Fire: Daybreak is out, and it finally pulls back the curtain on what Garena and KADOKAWA’s anime adaptation is actually about. When the project was announced last week, all we had was a key visual and a Spring 2027 window. Now we have characters, a plot, and a director whose name will mean something to fans of CANDY BOX’s previous work.

Watch the Official Anime Trailer

Free Fire: Daybreak | Official Anime Trailer 1 | Spring 2027 ON AIR — via Free Fire Daybreak on YouTube

Kelly, Project Bloom, and the Horizon Corporation

Kelly from Free Fire Daybreak anime, a close-up profile shot from the official trailer
Image courtesy of Garena / KADOKAWA HOLDINGS ASIA

The story is set in New Dawn, a gleaming near-future metropolis run by the all-powerful Horizon Corporation. At the centre of it is 16-year-old Kelly, who gets pulled into an experimental programme called Project Bloom and wakes up with a power called Limit Break — described as the ability to unlock what has been sealed away.

As fragments of Kelly’s past resurface, she teams up with two allies Free Fire fans will recognise instantly: Hayato, the sword-wielding fighter in the red hoodie, and Moco, the green-haired hacker who brings a tactical edge to the group. The trailer frames the story as a conspiracy thriller — Kelly and company digging into what Horizon Corporation is actually doing, and what it means for the city’s future.

Production: CANDY BOX, Ken Takahashi and Spring 2027

Character close-up from the Free Fire Daybreak anime trailer
Image courtesy of Garena / KADOKAWA HOLDINGS ASIA

The anime is produced by studio CANDY BOX, known for Blue Archive The Animation and Azur Lane: Slow Ahead! — the studio has built a track record turning mobile-game IP into watchable anime. Ken Takahashi is directing (he served as assistant director on Fate/kaleid liner PRISMA ILLYA Licht Nameless Girl and has credits on Ragna Crimson), with series composition by Hotaru Asafuji and music from Koji Fujimoto of Sus4 Inc. — who also scored Ragna Crimson. KADOKAWA QINGYU handles production management.

Garena and KADOKAWA HOLDINGS ASIA confirmed that the series will air and stream worldwide, including Japan, when it launches in Spring 2027. No streaming platform has been named yet, but a global simulcast would put it in front of Singapore audiences on day one.

Why Singapore Fans Should Pay Attention

Free Fire has dominated Southeast Asia’s battle royale scene for years, and Garena — the Singapore-based platform behind it — has now committed fully to taking the franchise into anime. This is the first animated series built around the Free Fire universe, and with a legitimate studio, a known director, and a worldwide streaming plan, it is not a low-effort tie-in. Whether you are a Free Fire veteran curious how Kelly’s story plays out, or an anime fan who knows CANDY BOX’s work, Spring 2027 is worth a bookmark. For more anime news, keep an eye on GameTrader.

Manga Anime

Laid-Back Camp Manga on Hiatus — Creator Afro Steps Back for Health

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Creator Afro is stepping back from their two active manga series after health concerns mounted from the pressure of running both at the same time. Houbunsha’s Manga Time Kirara magazine and the Comic Fuz website announced on 28 July 2026 that both Laid-Back Camp and mono are going on indefinite hiatus.

Nadeshiko smiling at night in a scene from Laid-Back Camp Season 4
Image courtesy of Yuru Camp △ SEASON 4 Production Committee

Two Manga, One Creator — The Toll of Dual Serialisation

Afro has been running two manga simultaneously: Laid-Back Camp (ゆるキャン△) in Manga Time Kirara, and mono in the same publisher’s Manga Time Kirara Carat and on the Comic Fuz platform. According to both publishers, the creator’s health is “worsening from the stress associated with serialising the two manga at the same time.”

No specific diagnosis has been disclosed, and no return date has been provided. Both editors confirmed the manga “will return at a later date,” with further details to be announced separately when Afro is ready.

What Is mono — Afro’s Second Series?

Many fans outside Japan may only know Afro for Laid-Back Camp, but mono is the creator’s follow-up work: a slice-of-life comedy set in a high school where the Photography Club and Cinema Club have merged to form the Cinephoto Club. Members Satsuki, An, and Sakurako agree to star as models for a manga artist, heading out across Japan to capture the country’s beauty through action cameras and gadgets. The series earned a TV anime adaptation that premiered in April 2025, giving it a wider international following.

For Laid-Back Camp fans who haven’t checked out mono yet, it carries the same warm, exploratory spirit and makes for ideal reading while waiting for both series to return.

Characters from Laid-Back Camp Season 4 in a surprised reaction
Image courtesy of Yuru Camp △ SEASON 4 Production Committee

Laid-Back Camp: A Decade of Camping and Cosy Storytelling

Laid-Back Camp launched in Manga Time Kirara in 2015 and has since become one of the most beloved slice-of-life franchises in modern manga. The story of introverted solo camper Rin Shima, her enthusiastic new friend Nadeshiko Kagamihara, and their school’s Outdoor Activities Club struck a chord with readers seeking quieter, gentler storytelling set against Japan’s real camping locations and mountain scenery.

The anime adaptations — Seasons 1 and 2 from C-Station, Season 3 from 8-bit, and a feature film — have all found audiences across the region, with the series available on streaming platforms in Singapore. English print volumes are published by Yen Press.

Season 4 Anime Still On Track for 2027

The reassuring note amid all this: the Laid-Back Camp Season 4 anime is proceeding as planned and is unaffected by the manga hiatus. The new season will be animated by FuRyu Pictures (succeeding 8-bit from Season 3), with director Shin Tosaka and series composer Pierre Sugiura returning. New character designer Ryūta Ura brings a fresh visual style, and the core voice cast is back. Artists Asaka and Eri Sasaki will handle the opening and ending themes respectively.

A teaser trailer dropped in March 2026, offering the first look at returning characters alongside new additions to the Outdoor Activities Club. Browse more anime news on GameTrader while you wait.

TVアニメ『ゆるキャン△ SEASON４』特報PV │ 2027 ONAIR — via FURYU Pictures Channel on YouTube
Chiaki and Rin alongside a bear mascot character in a Laid-Back Camp Season 4 teaser scene
Image courtesy of Yuru Camp △ SEASON 4 Production Committee

When Will the Manga Return?

There is no timeline yet. Both editors stated only that both series will return “at a later date,” with announcements to follow from each. Responses across social media and fan communities have been unanimously supportive — readers have urged Afro to rest for as long as needed and made clear that their health comes before any publication schedule.

For Singapore readers following Laid-Back Camp through Yen Press’s English editions, existing volumes are unaffected. New Japanese chapters are paused, which will eventually slow future English releases — but there’s time before that gap is felt. The main thing to hold onto: Season 4 is still coming, and Afro intends to return to both manga once they’re well.

Manga Anime

Mobile Suit Gundam RG: Xarx-Zero Revealed — Kamiyama Directs, 2027

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The wait is finally over. Bandai Namco Filmworks revealed the next Gundam anime at San Diego Comic-Con 2026’s Gundam Showcase 2026 – Unveil the Next Gundam panel on 23 July, and as we flagged when the panel was announced, the reveal is genuinely landmark-level. The new series is titled Mobile Suit Gundam RG: Xarx-Zero, directed by Kenji Kamiyama — the man behind Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex — and it premieres in 2027.

Mobile Suit Gundam RG: Xarx-Zero — official promotional key visual
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Filmworks

A New Gundam Universe — and the First with Aliens

Gundam RG: Xarx-Zero is set in an entirely new timeline: the After Apocalypse era, currently at A.A. 45. The premise breaks one of the franchise’s longest-held rules: for the first time in its 47-year history, aliens are central to the plot.

The story begins with humanity entering a golden age of galactic expansion after contact with a mysterious entity called the Autonomous Interstellar Object. Within a decade, that entity went berserk and unleashed Apocalypse — an aggressive, self-replicating ecosystem — that drove humanity to abandon Earth entirely. Forty-five years later, the surviving population lives in lunar and space colonies, and the scars of that catastrophe still define every aspect of life.

The protagonist is Ray Azumi, who pilots the mobile suit that lends the series its name: the Gundam RG Xarx-Zero. Details on Ray and the suit’s capabilities are still under wraps, but the shift back to a male lead continues a pattern across recent Gundam entries — after the female-centred Gundam GQuuuuuuX, the franchise is rotating its lens again.

Gundam Showcase 2026 at San Diego Comic-Con — the RG: Xarx-Zero reveal panel
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Filmworks

Why Kenji Kamiyama Makes This a Big Deal

Kenji Kamiyama’s name will mean something to any Singapore fan who was watching anime in the early 2000s. His Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2002–2004) is widely considered one of the defining works in science fiction animation — a series that married dense political intrigue with intimate character work and some of the most convincing world-building in the medium. He followed it with a second season, a film, and Ghost in the Shell: Arise, establishing himself as the director Bandai Namco goes to when they need a Gundam title to feel weighty and serious.

The After Apocalypse premise suits Kamiyama’s strengths: an established society still grappling with a trauma it cannot fully understand, political tensions across colony factions, and a protagonist who carries the weight of that history. If the aliens are handled the way he tends to handle ambiguous threats — as systemic problems rather than simple enemies — Gundam RG: Xarx-Zero could be the thinking-person’s Gundam that long-time fans have been asking for.

Mobile Suit Gundam RG: Xarx-Zero — reveal image from SDCC 2026
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Filmworks

Part of the Gundam Rogue Orbit Universe

Gundam RG: Xarx-Zero shares its universe with Gundam Rogue Orbit, the high-mobility mecha action game from Bandai Namco Studios launching in 2027. The two properties are set in the same After Apocalypse continuity, building out a new canon from different angles — one playable, one narrative — similar to how the Gundam Build universe ran games and anime side by side.

What Singapore Fans Should Know Now

A 2027 premiere window means there is no broadcast date yet and no confirmed streaming platform for Singapore and Southeast Asia. That said, Bandai Namco has been consistent about making recent Gundam series available globally through GUNDAM CHANNEL INTL on YouTube (free, region-accessible) and Crunchyroll, so it is reasonable to expect SEA access when the show launches. The full SDCC announcement stream is archived on the Gundam Channel International for fans who missed the 2:00 AM SGT reveal.

Keep an eye on our anime section for cast, network, and trailer news as the franchise builds towards the 50th anniversary in 2029.

Manga Anime, News

Fate/kaleid Prisma Illya Finale: 2027 TV Anime Confirmed

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After five years in limbo, it is official: Fate/kaleid liner PRISMA ILLYA Finale has been confirmed as an upcoming TV anime series, set to premiere in Japan in 2027. Kadokawa and studio Silver Link announced the project on 20 July 2026 at 6 PM JST alongside a new key visual, closing the book on one of TYPE-MOON’s most beloved Fate spin-off franchises (as previewed by Anime News Network). Singapore anime fans who have followed Illya’s magical girl journey since 2013 finally have a finish line in sight.

What Was Revealed About Prisma Illya Finale

Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya Finale announcement teaser - July 20 2026
Image courtesy of Kadokawa / Silver Link

The announcement confirms a TV series format for the Finale — a shift from what had previously been teased as a potential film follow-up to the 2021 Licht – The Nameless Girl theatrical release. A new key visual was released with the announcement, and the production team has been confirmed in full. A specific air date or episode count within 2027 has not yet been revealed; those details are to be confirmed at a later date.

The Creative Team Behind the Prisma Illya Finale

Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya sequel key visual from 2023
Image courtesy of Kadokawa / Silver Link

The core crew from previous seasons is back for the Finale, which bodes well for visual and tonal consistency across the franchise’s final chapter:

  • Director: Shin Onuma (returning — helmed multiple prior seasons)
  • Series Director: Ken Takahashi (new to this role for the Finale)
  • Screenwriters: Kenji Inoue and Hazuki Minase (both returning)
  • Character Designer: Kazuya Hirata (returning)
  • Voice Cast: The original cast will reprise their roles from all prior franchise entries

Silver Link, the studio behind every animated entry in the Prisma Illya series since 2013, remains at the helm.

The Long Road to the Finale — The Prisma Illya Story So Far

Fate/kaleid liner PRISMA ILLYA Licht Nameless Girl key visual
Image courtesy of Kadokawa / Silver Link

Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya began as a manga spin-off by Hiroshi Hiroyama, taking Illyasviel von Einzbern from the main Fate/stay night universe and reimagining her as a cheerful middle-schooler who becomes a magical girl. The anime adaptation kicked off in 2013, and Silver Link went on to produce three more TV seasons — 2wei! (2014), 2wei Herz! (2015) and 3rei!! (2016) — plus two theatrical films (Vow in the Snow, 2017) and another OVA entry before the franchise built toward its most ambitious theatrical work yet.

That culminated in the 2021 film Licht – The Nameless Girl, which adapted the emotional climax of the Drei!! manga arc and ended on a note that left the story unresolved — and fans waiting for closure. A sequel was announced immediately after the film, but concrete details were slow to arrive: a key visual appeared at a 10th-anniversary event in August 2023, and today’s Finale announcement is the first major update since then.

Where to Watch and Singapore Availability

Previous seasons of Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya are available on Crunchyroll — the most accessible catch-up option for Singapore fans. Crunchyroll has carried the series across multiple seasons in the region, making it the logical home for the Finale as well, though no streaming deal for the 2027 TV anime has been confirmed yet. Check back for updates as the air date approaches.

If you have not caught up on the franchise yet, now is a great time to start. The series is also worth revisiting for fans who want to refresh their memory before the Finale premieres. Browse our latest anime coverage for more on the season’s biggest series.

Manga Anime, News

J.C.STAFF Adapts Wound & Bandage for January 2027 Anime

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A fresh anime announcement landed in Japan today — and English media hasn’t caught up yet. Kizuguchi to Houtai (傷口と包帯), the yakuza caretaker romcom manga by Nanai Kaisei, is officially getting a TV anime adaptation from J.C.STAFF, set to premiere in January 2027 on the ABC Television / TV Asahi nationwide ANiMAZiNG!!! block. The anime’s official site (Japanese) went live alongside the announcement.

Kizuguchi to Houtai Volume 2 cover – Riyo, the mob boss's daughter
Image courtesy of Kodansha / Monthly Shōnen Magazine Comics

What Is Wound & Bandage?

The manga — whose title translates literally as Wounds and Bandages — serialises biweekly on Kodansha’s Comic DAYS platform under the Monthly Shōnen Magazine Comics label. Five volumes are out so far. The setup is deceptively simple: Kiritani, a young and capable member of a yakuza faction, is assigned to act as personal caretaker to Riyo — the sheltered daughter of the organisation’s all-powerful boss. The complication? Riyo has a deeply unusual hobby she calls Yowarā: she becomes intensely excited whenever she watches a strong, intimidating person reveal their vulnerabilities. Being around Kiritani — a man who projects absolute toughness but is now stuck playing babysitter — is basically her dream scenario.

The premise sounds outrageous on paper, and it is, but Nanai Kaisei plays it primarily as a slow-burn romcom with genuine character chemistry. The manga built a strong following on social media when it first appeared as a one-shot, and the series has kept growing since serialisation began.

Kizuguchi to Houtai Volume 3 cover – Riyo in focus
Image courtesy of Kodansha / Monthly Shōnen Magazine Comics

Staff Line-Up

The production team confirmed so far:

  • Animation studio: J.C.STAFF
  • Director: Ishida Miyuki
  • Series composition: Yamakawa Susumu
  • Character design: Oyama Natsuki

No voice cast has been announced yet, and no teaser trailer is available at the time of writing — today’s announcement was limited to the production confirmation and official site launch. Cast and a first promotional video are expected to follow in the months ahead.

Kizuguchi to Houtai Volume 4 cover – Kiritani and Riyo close together
Image courtesy of Kodansha / Monthly Shōnen Magazine Comics

What Singapore Fans Should Know

J.C.STAFF is one of the most prolific studios in Singapore fans’ seasonal watch-lists — past credits include DanMachi, Toradora!, A Certain Magical Index, and more recently Slime Season 3 and Re:ZERO Season 3. The studio’s track record with light, character-driven romcoms is strong, and Wound & Bandage‘s yakuza setting gives it a visual edge that should stand out in the Winter 2027 season.

No streaming rights for Singapore or Southeast Asia have been confirmed yet. The ANiMAZiNG!!! block has historically fed titles into Crunchyroll and bilibili for the Asian market, but nothing is official for this title — keep an eye on announcements closer to January 2027. In the meantime, all five manga volumes are readable digitally via Comic DAYS, which is accessible globally, and a licensed English release from Kodansha has not yet been announced. For more upcoming anime picks and manga-to-anime news, check our ongoing coverage.

Manga Anime, News

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

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

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

A 13-Year Wait for MURCIÉLAGO Fans

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

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

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

What to Expect from the MURCIÉLAGO Anime

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

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

Watch the Official MURCIÉLAGO Teaser Trailer

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

Streaming Rights and What Singapore Fans Should Know

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

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

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

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

Manga Anime

Frieren Season 3: Golden Land Arc Premieres October 2027

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Frieren fans, the wait for the next chapter has a timestamp. At Anime Expo 2026 this weekend, Madhouse confirmed that Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 3 — subtitled the Golden Land Arc — premieres in October 2027, and unveiled both the returning creative team and an exclusive new illustration of the arc’s formidable central villain, Macht.

The Golden Land Arc — What Season 3 Adapts

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 3 Golden Land Arc first poster
Image courtesy of Madhouse / Nippon TV

Season 3 picks up from Chapter 81 of the manga, diving into the Golden Land Arc (chapters 81–104), a stretch widely regarded by fans of Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe’s original work as among the series’ most visually and emotionally ambitious. Frieren, Fern, and Stark continue their journey toward Aureole — the resting place of souls — but the path now runs straight through the domain of Macht of El Dorado, described as the last surviving member of the Demon King’s Seven Sages of Destruction and the most powerful demon still standing.

The arc promises to push Frieren into her hardest fight since the First Class Mage Exam, and to finally answer questions about the demon sages’ history that the series has been quietly building toward since Season 1.

Official Announcement Video

Frieren Season 2 short PV & Season 3 announcement — via TOHO animation チャンネル on YouTube (Japanese)

Macht — The Final Sage of Destruction

Macht of El Dorado — Frieren Season 3 villain, the last Sage of Destruction
Image courtesy of Madhouse / Nippon TV

The exclusive Macht illustration unveiled at Anime Expo 2026 gives fans their clearest look yet at the antagonist who will define Season 3. Macht rules over the Golden Land and is the sole survivor of the Demon King’s most elite circle — the Seven Sages of Destruction. Unlike the demons Frieren has faced before, Macht operates from an entrenched position of near-absolute magical power, and the arc builds toward a confrontation that will test not just Frieren’s strength but her understanding of what the Demon King’s era truly cost the world.

The Full Creative Team Returns to Madhouse

The production announcement from Anime Expo confirmed that the entire key creative team from Season 2 is returning alongside the animation studio Madhouse:

  • Director: Tomoya Kitagawa (directed Season 2)
  • Director Cooperation: Keiichiro Saito (Season 1 director)
  • Assistant Director: Daiki Harashina
  • Series Composition: Tomohiro Suzuki
  • Character Design: Takase Maru and Keisuke Kojima
  • Music: Evan Call

Evan Call’s score has been one of the series’ signature elements from the beginning — his restraint with the music, letting silence carry weight just as much as the orchestral swells, has matched the story’s tone perfectly. Knowing the full team is intact means Season 3 should feel continuous with everything that came before it, rather than requiring a re-acclimatisation period.

Where Singapore Fans Can Watch

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Seasons 1 and 2 are currently available on both Crunchyroll and Netflix for Singapore subscribers. Season 3 streaming arrangements for Southeast Asia are yet to be officially confirmed — expect the same platform partners to announce simulcast details closer to the October 2027 premiere.

With 15-plus months until it airs, now is the perfect time for newcomers to start from the beginning, and for those who haven’t touched the manga past Season 2 to catch up with the Golden Land Arc before it hits screens. For more manga and anime news, check our latest updates.