Tag Archives: Anime Announcement

Manga Anime

From Far Away Anime Reveals Cast and October 4 Debut

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Thirty-five years after the first chapter appeared in LaLa magazine, the TV anime adaptation of Kyoko Hikawa’s landmark shōjo manga From Far Away (彼方から, Kanata Kara) is officially real. A teaser promotional video released today alongside the full voice cast and a confirmed October 4 premiere — and for anyone who grew up on the Viz Media English volumes, this one lands a little differently.

A Shōjo Classic That Earned Its Reputation the Hard Way

Kyoko Hikawa original manga art of Izark and Noriko from From Far Away
Image courtesy of Kyoko Hikawa / Hakusensha

From Far Away ran in Hakusensha’s LaLa magazine from September 1991 through October 2002, collected into 14 tankōbon volumes. The setup reads deceptively simply: ordinary high schooler Noriko is hurled into a parallel fantasy world and lands near Izark, a formidable young warrior carrying a curse-like destiny. What made the series stand out — and what kept it in readers’ memories long after it ended — is that Noriko arrives unable to speak or understand a single word of the local language. Communication is earned, not handed over. Meanwhile, an ancient prophecy frames her arrival as the trigger for an unstoppable catastrophe.

The series won the 35th Seiun Award for best science fiction comic in 2004 and surpassed four million copies in circulation. Hakusensha licensed the English release to Viz Media, which published all 14 volumes between November 2004 and January 2007 — which means Singapore’s manga community had a very clean window to read it. If you never got around to it, there is now a deadline.

The Teaser PV, Cast and Production Team

TVアニメ『彼方から』ティザーPV | 2026.10.4～ON AIR!! — via NBCUniversal Anime/Music on YouTube

Studio DEEN is producing the anime. The director is Noriyuki Abe — known in Singapore for bringing Bleach, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Flame of Recca to the screen — and this marks a notable move into shōjo territory for him. Series composition is by Rika Takasugi; character design by Eiji Abiko; music by Takeshi Hama. Kyoko Hikawa is credited as original work supervisor, keeping the adaptation in close conversation with her vision.

The confirmed main cast, per the Natalie announcement (Japanese):

  • Noriko Tachiki — Tomoyo Kurosawa, best known internationally for her role as Violet in Violet Evergarden
  • Izark Kia Tarj — Kentarō Kumagai
  • Rachef — Yūichirō Umehara, known for Made in Abyss and Black Clover
  • Keimos Lee Goda — Eiji Takeuchi

The teaser leans into atmosphere over action — a close-up of Izark, the alien landscape, a sense of a world that operates by rules Noriko does not yet understand. It reads as faithful to the manga’s tone.

Premiere Date and What Singapore Fans Can Watch

From Far Away Kanata Kara teaser PV still showing Izark close-up, October 2026
Image courtesy of Studio DEEN / 彼方から Production Committee

From Far Away premieres on TOKYO MX on October 4 at 24:00 JST — that is 11 PM SGT on October 4. ABC TV follows on October 10, WOWOW on October 13. No international streaming deal has been announced as of today; we will update this post when a platform confirms rights for Singapore and Southeast Asia. International licensing for Studio DEEN productions has gone various ways in recent years, so it is genuinely to be confirmed.

In the meantime, the full teaser is on NBCUniversal Anime/Music’s YouTube channel, and the official anime site is live with the key visual. For more anime and manga news, browse our full archive.

Manga Anime, News

Tsugumi Project TV Anime Announced — Cult Manga from France

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One of the more intriguing anime announcements to land this week is not a sequel, not a reboot, and not based on a manga you have probably heard of — yet. On 14 July 2026, Tsugumi Project (虎鶫 とらつぐみ ―TSUGUMI PROJECT―) officially received a TV anime adaptation, complete with a teaser visual and a first teaser PV from the official production. Singapore anime fans who love their science fiction dark, their action kinetic, and their post-apocalyptic lore dense should take note.

Tsugumi Project official anime teaser key visual showing Leone and Tsugumi in the irradiated wasteland
Image courtesy of TSUGUMI PROJECT Production Committee

What Is Tsugumi Project?

Written and drawn by artist ippatu, Tsugumi Project is a survival science-fiction action manga set in a devastated far-future Japan. Two centuries of extreme radiation have transformed the island into a forbidden zone — a no-man’s-land overrun by grotesquely mutated creatures that bear little resemblance to anything living today.

At the centre of the story is Leone, a soldier framed for a crime he did not commit and torn from his family. His punishment doubles as a suicide mission: infiltrate the irradiated zone and recover a classified weapon codenamed TSUGUMI. What he finds instead is a mysterious girl — and a journey through Old Japan that defies everything he was told about the place.

Critics and fans have compared its atmosphere and visual ambition to BLAME!, Spriggan, and AKIRA — rarefied company that gives you an instant calibration for the kind of dark, dense, aesthetically ambitious science fiction this series delivers.

Tsugumi Project manga interior page showing the irradiated wasteland and creature design
Image courtesy of TSUGUMI PROJECT Production Committee

From France to Japan — An Unusual Road to Anime

The origin story of Tsugumi Project is almost as unusual as the story itself. French publisher Ki-oon debuted the manga in France in 2019 — before it ever appeared in Japan. The series became a genuine hit with French and European readers, winning a dedicated following in a market that has long embraced manga wholeheartedly.

Only in 2021 did Kodansha begin serialising it in Japan through Weekly Young Magazine, reversing the typical flow of manga publication. By the time the Japanese run concluded with volume 7 in 2023, the manga had built a readership on both sides of the world. It is now complete in seven volumes — which bodes well for a cohesive anime adaptation.

Tsugumi Project manga page showing action sequence and character design
Image courtesy of TSUGUMI PROJECT Production Committee

The Anime: Teaser PV and What We Know

TVアニメ 『虎鷫 －TSUGUMI PROJECT－』 Teaser PV — via NBCUniversal Anime/Music on YouTube

The official teaser site at toratsugumi.jp and the series’ X account @toratsugumi_PJ are both live. The short teaser PV above delivers the first animated glimpse of the post-apocalyptic world ippatu created — all jagged, radiated ruin and looming creature silhouettes.

The production carries the banner of the TSUGUMI PROJECT Production Committee, with NBCUniversal Anime/Music among the credited partners — a label with strong international distribution reach that typically points toward global streaming availability, though no specific platforms have been confirmed yet.

What remains to be confirmed: the animation studio, director, voice cast, and premiere date. Author ippatu said of the announcement, as reported by Dengeki Online (Japanese): “It’s quite a surprise! This happened because everyone read it.”

Tsugumi Project character artwork from the Dengeki Online announcement feature
Image courtesy of TSUGUMI PROJECT Production Committee

What SG Anime Fans Should Know

Tsugumi Project is a completed seven-volume story — adapting a finished manga typically allows production teams to plan a proper beginning, middle, and end without rushing or padding. For Singapore fans of hard SF action anime, the BLAME!/AKIRA comparison is not hyperbole: this is dense, atmospheric, and unafraid to let silence and creature design do the narrative heavy lifting.

The series has been available in English through selected international channels, and a number of SG fans have already found it through fan communities and import channels. An anime adaptation with NBCUniversal involvement is likely to land on a major global streaming platform — watch @toratsugumi_PJ on X for updates. Until then, the seven-volume manga is the ideal preparation.

For more upcoming anime, check our Manga & Anime section.

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

Live-Action Naruto Movie Launches Global Casting Search for Team 7

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The search for the next Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura is officially on. Lionsgate launched a worldwide casting call for the three leads of its long-gestating live-action Naruto film on 9 July 2026 — and the net has been cast so wide that actors from anywhere in the world, including Singapore, are potentially eligible to audition.

Official Naruto character designs for Team 7 and friends in Saimenka style
Image courtesy of Viz Media / Pierrot

A Global Audition — Who’s Being Cast and What We Know

Lionsgate is searching for actors to fill the three central roles that define the franchise: Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno — collectively known as Team 7. Additional character casting is expected to follow in a later phase. The studio is specifically not looking for established child stars; reports indicate the search favours fresh, unknown young talent with the right energy for the roles.

Application details have not yet been published. The official guidance from the Naruto official site is to follow naruto-official.com and Lionsgate’s verified social media accounts (Instagram, X, Facebook) where legitimate submission instructions for international applicants will appear first. If you see audition forms on third-party accounts, treat them with extreme caution — the real call will come through official channels only.

Naruto 20th Anniversary Revival Anime key art
Image courtesy of Viz Media

The Director: Destin Daniel Cretton

The film will be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, best known for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021). He also wrote the script. The director is currently finishing Spider-Man: Brand New Day (releasing 31 July 2026) before turning his full attention to the Naruto production, which is tracking towards a 2027 shoot with a potential theatrical release around 2028, though no dates have been formally announced.

Cretton’s experience bringing a beloved Asian franchise to a mass Western audience — and doing it with respect for the source material — is exactly why this hire generated such excitement when it was announced. His ability to balance spectacle with character-driven storytelling is a good fit for a story as emotionally dense as Naruto’s.

“A String of Miracles” — Kishimoto’s Reaction

Masashi Kishimoto, who created the Naruto manga in Weekly Shōnen Jump back in 1999, has not held back his excitement. Writing on the official Naruto site, he said: “Right now, miracles are happening to me, one after another. My work, Naruto, is truly, truly becoming a Hollywood movie! And an even greater miracle is that the film will be directed by the one and only Destin Daniel Cretton. I am eagerly looking forward to the miraculous encounters that will bring us extraordinary and passionate actors!”

Cretton echoed the feeling: “Kishimoto-sensei’s stories have inspired generations of fans around the world, and it’s an honour to bring his world and characters to the big screen in live action for the very first time. I’m thrilled to kick off this casting search for Team 7.”

What Singapore Fans Should Know

Naruto is one of the formative anime of an entire generation here. The casting call being genuinely global is significant: this isn’t a Japan-or-US-only search — it is open to talent worldwide. For Singaporean and Southeast Asian actors with the right skills and the right look, this is a real shot.

The movie is still years away from screens — no SG or SEA release timeline has been announced, and regional distribution plans are not yet confirmed. But for anime fans who grew up with the franchise, the knowledge that a director of Cretton’s calibre is at the helm, and that the casting is genuinely inclusive of Asian talent, is a promising sign that Lionsgate is approaching this adaptation with care.

Naruto live-action movie global casting call press art
Image courtesy of Viz Media / Lionsgate

Keep an eye on naruto-official.com and Lionsgate’s official social channels for audition details when they land.

Manga Anime

Steel Ball Run 2nd Stage Premieres 25 September on Netflix

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The wait is over: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run 2nd Stage premieres on Netflix on 25 September 2026, with a new episode dropping every Friday. Warner Bros. Japan confirmed the date during the series’ panel at Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles on 3 July, alongside a new trailer and the first official character designs for three of the manga’s most anticipated figures.

Gyro Zeppeli focuses his Steel Balls in Steel Ball Run Stage 2
Image courtesy of Lucky Land Communications / Shueisha

Into the Devil’s Palm — What Stage 2 Covers

Stage 1 of the anime adapted the opening of Hirohiko Araki’s landmark manga with a measured, almost Western-drama pacing — long stretches of horse racing, growing rivalry between Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli, and the first hints of something stranger beneath the surface. Stage 2 is where Steel Ball Run stops pretending to be a period sports story.

Johnny and Gyro push deeper into the continent, arriving at the leg of the Steel Ball Run that crosses a roughly 750-mile Arizona desert passage known as the “Devil’s Palm.” This is Stand-battle territory: supernatural encounters, rival users with lethal abilities, and story developments that Araki fans regard as some of the best chapters he has ever written. Stages 2 and 3 together span 11 episodes total.

New Characters: Valentine, Mountain Tim, Hot Pants

Three characters fans of the manga have been waiting to see animated finally have official designs and voice actors:

Funny Valentine official character design for Steel Ball Run anime, voiced by Tomokazu Sugita
Image courtesy of Lucky Land Communications / Shueisha

Funny Valentine is voiced by Tomokazu Sugita — the 23rd President of the United States and the race’s most consequential shadow figure. Sugita (known to SG anime fans as Joseph Joestar in Battle Tendency and Gintoki in Gintama) is inspired casting: Valentine needs both quiet menace and a veneer of patriotic warmth, and Sugita can do both without blinking.

Mountain Tim character design for Steel Ball Run 2nd Stage
Image courtesy of Lucky Land Communications / Shueisha

Mountain Tim, voiced by Tomoaki Maeno, is a lawman and fellow racer whose calm exterior hides abilities that put him directly in Johnny and Gyro’s path. And Hot Pants, voiced by Yōko Hikasa, is a masked racer whose true allegiances and Stand power make their arc one of Stage 2’s most memorable threads.

Hot Pants character design for Steel Ball Run 2nd Stage
Image courtesy of Lucky Land Communications / Shueisha

Watch the Official Stage 2 Trailer

STEEL BALL RUN JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure 2nd STAGE | Official Trailer | Netflix — via Netflix on YouTube

Weekly Episodes Starting 25 September

After the backlash Netflix received for dropping Stone Ocean in batches, both Stage 1 of Steel Ball Run and now Stage 2 are following a weekly release structure. A new episode lands every Friday — which in Singapore time means Saturday mornings, a decent slot if you want to start your weekend with something that will make your jaw drop. The last of the 11 Stage 2-and-3 episodes will carry the story through to the end of 2026.

If you have not yet started Stage 1, it is currently streaming on Netflix. With two-and-a-half months before Stage 2 arrives, there is plenty of time to catch up and arrive at the Devil’s Palm fully prepared. Keep an eye on our manga and anime coverage for episode notes as the season unfolds.

Game News

New Gundam Anime Drops at SDCC — ROGUE ORBIT Revealed, Watch Live at 2AM SGT

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If you have been waiting for something big from Bandai Namco on the Gundam front, this is the week it starts. The company has announced a “GUNDAM Showcase 2026 — Unveil the Next Gundam” panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, set for 23 July (Thursday, 10:30–11:30 AM Pacific Time), at which special guests from Japan will reveal a brand-new Gundam anime series and lay out where the franchise is headed next — for both domestic Japan and international markets. The entire panel will be simulcast on the official Gundam YouTube channel at 3:00 AM JST on July 24, which works out to 2:00 AM SGT for Singapore fans willing to stay up for it.

GUNDAM ROGUE ORBIT – Announcement Trailer — via Bandai Namco Entertainment America on YouTube

GUNDAM ROGUE ORBIT — The New Action Game Coming in 2027

Arriving alongside the SDCC announcement is GUNDAM ROGUE ORBIT, a high-mobility mecha action game developed by Bandai Namco Studios Inc. and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It launches in 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam — and will be playable for the first time in public at the SDCC booth this week.

GUNDAM ROGUE ORBIT — high-speed space combat with the Helix Gundam
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Entertainment

ROGUE ORBIT introduces a new timeline in the Gundam saga, positioning itself as both a perfect entry point for players new to the franchise and a meaningful new chapter for long-time fans. You pilot the Helix Gundam as a soldier fighting on behalf of humanity against a powerful, unnamed threat — the kind of clean, self-contained setup that signals Bandai Namco wants ROGUE ORBIT to travel well internationally, not just in Japan. The gameplay emphasis is on fast, kinetic movement and hard-hitting combat; early footage shows fluid aerial manoeuvring and explosive mobile suit clashes that lean more action game than simulator.

GUNDAM ROGUE ORBIT — Helix Gundam in fast-paced close-quarters combat
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Entertainment

A Brand-New Gundam Anime — Everything Still to Be Revealed

The bigger piece of news — bigger even than the game — is the new anime series that Bandai Namco Filmworks will reveal at the SDCC panel. No title, no plot details, and no key visual have been released ahead of the event; the announcement was deliberately structured so the reveal lands live at SDCC and simultaneously on YouTube. What we do know is that Japanese staff will take the stage alongside the international announcement, and that the broadcast will cover the franchise’s direction for both the domestic Japan and global markets — suggesting this is not a Japan-only production.

Gundam has been in a genuinely interesting transitional moment. The Witch from Mercury (2022–23) was the first Gundam series in a decade to break through to a mainstream anime audience beyond the core mecha fanbase, and the upcoming ROGUE ORBIT signals that Bandai wants that momentum to carry into games. A new anime that follows The Witch from Mercury’s playbook of international co-production and global streaming would be a significant statement.

How Singapore Fans Can Watch the Reveal Live

GUNDAM ROGUE ORBIT — mobile suit vs mobile suit battle scene
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Entertainment

The SDCC panel runs on Thursday, 23 July at 10:30 AM Pacific Time, but the YouTube simulcast premieres at 3:00 AM JST (2:00 AM SGT) on 24 July. An archive replay will be available after the broadcast, so you are not forced to choose between sleep and the reveal — but the Gundam community is extremely active online, and major spoilers will be everywhere within minutes. If you want the uncut first look, 2AM on a Friday is your window.

For more game news and upcoming releases, keep an eye on our news section. The SDCC panel is less than two weeks away and this is shaping up to be one of the more interesting Gundam reveals in a while.

Manga Anime, News

SAO: Integral Domain — New Original Film Announced for 2028

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Kirito and Asuna are heading back to the big screen — and this time, it is not a retelling. Aniplex has revealed Sword Art Online the Movie – Integral Domain –, a completely original theatrical story set beyond the Alicization arc, with a 2028 cinema release confirmed. Full staff, the teaser visual, and a first teaser trailer all dropped on 7 July 2026 via the Aniplex official channels, making this the most concrete look yet at where the SAO franchise goes after the TV series concluded its main storyline.

SAO Integral Domain 2028 announcement — staff, cast and key visual
Image courtesy of Aniplex

The First Fully Original SAO Film Since Ordinal Scale

This is a significant distinction worth flagging for fans: Integral Domain is not an adaptation of existing light novel chapters. That puts it in the same category as Ordinal Scale (2017) — a story written specifically for the cinema, with original screenwriting direction from creator Reki Kawahara. The two Progressive films (2021 and 2022) adapted the Progressive reboot light novels, so this is genuinely new territory.

The Aniplex official page describes the premise simply: “the story moves to a new stage” — set directly after the events of the Alicization / War of Underworld arc. No plot details beyond that have been released yet, but Kawahara is providing the story concept, so this is the author’s own vision for what happens next to Kirito and Asuna rather than a spin-off scripted by a different writer.

Sword Art Online the Movie – Integral Domain – | COMING 2028 — via Aniplex USA on YouTube

Director, Studio, and Full Staff Confirmed

The creative team is a familiar combination of SAO franchise veterans and fresh production muscle:

  • Director: Shingo Adachi — an animation director across multiple seasons of the TV series, making his theatrical directorial feature debut here
  • Character design: Yumiko Yamamoto — returning from both Progressive films
  • Original character design concept: abec (the original light novel illustrator)
  • Story concept: Reki Kawahara
  • Animation production: A-1 Pictures / Psyde Kick Studio — Psyde Kick Studio is A-1 Pictures’ newer internal animation label, co-producing alongside the parent studio
  • Distribution (Japan): ANIMEC

Voice cast confirmed so far: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Kirito and Haruka Tomatsu as Asuna. Both are originals from the first season. No additional cast has been announced yet.

SAO: Integral Domain — official background art showing Aincrad-like spire silhouettes
Image courtesy of Aniplex

What Singapore SAO Fans Need to Know

No international theatrical dates have been announced beyond the 2028 Japan release window, and no Southeast Asia distribution partners have been named yet. That said, every major SAO theatrical release has made it to Singapore: Ordinal Scale screened here in 2017, and both Progressive films received local cinema runs as well — so a Singapore theatrical release is realistic, just unconfirmed.

If you are behind on the series, the 2028 release gives you time to work through Alicization and War of Underworld before the film’s story picks up. Crunchyroll carries both arcs for streaming in Singapore.

The official film page is live at swordart-online.net/integral, and the Japanese announcement was first reported by Famitsu (Japanese) and the Aniplex official site. Follow anime news on GameTrader.SG for any Singapore screening updates as they drop.

Manga Anime

Here U Are Gets an Anime — D JUN’s BL Manhua Is Coming to Crunchyroll

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D JUN’s Here U Are has been earning quiet devotion for years. The Chinese BL manhua ran from 2017 to 2020 across 134 episodes and has since accumulated 27.5 million views on WEBTOON — and now, at last, it is getting the anime treatment. Crunchyroll dropped the announcement at its panel during Anime Expo 2026, revealing studio Rouseact as the production house and releasing an official teaser that sent the existing fanbase into a very good mood.

Yu Yang smiling and waving in the Here U Are anime
Image courtesy of Here U Are Animation Project

The Story: Two Students, One Slow Burn

Here U Are follows two university students whose paths collide in the way these things tend to: badly at first. Yu Yang is the cheerful, well-liked upperclassman whose easy warmth conceals real emotional pain he has never let anyone close enough to see. Li Huan is the quiet, standoffish new student who would rather everyone just left him alone. They clash, they pull apart, and they keep finding their way back to each other — slowly, genuinely, with the kind of patience in the storytelling that makes the payoffs land.

That unhurried approach, combined with D JUN’s expressive, clean art, is what built the series’ devoted following among readers who found it on WEBTOON. The manhua is available in English digitally on WEBTOON, and Aloha Comics has a print edition for collectors who want it on a shelf. If you want to catch up before the anime lands, the full run is there waiting.

The Anime Team

Rouseact is producing the adaptation under director Tomoe Makino. Aiki Kawamura handles series composition, Asami Hayakawa designs the characters, and Shinya Kiyozuka composes the music. The voice cast announced so far: Yuki Inoue as Yu Yang and Ryota Suzuki as Li Huan — two actors with the range the story needs.

Here U Are | Official Teaser — via Crunchyroll on YouTube

No premiere date has been announced. Crunchyroll has confirmed it will stream the series, which means Singapore fans are covered — Crunchyroll is fully available here, and with a simulcast pickup this large, subtitles will be ready from launch.

Part of a Growing Wave

Here U Are promotional illustration showing Yu Yang and Li Huan with heart-shaped balloons
Image courtesy of Here U Are Animation Project

Here U Are arrives at a moment when BL adaptations are reaching genuinely mainstream streaming audiences rather than being confined to niche platforms. Crunchyroll picking this up globally — rather than it being region-locked or relegated to a smaller service — means Singapore’s anime community, which has a vocal and enthusiastic BL following, gets it on the same terms as every other market. The announcement drew a strong reaction at Anime Expo, a signal of just how much appetite there is for well-made BL anime beyond the genre’s traditional core audience.

More details — premiere window, opening and ending themes, additional cast — are expected as production news comes through. Keep an eye on Crunchyroll’s official channels for updates. For more manga and anime announcements from Anime Expo 2026, see our other coverage from this week.

Game News, Manga Anime

Sonic’s 35th Anniversary Short Film Revealed at Anime Expo 2026

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Sonic the Hedgehog turns 35 this year, and SEGA is celebrating in style. On the final day of Anime Expo 2026, the company unveiled Sonic the Hedgehog: Memories and Beyond — a brand-new 10-minute animated short film slated for a Fall 2026 release — alongside a sneak-peek trailer that sent the audience into a frenzy. It is the latest in a long line of beloved Sonic shorts, and it looks like it could be the best one yet.

The Story: Metal Sonic Goes Full Chaos

Dr. Eggman is at it again, this time with an especially dangerous plan: harness the power of the Chaos Emeralds to steal Sonic’s life-data and evolve Metal Sonic into an unstoppable weapon. To beat a threat this powerful, Sonic cannot go it alone — the short leans hard into the bonds forged across years of adventures, bringing together Sonic, Amy, Knuckles, Shadow, Rouge, and Tails for a full team-up showdown.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Memories and Beyond animated short action sequence
Image courtesy of SEGA

The title — Memories and Beyond — hints at a story that looks backward at the franchise’s history while pointing forward to what comes next for Sonic and crew. Given the short bridges directly to Sonic the Hedgehog 4, arriving in theatres in March 2027, it looks like this will be essential viewing for fans before the film lands.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Memories And Beyond | 35th Anniversary AX Sneak Peek — via Sonic the Hedgehog on YouTube

The Creative Team Behind the Short

The short was announced during a panel titled “Sonic the Hedgehog Animated Shorts: A Frame-by-Frame Retrospective”, and the talent assembled for it reads like a who’s-who of Sonic animation history. SEGA’s own Takashi Iizuka was on stage, joined by series veterans Tyson Hesse (director of the beloved Ova-style short Sonic Mania Adventures), Evan Stanley, and Alan Wan, as well as Austin Keys and Jasmin Hernandez. With Hesse and Stanley involved, expectations are sky-high — their previous Sonic shorts are some of the most-viewed pieces of Sonic content on YouTube.

Amy Rose in Sonic the Hedgehog: Memories and Beyond animated short
Image courtesy of SEGA

A 35-Year Legacy Singapore Fans Grew Up With

Sonic has always had a passionate following in Singapore — from the arcade era to Sonic Riders in the early 2000s, through the Boost games on handhelds, and right up to the recent live-action film trilogy. The franchise’s animated shorts are a big part of why the fandom stays so attached between major game releases; Sonic Mania Adventures and the Team Sonic Racing Overdrive shorts racked up millions of views and introduced a whole new generation to the classic character dynamics.

Memories and Beyond arriving in Fall 2026 gives Singapore fans something to look forward to while waiting for Sonic the Hedgehog 4 in March 2027. No streaming platform has been announced yet — watch the official Sonic the Hedgehog YouTube channel for updates. In the meantime, catch up on all our anime news and previews here on GameTrader.