Tag Archives: Anime Announcement

Manga Anime, News

Kagurabachi Anime Casts Tomokazu Seki, Coming April 2027

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

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

Why Tomokazu Seki as Kunishige Is Such a Big Deal

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

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

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

Chihiro’s Voice and the Full Creative Team

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

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

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

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

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

The World Tour and What It Means for Singapore Fans

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

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

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

Last Words

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

Manga Anime

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.

Akane-banashi anime Season 2 confirmed for January 2027 key visual
Manga Anime

Akane-banashi Season 2 Confirmed for January 2027

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Japan’s hottest rakugo anime just wrapped its first season — and Aniplex wasted no time. Akane-banashi Season 2 has been officially confirmed for a January 2027 premiere on TV Asahi, with the announcement dropping at the end of the Season 1 finale that aired in Japan tonight.

Akane-banashi official key visual — Season 2 confirmed for January 2027
Image courtesy of Aniplex / TV Asahi

What Is Akane-banashi?

For anyone who missed Season 1: Akane-banashi is based on the Weekly Shonen Jump manga by Yūki Suenaga, brought to television as a TV Asahi/Aniplex production. The show follows Osaki Akane, a teenage girl with one driving ambition — to reach shinuchi, the highest rank in traditional Japanese rakugo comedy. Season 1 adapted 12 episodes covering the Karaku Cup Arc, concluding tonight with Episode 12, “Graduation.”

What sets it apart is the craft on display: full-length rakugo sequences are performed on screen, the staging feels theatrical in the best way, and the character work is sharp. Its opening theme, Hitotarashi, was composed and performed by Keisuke Kuwata — marking the legendary singer-songwriter’s first-ever anime theme in a career spanning since 1978.

The Apprentice Training Arc Begins

Season 2 adapts the Apprentice Training Arc (前座修業篇). Having graduated from high school and entered formal discipleship under master Arakawa Shiguma, Akane takes the professional stage name Akane Arakawa (阿良川あかね) and begins life as a zenseki — a first-rank apprentice. The arc covers her earliest steps in the professional rakugo world, where every performance, every interaction with senior performers, and every small bit of recognition or rejection carries real weight.

Season 2 will air on the TV Asahi nationwide network’s “IMAnimation” block and BS Asahi starting January 2027.

Akane-banashi Season 1 main visual — Season 2 coming January 2027
Image courtesy of Aniplex / TV Asahi Animation

Six Big-Name Voice Actors Join the Cast

Alongside the Season 2 announcement, six new cast members were revealed — all of whom made cameo appearances in tonight’s Season 1 finale. The new additions are a notably veteran lineup:

  • Hochu Otsuka as Miroku Kashiwaya
  • Ryotaro Okiayu as Shomei Tsubakiya
  • Hiroshi Naka as Enso Sanmeitei
  • Mutsumi Tamura as Urara Ransaika
  • Shin’ichiro Miki as Ryuun Kenputei
  • Tomokazu Seki as Chocho Konjakutei

Between them, these six voice actors cover several decades of iconic anime and game roles. Their presence suggests the Apprentice Training Arc introduces some of the most formidable — and most colourful — senior rakugo figures that Akane will have to navigate on her climb up the ranks.

Where to Watch in Singapore

Akane-banashi Season 1 is available on Crunchyroll with English subtitles, accessible to Singapore subscribers. Episodes have also been uploaded to the official Akane-banashi Global YouTube channel — making it one of the more accessible simulcasts of the year with free viewing on YouTube after broadcast. Season 2 is expected to follow the same distribution model in January 2027.

If you have not started yet, all 12 episodes of Season 1 are a solid weekend binge before S2 rolls around. Full details on the announcement via Anime News Network (confirmed June 20, 2026) and the official website.

Last Words

Rakugo anime doesn’t show up often on Singapore streaming calendars — this corner of Japanese culture rarely gets the full anime treatment at this level of production quality. The fact that Akane-banashi earned a Season 2 with a cast this stacked waiting in the wings, announced on the same night as the Season 1 finale, signals that Aniplex is treating this as a proper long-runner. January 2027 feels like a long wait, but the Apprentice Training Arc is where things really get interesting in the manga — and now the anime gets to bring it to life. Keep an eye on our anime coverage for updates as the premiere date draws closer.

Manga Anime, News

Fall in Love, You False Angels: MAPPA Confirms 2027 Anime

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When you think of MAPPA, shojo romance probably isn’t the first thing that springs to mind — but the studio behind Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and Dorohedoro just slipped a very different project onto its 2027 slate. At the MAPPA 15th Anniversary Lineup Announcement Event held on 19 June, the studio confirmed it is producing the TV anime adaptation of Fall in Love, You False Angels (恋せよまやかし天使ども / Koi Seyo Mayakashi Tenshi-domo) — the Kodansha Manga Award-winning shojo series by Coco Uzuki — along with a first teaser PV and visual.

TV Anime “Fall in Love, You False Angels” Teaser PV — via アニプレックス チャンネル on YouTube

What Is Fall in Love, You False Angels?

On the surface, Otogi Katsura is everything a high school student should be — graceful, beautiful, and admired without exception. Behind that polished image, however, she is calculating, ruthless, and brutally sharp-tongued. When she accidentally lets her real self slip in front of classmate Toki Ninomae — who looks just as picture-perfect as she does — he doesn’t recoil. Instead, he reveals his own hidden side and proposes they become “partners in crime.” The story of two beautiful liars who can finally drop their masks around each other begins.

The source manga has been running in Kodansha’s Monthly Dessert magazine since April 2023. Its momentum has been remarkable: over 2.25 million copies are in circulation in Japan, and it claimed the top prize in the shojo category at the 49th Kodansha Manga Award in 2025. An English edition is published by Kodansha USA, so Singapore fans who want to get ahead of the anime — strongly recommended — already have a way in.

Fall in Love, You False Angels anime teaser visual — MAPPA 2027
Image courtesy of MAPPA

The Creative Team Behind It

MAPPA has assembled a dedicated staff for the adaptation. Yasutomo Okamoto directs, with series composition by Yohei Yamazaki. Mariko Oka is on character design duty, and Takumi Hashimoto serves as art director. Aniplex is attached as distributor — the same setup that has powered many of MAPPA’s biggest recent hits — which bodes well for production resources and international reach.

No voice cast has been officially named yet, though the teaser PV does include the voice of lead character Otogi Katsura, building anticipation for a full cast reveal down the line. Follow the series’ official X account at @koidomo_anime for updates.

When Is It Coming?

The TV anime is slated for 2027, with no specific season or broadcast channel confirmed at this stage. Southeast Asian streaming rights have not been announced, but an Aniplex-backed MAPPA title with this level of manga pedigree would be a natural fit for Crunchyroll’s regional lineup — expect details to surface closer to the Japanese broadcast date. We will keep this page updated as the air date and cast are confirmed.

Last Words

Singapore fans who pored over MAPPA’s 15th anniversary slate for updates on JJK and Chainsaw Man might have scrolled past this one — but Fall in Love, You False Angels is worth adding to the 2027 watchlist early. A 2.25-million-copy run, a Kodansha Manga Award win, and MAPPA behind the camera is a very solid foundation. If you enjoy shows where characters hide layers of complexity behind a perfect exterior — think Kaguya-sama territory, with its own distinct flavour — this one has your name on it. Keep an eye on our Manga & Anime coverage for cast reveals and broadcast news as the year progresses.

Manga Anime

Chainsaw Man Assassins Arc: Staff Revealed, New Teaser, Mobile Game

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Two of the darkest, most beloved anime franchises around just got major updates at the same time. During MAPPA’s 15th anniversary livestream on 19 June, the studio dropped a second teaser trailer for Chainsaw Man: Assassins Arc — complete with its full production crew and a surprise mobile game announcement — and then, almost in passing, confirmed that Dorohedoro Season 3 is in active production with a teaser of its own.

Chainsaw Man: Assassins Arc — The Team Behind the Blade

The Assassins Arc adapts the sixth arc of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Public Safety Saga, picking up after the events of the Reze Arc film. With Denji’s existence now known beyond Japan’s borders, a wave of international killers closes in — and MAPPA has now confirmed who is bringing that chaos to the screen:

  • Director: Tatsuya Yoshihara (who helmed Chainsaw Man: The Movie — Reze Arc)
  • Script: Hiroshi Seko (writer on Season 1 and the Reze film)
  • Character Designer: Kazutaka Sugiyama
  • Music Composer: Kensuke Ushio (whose Season 1 score became almost as iconic as the show itself)

The creative core that built the original season and carried it through to the Reze film is intact. One question MAPPA has still not answered: whether the Assassins Arc will arrive as a TV series or a theatrical film. The Reze Arc went to cinemas; whether this chapter follows that format or returns to episodic TV remains officially unconfirmed.

Chainsaw Man Assassins Arc official teaser art
Image courtesy of MAPPA

Watch the New Teaser

The 2nd official teaser — posted directly to the MAPPA CHANNEL on YouTube — is now live. It’s a short, sharp look at the carnage to come.

『チェンソーマン 刺客篇』ティザーPV / Chainsaw Man – Assassins Arc Official Teaser — via MAPPA CHANNEL on YouTube

A Chainsaw Man Mobile Game Is Coming

Alongside the anime news, MAPPA revealed a Chainsaw Man smartphone game for iOS and Android. The opening animation for the game was created by the studio itself, and the opening theme — “All the Lynch!! All the Mince!!” — is composed by Ryo Kawakita of Maximum the Hormone, the veteran Japanese rock band who have been synonymous with Chainsaw Man from the very beginning. Gameplay details and a release window have not yet been announced.

Dorohedoro Season 3 — Officially Confirmed

MAPPA also used the anniversary livestream to formally confirm that Dorohedoro is returning for a third season. Director Yuichiro Hayashi — who shepherded the series through Seasons 1 and 2 and directed Attack on Titan: The Final Season — is continuing. A teaser video was shown during the event, giving fans a first glimpse of what’s ahead: Nikaidō’s awakening, the moment Cross-Eyes’ Boss removes his mask, and Saji’s transformation.

No release date has been announced. Dorohedoro is available in Singapore on Netflix, Crunchyroll, and other streaming platforms. With MAPPA’s schedule packed, the wait may be long — but the greenlight coming so quickly after Season 2’s finale is a very good sign.

The Rest of MAPPA’s 15th Anniversary Slate

The anniversary program covered more ground than just those two reveals. Ranma ½ Season 3 was confirmed for an October 2026 premiere on Netflix, with a new trailer and a talk segment featuring original voice cast members Kappei Yamaguchi and Noriko Hidaka. Jujutsu Kaisen held a special talk with the voice actors for Yuji Itadori and Yuta Okkotsu. And Oblivion Battery got a behind-the-scenes look at the animation process for its upcoming second season on Crunchyroll.

Last words

For Singapore anime fans, the 19 June MAPPA anniversary event was a rare evening where the hype arrived from every direction at once. Chainsaw Man and Dorohedoro have passionate local fanbases — and knowing that both franchises are moving forward, with the same creative teams already in place, makes the wait for release dates a lot easier to bear. Follow our manga and anime coverage for updates as they drop.

Manga Anime

SUNRISE and SHAFT Are Making an Anime Together — and Nobody Knows What It Is Yet

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Two of Japan’s most influential anime studios are joining forces for the very first time. SUNRISE, the house behind Mobile Suit Gundam, Code Geass, and Love Live!, and SHAFT, the studio responsible for Puella Magi Madoka Magica and the Monogatari Series, have announced a collaboration on an original animation project under Bandai Namco Filmworks. The announcement dropped today, June 18, and has already set anime social media ablaze.

SUNRISE and SHAFT first-ever joint anime project announcement visual
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Filmworks / SUNRISE / SHAFT

Why This Pairing Is a Big Deal

SUNRISE and SHAFT represent near-opposite ends of the anime aesthetic spectrum, and that contrast is exactly what makes this so intriguing.

SUNRISE built its legacy on large-scale spectacle: the decades-long Gundam universe, the political drama of Code Geass, the idol phenomenon of Love Live!. These are franchises with massive ensemble casts, detailed world-building, and a track record of inspiring devoted fanbases. In Singapore, the Gundam series alone has a dedicated collector and model-builder community that spans generations.

SHAFT, by contrast, became known for something more distinctive and cerebral. Director Akiyuki Shinbo’s rapid-cut visual language, the psychological weight of Madoka Magica, and the endlessly clever dialogue of the Monogatari Series gave SHAFT a reputation as the studio for anime that rewards close watching. Their work is visually unusual and deliberately unconventional — the opposite of mainstream spectacle.

Put those two creative identities together and the possibilities are genuinely exciting, even before a single plot detail is known.

What We Know (and Don’t Know)

Almost nothing concrete has been confirmed. According to Anime News Network, Bandai Namco Filmworks describes this as an original animation project — no existing IP involved. A teaser video has been released featuring “color scripts” that offer an early impression of the project’s visual atmosphere and tone.

No title, no story synopsis, no director or writer credits, no release window, and no platform details have been disclosed yet. The studios are clearly letting the anticipation build before the full reveal.

The Full Reveal Countdown: Mark 23 June

The official X account @sunrise_shaft launched today alongside the announcement, kicking off a five-day countdown campaign. Each day will bring new hints until the full reveal on 24 June at 00:30 JST — that is 23:30 SGT on 23 June for Singapore fans. Follow the account now to catch each daily teaser drop.

Last words

Whether you’re a Gundam veteran, a Madoka devotee, or simply someone who appreciates when two creative powerhouses decide to try something genuinely new, this is one to watch. The full reveal is less than a week away. We will be covering it the moment it drops. In the meantime, browse our anime coverage and get excited.