Tag Archives: Anime

Manga Anime

BLEACH The Calamity: Yuki Kaji Debuts as Adult Hitsugaya in Episode 44

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If you stayed up late to catch the latest episode of BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity on Disney+ Singapore, Episode 44 delivered one of the arc’s most anticipated casting reveals — and it was worth the wait.

Yuki Kaji Officially Joins BLEACH as Adult Toshiro Hitsugaya

Gerard Valkyrie, the Sternritter M of The Miracle, in BLEACH TYBW The Calamity
Image courtesy of Studio Pierrot / TV Tokyo

Episode 44, titled “THE PERFECT CRIMSON” and confirmed on the official BLEACH anime website, marks the debut of superstar voice actor Yuki Kaji as Toshiro Hitsugaya in his Complete Bankai form. The casting was officially announced alongside the episode by the production team.

For those catching up on the lore: completing his Bankai causes Hitsugaya to age rapidly into an adult body, consuming ice that would normally crystallise around him. It is the payoff to years of build-up — and because the adult form is a different character in every meaningful way, the creative team brought in a separate voice actor rather than have Romi Park pitch-shift. Kaji steps into a role Singapore anime fans will recognise immediately: he is the voice of Eren Yeager across all four seasons of Attack on Titan, Shoto Todoroki in My Hero Academia, Meliodas in The Seven Deadly Sins, and Kenma Kozume in Haikyu!!.

Episode 44 — What Goes Down in “The Perfect Crimson”

Kenpachi Zaraki faces an overwhelming opponent in BLEACH TYBW The Calamity Episode 44
Image courtesy of Studio Pierrot / TV Tokyo

The episode throws Kenpachi Zaraki, Hitsugaya, and Byakuya Kuchiki together against Gerard Valkyrie, the Sternritter whose “Miracle” power proves infuriatingly hard to put down — every sword-chip triggers a new miracle, steadily turning the tide against the three captains. Kenpachi charges in on pure instinct, but even his raw output is not enough to break through. Simultaneously, Ichigo endures Yhwach’s assault in the throne room, waiting for any opening to turn the fight around.

It is a dense episode that juggles three fronts without losing momentum, and Studio Pierrot’s animation on the Gerard sequences is — as fans on X Singapore have already noted — genuinely spectacular.

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

A Rotating Ending — Rukia Takes the Spotlight

A scene from BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War The Calamity Part 4
Image courtesy of Studio Pierrot / TV Tokyo

One running detail worth noting: each episode of The Calamity swaps out a character in the ending animation to mirror whoever the narrative spotlights that week. Episode 1 featured Ichigo, Episode 2 replaced him with Kisuke Urahara, Episode 3 switched to Orihime Inoue, and now Episode 4 places Rukia Kuchiki front and centre — a neat creative touch that rewards attentive viewers. The ending theme remains “Rasen” by 9Lana.

Streaming on Disney+ Singapore — No Extra Cost

BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity streams internationally on Disney+, which covers Singapore. As we covered when Part 4 launched locally, no separate purchase is needed beyond a standard Disney+ subscription. With the cour officially locked in at 10 episodes, Episode 44 is the fourth instalment — just past the opening stretch, and with the most brutal fights still ahead. New episodes land Saturday nights JST, which means Sunday mornings in Singapore.

Catch up on more anime and manga news here on GameTrader.

Manga Anime

Haruhi Suzumiya Anime Hits 20: SOS Exhibition Open Now, ABEMA Stream Starts Tomorrow

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The Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu anime turned twenty this year, and KADOKAWA is marking the occasion with a full programme of events — including a Tokyo exhibition that runs through 30 August, an ABEMA special stream kicking off 16 August (that’s tomorrow), and a limited Seiko chronograph that costs more than most consoles but looks spectacular. For Singapore fans: both anime seasons and The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya are on Crunchyroll right now.

SOS Exhibition at Sunshine City Ikebukuro

The SOS展〜世界を大いに盛り上げた涼宮ハルヒの展〜 is running from 10 to 30 August 2026 at Sunshine City Ikebukuro (文化会館ビル2F 展示ホールD), open daily 10:00–19:00. Tickets are ¥2,500 for timed entry; a ¥2,000 merchandise exchange ticket is also available for those primarily there for the goods. The exhibition’s illustration is by original character designer Noizi Ito (いとうのいぢ), featuring new visuals of the full SOS Brigade.

SOS Exhibition poster for the Haruhi Suzumiya 20th anniversary event at Sunshine City Ikebukuro, illustrated by Noizi Ito
SOS展 exhibition poster illustrated by Noizi Ito. Image © Nagaru Tanigawa, Noizi Ito/KADOKAWA
Brigade Leader armband merchandise card for the Haruhi Suzumiya SOS Exhibition
The ¥2,000 merch exchange ticket includes exhibition-exclusive goods such as the Brigade Leader armband. Image © Nagaru Tanigawa, Noizi Ito/KADOKAWA

ABEMA Stream and the 20th Anniversary PV

Starting 16 August, ABEMA is running a special anniversary stream of the series — Japan-only, unfortunately. What is accessible from anywhere: KADOKAWA’s official 20th anniversary PV (embedded below), and a voice cast appreciation video featuring Aya Hirano (Haruhi), Tomokazu Sugita (Kyon), Minori Chihara (Nagato), Yuko Goto (Mikuru), and Daisuke Ono (Koizumi).

Official 20th anniversary PV — via KADOKAWAanime on YouTube

Where Singapore Fans Can Watch

Both Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu seasons (2006 and 2009) and The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya film are available on Crunchyroll in Singapore. If you have never seen it: the 2009 broadcast order, which opens differently from the original air order, is the one generally recommended for first-time viewers. The film — covering the events of the fourth light novel — is one of the stronger theatrical anime releases of its decade and holds up well twenty years later.

The Seiko Collaboration Watch

A limited-edition Seiko chronograph is part of the 20th anniversary merchandise line. It features a light-blue dial referencing Haruhi’s school uniform, an “H” marker at 12 o’clock, and the SOS Brigade emblem engraved on the case back. Specs: quartz movement, stainless steel case, 10 ATM water resistance. Price: ¥65,780 (approximately S$595). Pre-orders are through PREMICO; estimated shipping is mid-December 2026. Seiko anime collabs tend to move fast, so if this is on your radar it’s worth bookmarking before general sale opens.

More anniversary coverage in our manga and anime section.

Manga Anime

New Prince of Tennis Anime Returns — U-17 World Cup Final Arc Starts 30 September

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The manga may have just closed its 27-year run, but the New Prince of Tennis anime is absolutely not done. A new instalment — 新テニスの王子様 U-17 WORLD CUP 決勝メンバー決定戦 (The New Prince of Tennis: U-17 World Cup — Final Member Selection Match) — was officially announced on 14 August with a full key visual, teaser video, and brand-new cast. It premieres on TV Tokyo on 30 September 2026.

If you’ve been following the U-17 World Cup arc — Japan saw off Germany in the SEMIFINAL arc that aired in 2024 — this is the direct continuation. Japan’s next opponent is Spain. Before that match even begins, though, Coach Mishipu has decided the bigger challenge lies within the squad itself.

Japan Fights Itself to Reach the Final

Ryoma Echizen and a teammate face off in New Prince of Tennis U-17 WORLD CUP Final Member Selection Match
Image courtesy of 許斐剛/集英社・NAS・新テニスの王子様プロジェクト

Rather than a straightforward run-up to the Spain match, the new arc opens with an internal 決勝メンバー決定戦 — a selection tournament held within Japan’s own squad. Players compete against each other for the right to represent Japan in the World Cup final. Roster spots, pride, and years of rivalry are all in play as Ryoma Echizen, Keigo Atobe, Seiichi Yukimura, and the rest of Japan’s assembled talent go head-to-head with everything on the line.

It’s a classic Tenipuri escalation: the first opponent is never the one on the other side of the net.

Second teaser video — via アニメ 新テニスの王子様 オフィシャルチャンネル on YouTube

Four New Voice Actors Join as Spain’s Team

Close-up of Ryoma Echizen in New Prince of Tennis U-17 WORLD CUP Final Member Selection Match anime
Image courtesy of 許斐剛/集英社・NAS・新テニスの王子様プロジェクト

The August 14 reveal confirmed four new voice actors joining the series to play Spain’s national team:

  • Tasuku Hatanaka (Kirishima in My Hero Academia) as Julio Roman
  • Reiji Kawashima as Mars de Colon
  • Ryuho Nagaoka as Silva Serra Bambieri
  • Megumi Han (Gon in Hunter x Hunter) as Seda

Junko Minagawa returns as Ryoma Echizen, and Junichi Suwabe is back as Keigo Atobe. The production had previously confirmed Romeo Fernandez will be voiced by Yu Shirota — a name many longtime Tenipuri fans will recognise from his years on the TeniMyu stage, now stepping into the anime booth.

Two Japan team members on court in New Prince of Tennis U-17 WORLD CUP Final Member Selection Match anime
Image courtesy of 許斐剛/集英社・NAS・新テニスの王子様プロジェクト

The Music — Opening Theme and a Character Song Ending

The opening theme, “Walls And Bridges”, is performed by 青酢 (Aozusu, FEEL MEE UNIT). The ending theme carries on the franchise’s beloved character song tradition: 金環蝕phenomenal is performed by Keigo Atobe and Yuushi Oshitari — in character. If you’ve watched any of the Dream Live concert films or followed the Tenipuri music releases over the years, you know this is as on-brand as it gets. The franchise has always taken its music seriously, and this new arc is no exception.

Opening theme card for New Prince of Tennis U-17 World Cup Final Member Selection Match — Walls And Bridges by Aozusu FEEL MEE UNIT
Image courtesy of 許斐剛/集英社・NAS・新テニスの王子様プロジェクト

Broadcast and Where to Watch from Singapore

The series begins 30 September 2026 on TV Tokyo (Wednesdays at midnight), TV Osaka (Wednesdays 25:35), and TV Aichi (Wednesdays 25:30). The official site is tenipuri.jp/u17/selection-match/ (Japanese).

International streaming for the new arc has not yet been confirmed. The previous instalment, U-17 WORLD CUP SEMIFINAL, was available on Amazon Prime Video in Singapore — that remains the most likely platform, but there has been no official announcement as of publication. Given that the manga wrapped just last week and this anime looks to be the primary vehicle carrying the story forward, an international deal feels like a matter of when rather than if. Worth keeping tabs on.

Find more upcoming anime in our anime and manga coverage.

Manga Anime

Tenkaichi Anime Confirmed for April 2027 — Cast Revealed

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If you’ve ever wanted to see Miyamoto Musashi, Honda Tadakatsu, and a whole roster of Japan’s greatest historical fighters settle things once and for all in an anime — this one’s for you. Tenkaichi: The Greatest Warrior Under the Rising Sun (テンカイチ 日本最強武芸者決定戦) is officially getting a TV anime, premiering in April 2027, and the first teaser PV and cast are out now.

Tenkaichi anime — cast key visual showing all fighters facing off
Image courtesy of Kodansha / Tenkaichi: The Greatest Warrior Under the Rising Sun Production Committee

What Is Tenkaichi?

The manga, written by Yōsuke Nakamaru and illustrated by Kyōtarō Azuma, launched in Kodansha’s Monthly Young Magazine in January 2021 and has been running ever since — 14 volumes in as of August 2026. The premise is deliciously simple: the year is 1600, Oda Nobunaga has unified Japan and is getting old, and rather than naming an heir, he announces a tournament. Whoever brings him the strongest warrior in the land wins control of the country.

The result is a single-elimination martial arts bracket — anything goes, death is on the table — pitting Japan’s legendary fighters against each other in match-ups that history never gave us. First up: undefeated prodigy Miyamoto Musashi (sponsored by the Chōsokabe clan) versus peerless spear-wielder Honda Tadakatsu (sponsored by Tokugawa Ieyasu). If you love Vinland Saga or Rurouni Kenshin, Tenkaichi occupies a similar space: real historical figures, deeply fictional fights, spectacular violence. The manga is available in English on Kodansha’s K Manga platform if you want to start reading before April 2027 rolls around.

The Warriors Assemble — Cast and Staff

The teaser PV dropped on August 13, 2026 alongside the key visual and the first cast reveals, as reported by Anime News Network. Studio Fugaku is producing the animation with Masashi Abe directing, Kazuharu Sato handling series composition, and Hayato Matsuo composing the music. Character designs are by Ryōji Nakamori.

The three cast members announced so far:

  • Miyamoto Musashi — voiced by Gen Sato
  • Honda Tadakatsu — voiced by Kenichiro Matsuda
  • Oda Nobunaga — voiced by Kenyu Horiuchi
Tenkaichi anime — Miyamoto Musashi official character design
Image courtesy of Kodansha / Tenkaichi: The Greatest Warrior Under the Rising Sun Production Committee

Watch the Teaser PV

Official Teaser PV — via TVアニメ『テンカイチ』公式 on YouTube
Tenkaichi anime teaser PV — Miyamoto Musashi with 2027.04 broadcast announcement
Image courtesy of Kodansha / Tenkaichi: The Greatest Warrior Under the Rising Sun Production Committee

The teaser is largely mood and atmosphere — Nobunaga declaring the tournament, brief glimpses of the combatants, and enough of Musashi’s wooden-sword style to get your blood pumping. It establishes that this is going to be a brutal, high-stakes affair.

Read the Manga Before April 2027

14 volumes is a manageable catch-up — and volume 14 ships on August 20, so there’s never been a better moment to dive in. Tenkaichi is published in English digitally on K Manga, Kodansha’s official digital platform, which Singapore readers can access. If you enjoy historical action manga in the vein of Vagabond or the bonkers spectacle of Record of Ragnarok, Tenkaichi sits somewhere in between: historically grounded character identities with full creative licence on the fights. Check out more manga and anime news on GameTrader.

When and Where to Watch

The anime premieres in April 2027 in Japan. Streaming rights for Singapore and the broader Southeast Asia region have not been announced yet — watch the official Tenkaichi anime website for updates. Given Kodansha’s existing relationships with Crunchyroll for other titles, an international simulcast is possible, but nothing is confirmed. We’ll update when streaming details land.

Game News

MapleStory × Frieren: Collaboration Starts 9 September

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Two icons of their respective eras are joining forces. Global MapleStory is bringing Frieren, Fern, Stark, and the full party from Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End into the Maple World on 9 September 2026 — and the collaboration comes with missions, boss battles, and enough cosmetics to dress your entire account in Elven travelling robes.

MapleStory players gather in a mushroom-themed town hub in the Maple World
Image courtesy of MapleStory / Nexon

What the MapleStory × Frieren Collaboration Actually Includes

This is not a straight cash-shop drop — Nexon has built a full event around the crossover. Starting 9 September, players take on themed collection missions and boss-defeat missions modelled on the world of the anime. The cleverest mechanic: every monster you kill fills a gauge, and once it tops out, Frieren and her party materialise on screen to fight alongside you. It is a small thing mechanically, but the image of the silver-haired elf turning up mid-grind to lend a hand will land differently for anyone who has spent two seasons watching her quietly change the lives of everyone she meets.

Completing boss-defeat missions unlocks exclusive rewards including a custom background, and magic spells themed to the anime are scattered through the event for players to collect. Nexon announced the collaboration today through an official press release via Anime News Network.

MapleStory players battling a giant lion boss — the collab adds Frieren-themed boss-defeat missions with exclusive rewards
Image courtesy of MapleStory / Nexon

Dress Your Maple Character as Frieren, Fern, Stark — and Six More

The cosmetics line-up goes unusually deep. Avatar outfits cover eight characters: Frieren, Fern, Stark, and Himmel from the main party, plus Ubel, Aura, Linie, and Lugner — fan favourites who rarely make it into collaborations at this level of detail. Each major character also gets a matching android companion: Frierenroid, Fernroid, Starkroid, Himmelroid, and Ubelroid for a full party of sidekicks that follow your character around Maple World. On top of that, four petit pets (Frieren, Fern, Stark, Ubel) round out the collection alongside themed chairs, titles, medals, and the boss-mission background.

For those who want the full set, the combination of outfits, androids, and pets means you could conceivably run a Frieren-themed guild with matching cosmetics across multiple characters — which feels very much in the spirit of an anime about a party that stays together across centuries.

A colourful outdoor area of Maple World showing the game's distinctive art style — players will explore these maps during the Frieren collaboration event
Image courtesy of MapleStory / Nexon

A Game That Grew Up Alongside Singapore

For a certain generation of Singapore gamers, MapleStory is not just a game — it is a specific memory: logging in after school, the slow grind through Kerning City sewers, the argument about who had the best warrior build. The side-scrolling MMORPG launched here in 2005 and spent the better part of a decade as the game that defined how a lot of us understood online communities. Seeing it cross paths with Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End — arguably the anime of the past two years, now into its second season — feels like two very different chapters of a gaming life meeting on the same map.

The collaboration runs on Global MapleStory (GMS), which Singapore players access directly with no regional restriction. There is no confirmed schedule yet for any separate regional server, and the event end date is to be confirmed. If you have not logged back in a while, 9 September might be a reasonable excuse.

For more gaming news and upcoming collabs, check the Game News archive.

Manga Anime

Makoto Shinkai’s Untitled 8th Film Lands at Crunchyroll — Where Does That Leave Singapore?

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Makoto Shinkai is coming back — and Crunchyroll has already claimed its seat at the premiere. Sony Pictures Entertainment and Crunchyroll announced on 11–12 August 2026 that they have jointly acquired global distribution rights to the director’s still-untitled eighth feature film. The deal positions Crunchyroll as the primary streaming home for the film across most of the world. The one catch? A large portion of Asia — the region that arguably loves Shinkai’s work most intensely — sits outside that agreement.

A scene from Weathering With You (2019), directed by Makoto Shinkai
Makoto Shinkai’s Weathering With You (2019) grossed over US$193 million worldwide. (© CoMix Wave Films)

What We Know About the Deal

Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment struck the agreement to distribute Shinkai’s next film across territories described as outside Japan and India, with some reports characterising the exclusion zone as broader — covering Asia as a whole, with India carved back in as an exception. The exact territorial boundaries have not been spelled out in official press materials, and the ambiguity matters a great deal to fans in this part of the world.

What is not ambiguous: Singapore is not covered by the Crunchyroll deal. Whether the exclusion zone is “outside Japan and India” or “outside Asia except India,” Singapore falls inside it either way. That means local fans will be watching for a separate theatrical or streaming announcement from a regional distributor — the same situation that played out for Suzume in 2022, when Encore Films handled Singapore distribution.

Shinkai’s Eighth Feature

This is Shinkai’s first film since Suzume (2022), which earned over US$300 million at the worldwide box office and picked up a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Feature Film. Before that came Weathering With You (2019) and the global phenomenon Your Name (2016), which remains one of the highest-grossing anime films of all time.

A scene from Suzume (2022), directed by Makoto Shinkai
Suzume (2022) earned a Golden Globe nomination and over US$300 million worldwide. (© Crunchyroll / CoMix Wave Films)

The new film is Shinkai’s eighth feature overall. No title, plot synopsis, or release date has been announced. In an X post from January 2026, Shinkai offered his clearest signal yet that something was close: “It looks like this will be the year I can finally share concrete details about the new movie I have been preparing for a long time. We are all having fun creating it together.”

More recently, the director has described the theatrical premiere as “probably not far away,” though without a specific window. Early speculation, drawing on production signals and Shinkai’s comments in Japanese media, suggests the new film may move away from the romance-driven template of his recent trilogy and explore science-fiction territory — though nothing has been confirmed.

What This Means for Singapore Fans

For viewers here, the immediate takeaway is patience. The Crunchyroll and Sony global rollout will not include Singapore, which means the theatrical window and any streaming availability will depend entirely on a separate licensing deal with a local or regional distributor. If Suzume is any guide, that deal will come — Encore Films brought it to cinemas here — but fans should not expect to line up a Crunchyroll subscription and call it done.

A scene from Your Name (2016), directed by Makoto Shinkai
Your Name (2016) remains one of the highest-grossing anime films of all time. (© CoMix Wave Films)

We will be tracking any regional distribution announcements as they come. In the meantime, you can revisit the last chapter with the official Suzume trailer below — a reminder of just how high the bar is set for whatever Shinkai has been quietly building.

Are you hyped for Shinkai’s next film? Let us know in the comments what you hope to see — and whether you are holding out for a local cinema run or streaming the moment it hits wherever it does.

Game News, Manga Anime

Shangri-La Frontier: Season 3 in January 2027, Game in 2026

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If you’ve been sleeping on Shangri-La Frontier, this is your wake-up call. The anime about a gaming obsessive who turns an underground VRMMORPG into his personal proving ground is officially returning for a third season in January 2027 — and for the first time, the franchise is also becoming a playable game this year. Two reasons to pay attention, and both arrived within weeks of each other.

Wethermon and Emul from Shangri-La Frontier anime
Image courtesy of Shangri-La Frontier / C2C

What Is Shangri-La Frontier?

Based on Ryosei Tsukahara and Katarina’s manga in Weekly Shonen Magazine, Shangri-La Frontier follows Rakuro Hizutome — screen name Sunraku — a “trash game” speedrunner who boots up the premium VRMMORPG Shangri-La Frontier and stumbles into encounters even the game’s top players have avoided for years. Two seasons in, the show has built an 8.1/10 on MyAnimeList and a dedicated fanbase for doing something rare: making the act of actually playing games — the system mastery, the routing, the boss reads — feel genuinely exciting on screen.

Season 2, which wrapped in March 2026, left Sunraku and his party mid-preparation for their biggest challenges yet. Season 3 picks up exactly where that leaves off.

Shangri-La Frontier Season 3 | Official Teaser — via Crunchyroll on YouTube

Shangri-La Frontier Season 3: January 2027, the Galaxia Heroes Arc

Shangri-La Frontier Season 3 is confirmed for a January 2027 premiere, airing on the MBS/TBS Sunday 5 PM JST block. Crunchyroll confirmed an international licence for the series at AnimagiC 2026 in Germany (1 August); SG and broader Asia streaming details have not yet been announced, though previous seasons have been available in the region via streaming services.

Season 3 shifts the battlefield significantly. The teaser and confirmed story details put Sunraku inside Galaxia Heroes: Chaos (GHC) — a competitive fighting game that exists within the Shangri-La Frontier universe, separate from the main VRMMORPG. The teaser drops a mysterious plant-form character that fans have been speculating about since it dropped in July. As Crunchyroll noted in their AnimagiC announcement, “the third season will show off the anime’s take on fighting games when it makes its return.” Expect the GHC arc to run alongside the long-awaited forward progress on the Kutanid the Abyssal One raid.

The Seven Colossi: Shangri-La Frontier’s First Game

Shangri-La Frontier: The Seven Colossi game announcement at ShanFro Day 2026
Image courtesy of Netmarble / Netmarble Nexus

Alongside the season news, the franchise’s first standalone game is in active development: Shangri-La Frontier: The Seven Colossi (シャングリラ・フロンティア ～七つの最強種～, community shorthand ShanNana), developed by Netmarble Nexus and published by Netmarble Japan. It’s a free-to-play, full 3D action RPG built around a boss-hunter structure — a natural fit for a series defined by difficult encounters. Platforms: iOS, Android, and PC. The Japan launch window is 2026; a global release has not been announced, so Singapore players interested in early access would need a Japanese store account for now.

Playable characters in Shangri-La Frontier: The Seven Colossi including Wethermon, Arthur, and Emul
Image courtesy of Netmarble / Netmarble Nexus

On ShanFro Day 2026 (7 July), Netmarble held a dedicated livestream with a special game PV, new character models, and skill animations. The playable roster shown includes Wethermon, Arthur, and Emul, all closely following the anime’s art style. The game will have its first playable hands-on demo at Tokyo Game Show 2026 (17–21 September) — TGS impressions will be the real test of whether Netmarble has done Sunraku’s world justice.

ShanFro Day 2026 Special PV ~Shangri-La Frontier: The Seven Colossi~ — via Shangri-La Frontier: The Seven Colossi on YouTube

If Season 3 is your entry point, go back to Season 1 first — the payoff is worth it. And check out more anime and manga coverage here for everything else hitting screens this season.

Manga Anime

Pui Pui Molcar 5th Anniversary Special Is Coming — Creator Tomoki Misato Returns to Direct

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Five years ago, a tiny stop-motion anime about guinea pigs that were also cars pulled the internet into a collective squeal of joy. Now, PUI PUI Molcar is marking its 5th anniversary with an all-new special — and the news that fans have been waiting for: original creator and director Tomoki Misato (見里朝希) is returning to the director’s chair for the first time since Season 1 aired in early 2021.

Behind-the-scenes stop-motion production set for PUI PUI Molcar 5th Anniversary Special
Behind the scenes: the stop-motion production set for the 5th anniversary special. © 見里朝希／PUI PUI モルカー製作委員会

Choco’s Birthday Kicks Off the Celebrations

The anniversary special was announced on August 10, 2026 — the in-universe birthday of Choco, the beloved chocolate-brown Molcar. The official teaser visual dropped on the same day, showing Choco peeking over a birthday cake adorned with the series logo and a sparkler — a neat meta-wink from the production team. No air date has been announced yet, but the teaser confirms that Shinei Animation is once again handling production.

Misato’s involvement is the headline. After Season 1’s viral moment — every episode clocking in at around five minutes, each one somehow more chaotic and adorable than the last — subsequent Molcar content expanded the universe but stepped away from Misato’s direct creative hand. The anniversary special brings that full-circle: the franchise’s most recognisable voice is back where it started.

Official teaser: 『PUI PUI モルカー』”祝５周年”を記念して 見里朝希監督 始動中！ (TVアニメ『PUI PUI モルカー』公式)

What We Know So Far

Details are deliberately slim at this stage — the teaser is more of a mood piece than a plot reveal — but here’s what’s confirmed:

  • Format: Anniversary special (episode count TBC)
  • Director: Tomoki Misato, returning after Season 1 (2021)
  • Studio: Shinei Animation
  • Central character: Choco, whose canon birthday is August 10
  • Air date: Not yet announced
PUI PUI Molcar characters group visual from the Aomori 2026 collaboration
The full Molcar cast — including Shiromo, Potato, Choco, Abbey, and Teddy — in a recent collaboration visual. © 見里朝希／PUI PUI モルカー製作委員会

Five Years of Pui Pui

PUI PUI Molcar first aired in January 2021 and immediately became one of those rare anime that transcends its target demographic. The show’s absurdist traffic-jam humour, Claymation-adjacent aesthetic, and genuinely expressive guinea-pig-car cast made it a staple of social media clip culture well beyond Japan. Singapore fans will likely remember the series landing on Netflix shortly after its Japanese broadcast, which is how many of us here first encountered the chaos of Shiromo, Potato, Choco, and the rest of the gang.

An air date and broadcast platform for the anniversary special haven’t been confirmed yet. We’ll update this post the moment official details land. In the meantime, the official YouTube channel is your best bet for teasers — and yes, it’s worth keeping notifications on.

Game News, Manga Anime

JoJo Golden Spirit Launches Tomorrow — 2M Pre-Registered

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JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Spirit goes live globally tomorrow — and with two million players already signed up, there’s an SR Joseph Joestar waiting in your inbox from the moment you log in.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Golden Spirit protagonists key art — Jonathan, Joseph, Jotaro, Josuke, Giorno and Jolyne
Image courtesy of HOOLAI GAME LIMITED / Wanda Cinemas Games

2 Million Pre-Registered — SR Joseph Joestar Unlocked at Launch

The free-to-play tactical RPG hits iOS and Android on 13 August 2026, globally outside Japan, which means Singapore players can download it from the App Store or Google Play from day one with no region restrictions.

The pre-registration campaign ran through milestones at 50K, 200K, 500K, 1M, 1.5M, and now 2M sign-ups, with SR Joseph Joestar (Part 2: Battle Tendency) locked in as the top reward. Anyone who pre-registered gets him automatically on first login. Pre-registration is still open ahead of tomorrow’s launch if you haven’t yet — the in-game redemption will confirm which milestones apply at the time you sign up.

For the full breakdown of what Golden Spirit covers — all six Parts from Phantom Blood through Stone Ocean, the 11-panel strategy grid, dynamic weather combat mechanics, and the original anime composer Yugo Kanno on the soundtrack — see our original announcement coverage. Here we’re focusing on what’s new heading into launch day.

Watch the Official Gameplay Trailer

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Spirit | Official Gameplay Trailer — via JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Spirit on YouTube

Downloading Golden Spirit in Singapore

The global launch (Japan excluded) means there are no regional barriers for Singapore App Store or Google Play accounts. The game is free-to-play, with optional Astrogem in-app purchases ranging from $0.99 to $99.99 USD. Budget around 3.6GB of storage — worth clearing space ahead of the launch so you’re not waiting on a download when the servers go live.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Golden Spirit roster art featuring protagonists and antagonists from all six Parts
Image courtesy of HOOLAI GAME LIMITED / Wanda Cinemas Games

The roster spans 18 environments with dynamic weather that shifts combat outcomes, and the endgame includes World Boss co-op and ranked PvP for players who reach the competitive tier. For more upcoming anime game releases, stay tuned to GameTrader.