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Manga Anime

The Apothecary Diaries Live-Action Drama Coming to Prime Video in 2028

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The Apothecary Diaries is heading to Prime Video as a live-action drama — and it is arriving with major production firepower behind it. Amazon MGM Studios and TOHO announced the series today, confirming a 2028 worldwide streaming debut and the casting of actress Mana Ashida as the sharp-tongued apothecary Maomao.

Anime Maomao beside Mana Ashida as live-action Maomao in The Apothecary Diaries
Image courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios / TOHO

Mana Ashida Steps Into Maomao’s Shoes

Ashida, known internationally for Pacific Rim and her voice roles in Mamoru Hosoda films, plays Maomao — the ever-curious, poison-obsessed young woman trafficked into the imperial court who turns her deep medical knowledge into a talent for solving palace mysteries. It is a demanding role, and the original author is already on board.

“When Ms. Ashida was chosen to play Maomao, I thought, ‘Ah, I can safely leave this in her hands,'” original author Natsu Hyuga said, as relayed in the Anime Corner announcement coverage. “When I actually met her, I thought, ‘That’s Maomao!'”

Ashida acknowledged the weight of stepping into such a beloved character: “I was originally a huge fan of the novels, so there were many moments when I felt nervous,” she said at the announcement. Filming ran across six months on large-scale sets built to recreate the imperial harem in full. Hyuga visited the production multiple times and came away confident in what she saw. The cast for male lead Jinshi has not yet been announced.

Maomao close-up from the Apothecary Diaries anime series
Image courtesy of TOHO Animation

The Creative Team Behind the Adaptation

Director Yuki Saito is helming the series, with screenplay by Erika Yoshida — the writer behind the acclaimed BOCCHI THE ROCK! anime adaptation. The pairing of an experienced live-action director with a screenwriter who deeply understands anime source material suggests an adaptation built to satisfy the fanbase first.

This is a co-production between Amazon MGM Studios and TOHO, with TOHO Studios handling physical production in Japan. Buddy Marini, Amazon’s head of local originals, described the ambition plainly: “This story transcends genres and captivates worldwide audiences — the live-action adaptation will deliver a fresh visual experience for both devoted fans and newcomers,” he said at the announcement. The series launches on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories — Singapore included, from day one.

A Franchise in Full Swing Heading Into 2028

The timing of this live-action announcement is no accident. The Apothecary Diaries is at a creative peak right now. Season 3 of the anime premieres on 2 October 2026 with Yorushika performing the new opening theme — as we covered when the season details dropped. An original anime film, The Apothecary Diaries: The Deceased Empress’ Treasure, follows in Japanese cinemas on 11 December 2026. And for Singapore fans, The Apothecary Diaries Exhibition opens here on 30 September at Fever Exhibition Hall and runs through 1 November 2026.

A franchise with simultaneous anime seasons, theatrical films, a Singapore exhibition, and now a Prime Video live-action adaptation co-produced by TOHO and Amazon MGM Studios is operating at a scale very few anime properties ever reach. With Jinshi casting still to come and a 2028 premiere ahead, there is plenty more to look forward to — follow our anime and manga coverage for updates as they land.

Manga Anime

Victoria of Many Faces Gets Season 2 and a Special Episode

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Victoria of Many Faces wrapped its first season with episode nine on 1 September — and Kadokawa did not waste any time. On the very same day the finale aired, the official anime accounts confirmed that Season 2 is in production, with a brand-new original special episode thrown in alongside it.

Victoria of Many Faces | Official Trailer — via Crunchyroll on YouTube

Season 2 and an Original Special, Both Confirmed

The announcement came via the anime’s official social accounts on 2 September (Japan time), landing the same night the season one finale reached audiences. Season 2 is described as a full new season currently in production; the special episode is an all-new original story, separate from any previously announced recap content. Studio DEEN and director Nobukage Kimura, who helmed the first season, are expected to return — no additional staff announcements have been made yet.

No air date has been set. A 2027 premiere window is the most realistic expectation based on production timelines, but nothing has been officially confirmed at the time of writing.

Victoria of Many Faces Season 1 key visual — Victoria, Nonna and Jeffrey in a dramatic mountain landscape
Image courtesy of Victoria of Many Faces Production Committee

The Story So Far

Victoria of Many Faces (手札が多めのビクトリア) is adapted from Syuu’s light novel series, published under Kadokawa’s MF Books imprint. The story follows Chloe, a master spy and disguise artist who fakes her own death and slips into a new life as the unremarkable Victoria in the peaceful kingdom of Ashberry — only to have her quietly normal plans derailed when she ends up caring for an abandoned girl named Nonna and crossing paths repeatedly with Jeffrey Asher, the straight-laced captain of the kingdom’s knight order.

Victoria Sellers character visual from the Victoria of Many Faces anime
Image courtesy of Victoria of Many Faces Production Committee

The original novels have sold more than one million copies in Japan and have appeared in the respected Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! ranking. Yen Press holds the English licence for readers who want to get ahead of the anime. Chika Anzai voices Victoria in the anime adaptation.

Season 1 covered the events of the first volume across nine episodes, airing on TV Tokyo from 7 July 2026. For a first season, that is a tight episode count — which makes the Season 2 greenlight feel especially earned.

Victoria, Nonna and Jeffrey in a touching found-family scene from the Victoria of Many Faces anime
Image courtesy of Victoria of Many Faces Production Committee

How to Watch in Singapore and Southeast Asia

Season 1 is streaming on Crunchyroll for subscribers. Singapore and Southeast Asia viewers can also watch all episodes free on Ani-One Asia’s YouTube channel, which carries a substantial slice of Kadokawa’s seasonal anime output for the region. Both platforms are expected to carry Season 2 when it arrives, though streaming confirmations will come closer to the premiere.

If you have not started Season 1 yet, nine episodes is a very easy weekend commitment — and now there is a Season 2 to look forward to on the other side. Check out our other anime coverage for more on what is streaming this season.

Manga Anime, News

Attack on Titan Day Is Official: Free Manga on 9 September

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Attack on Titan fans have a date to mark in red. Japan’s Anniversary Association (日本記念日協会) has officially designated 9 September as “Attack on Titan Day” (進撃の巨人の日), announced by Kodansha on 2 September — honouring the date the manga first appeared in Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine‘s inaugural issue back in 2009.

Attack on Titan Day official commemorative banner
Image courtesy of Kodansha

Why 9 September Is Attack on Titan Day

Hajime Isayama’s manga launched on 9 September 2009. The date carries extra symbolic weight inside the story itself — the series revolves around the Nine Titans, and Kodansha has leaned into that numerology for the anniversary’s official commemorative visual: all nine Titan forms are arranged around the “9.9” motif alongside the tagline “その日、物語は始まった” (“That day, the story began”).

The manga ran for 139 chapters before its April 2021 finale, and the franchise has kept expanding since — most recently with Attack on Titan 3 heading to platforms on 10 December. According to Kodansha’s press release (Japanese), the series has sold over 140 million copies worldwide — making it one of the best-selling manga in history.

Attack on Titan Day commemorative visual featuring the Nine Titans
Image courtesy of Kodansha

Free Manga Reading: 99 Hours, 99 Chapters

The centrepiece event for Singapore fans is a campaign that needs no trip to Japan: starting at midnight JST on 9 September (1:00 AM SGT), Manga Pocket (MagaPocket) will make Attack on Titan chapters 1 through 99 free to read — no subscription required — for exactly 99 hours, until 2:59 AM JST on 13 September (3:59 AM SGT). The app is available internationally.

Those 99 chapters cover the story from the fall of Wall Maria all the way to the beginning of the War for Paradis arc — essentially everything up to where the manga’s most divisive and discussed stretch begins. A good weekend re-read, in other words.

Attack on Titan manga free reading campaign visual for MangaPocket
Image courtesy of Kodansha

Livestream and New Isayama Artwork

At 21:30 JST on 9 September (22:30 SGT), Kodansha will host a commemorative livestream featuring three of the anime’s lead voice actors: Yuki Kaji (Eren Yeager), Yui Ishikawa (Mikasa Ackerman), and Hiroshi Shimono (Connie Springer). Full broadcast details — platform and link — will be posted to the official Attack on Titan X account.

A special merchandise range also drops on 9 September at Magazine Shop, Kodansha’s first offline retail store in Japan. The goods include new commemorative art and, notably, previously unreleased artwork by Hajime Isayama depicting Eren, Levi, and Erwin in formal attire — a rarity given how rarely the creator has shared new character art post-series.

Attack on Titan Day special livestream announcement with voice actors
Image courtesy of Kodansha

For Singapore Fans

The free MagaPocket campaign and the livestream are both accessible from Singapore. If you’re planning around the franchise’s remaining 2026 moments, the Attack on Titan: Symphony from Paradis concert comes to Singapore in November — the official day registration is a nice piece of franchise context ahead of that event.

Attack on Titan Day anniversary merchandise including new Isayama artwork
Image courtesy of Kodansha

Kodansha has confirmed further details will roll out through the official Attack on Titan TV anime site (Japanese) in the lead-up to 9 September. Check the manga and anime section for any updates closer to the date.

Manga Anime

Cowboy Bebop: Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door Gets 4K Remaster for Its 25th Anniversary

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Twenty-five years after Spike Spiegel and the Bebop crew first hunted a bio-terrorist across the streets of Mars, Cowboy Bebop: Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door is heading back to Japanese theaters in a fully remastered 4K cut — and a striking new anniversary artwork has arrived to mark the occasion.

Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door movie key art showing Spike, Jet, and Vincent
Image courtesy of Sunrise / Bones

The 4K Remaster Returns to Japanese Theaters

The remastered version of the film hits Japanese cinemas on 30 October 2026, with screenings confirmed across Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Aichi, Hiroshima, and additional prefectures nationwide. Director Shinichiro Watanabe is personally supervising the 4K restoration, giving fans the assurance that the visual soul of the original is being preserved — not processed away.

Watanabe expressed his hopes that audiences would “experience the crystallization of the passion and soul we poured into this work, in the darkness of a movie theater,” as reported by Anime Corner. Theater bonuses for attendees are also planned, with details to be announced separately.

Cowboy Bebop The Movie – Theatrical Trailer — via Crunchyroll Dubs on YouTube

New Anniversary Visual by Toshihiro Kawamoto

To coincide with the announcement, a brand-new commemorative poster was revealed, illustrated by Toshihiro Kawamoto — the character designer of both the original TV series and the film. The piece features Spike front and centre, gun raised, flanked by the looming presence of Vincent Volaju and a rain-drenched Electra. Background art was handled by original art director Atsushi Morikawa, with the title logo crafted by Toshiaki Uesugi of Mach 55 Go. The result is a visual that feels unmistakably Cowboy Bebop — moody, cinematic, and instantly iconic.

Spike walks through fire in a cathedral scene from Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
Image courtesy of Sunrise / Bones

Merchandise featuring the anniversary artwork is in development, though no further details have been shared yet.

About the Film

Originally released in Japan on 1 September 2001 — exactly 25 years ago — Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door sits outside the TV series’ timeline but draws on its noir, jazz-soaked DNA for a self-contained thriller. The film follows Spike and Jet as they pursue a massive bounty tied to a series of coordinated attacks on Mars, eventually crossing paths with the tragic Vincent Volaju and ISSP operative Electra Ovilo. Directed by Watanabe with music by Yoko Kanno and the Seatbelts, it remains one of the finest anime films ever made — and a perennial favourite among Singapore fans who discovered it via DVD, Blu-ray, or streaming.

Spike Spiegel close-up with his Jericho 941 in Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
Image courtesy of Sunrise / Bones

Will Singapore Get a Theatrical Run?

No international theatrical dates have been announced. The October 30 run is currently Japan-only, and Sunrise and Bones have yet to confirm whether it will extend to Southeast Asia. That said, anniversary rereleases of beloved anime films have a strong track record of spreading internationally — Spirited Away and Akira both received limited-run overseas theatrical screenings for their milestones — so a Singapore engagement is not out of the question. We’ll update this story if a local date is confirmed.

In the meantime, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is available on Netflix — well worth a rewatch to remind yourself why this one endures. Check other platforms like Crunchyroll for additional availability in your region. For more anime news, stay tuned to GameTrader.SG.

Manga Anime

My Happy Marriage Special Hits Netflix on 25 October — 3 Episodes, New Character

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My Happy Marriage is coming back to Netflix — and this time, Miyo and Kiyoka are heading toward the altar. A new three-episode special premieres globally on Sunday, 25 October 2026, picking up right where Season 2 left off.

My Happy Marriage Special 2026 key visual
Image courtesy of KADOKAWA

The Story Continues After Season 2

The special begins with Miyo having awakened her Dream-Sight powers and reunited with Kiyoka, the two of them settling into a peaceful life as they prepare for their wedding. That peace hits a snag when Miyo joins a cooking class with Hazuki and reconnects with Kimio Nagaba, a former elementary school classmate who performs a charm supposedly meant to enhance Miyo’s happiness — setting an unexpected new storyline in motion across all three episodes.

All three episodes drop simultaneously on 25 October, so this one is built to be watched in a single sitting if you prefer.

My Happy Marriage Special — Teaser PV via KADOKAWAanime on YouTube

New Cast Member: M·A·O as Kimio Nagaba

M·A·O joins as Kimio Nagaba, the new character whose charm-casting ability brings a fresh wrinkle into Miyo’s life. The regular cast returns in full: Reina Ueda as Miyo Saimori, Kaito Ishikawa as Kiyoka Kudou, and Yoko Hikasa as Hazuki, among others.

My Happy Marriage Special key art featuring Miyo and Kiyoka
Image courtesy of KADOKAWA

Same Creative Team, New Ending Theme

Director Takehiro Kubota — who helmed the first season and co-directed the second with Masayuki Kojima — returns for the special. Kinema Citrus handles animation and composer Evan Call (known for Violet Evergarden) is back for the score. The new ending theme is “Just before the Prelude ~for me&you~” performed by Kashitaro Ito, taking a warmer and more up-tempo direction compared to the earlier seasons’ quieter register.

My Happy Marriage Special 2026 character visual
Image courtesy of KADOKAWA

How to Watch in Singapore

My Happy Marriage is a Netflix original and available on Netflix Singapore. All three episodes of the special drop together on 25 October — and if you need to catch up first, both seasons and the 2024 OVA are already on the platform. Head to our anime coverage for more upcoming titles worth putting on your watch list.

Manga Anime, News

Spice & Wolf Season 2 Confirmed for 2027 — New Teaser Visual Revealed

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The beloved merchant-and-wolf duo are heading back on the road — Spice & Wolf: MERCHANT MEETS THE WISE WOLF Season 2 has officially been confirmed for a 2027 broadcast, with a striking new teaser visual unveiled today that hints at danger lurking ahead for Holo and Lawrence.

New Teaser Visual Puts a Shadow Over the Journey

The second teaser visual — revealed on 31 August — is a marked departure in tone from the reboot’s earlier warmer promotional art. Holo leans forward eagerly at a candlelit inn table, Lawrence sits across from her looking serious, and by the fireplace stands a cloaked, hooded figure whose face is deliberately hidden. The tagline translates as “A new ambition creeping towards the merchant and wolf” — a clear signal that whatever threatens the pair in Season 2 carries real menace.

That contrasts with an earlier production visual, set aboard a river boat under open skies, which carried a lighter promise: “A new town, new encounters, and a new journey for the two.” The shift between the two pieces of art — sunlit voyage and shadowed inn — suggests Season 2 will balance the series’ signature warmth with noticeably higher stakes. Both visuals confirm the title stays 狼と香辛料 MERCHANT MEETS THE WISE WOLF for the sequel.

Holo and Lawrence on a river boat — Spice and Wolf Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf Season 2 production teaser
Image courtesy of TOHO animation / Studio Passione

Full Cast and Crew Return for the Sequel

Studio Passione is back to animate the follow-up. Takeo Takahashi returns as chief director alongside first-season director Hijiri Sanpei; Nobuyoshi Nagayama (Smile Down the Runway) and Takahiro Majima also direct. Character design continues with Koji Haneda and Rina Sugimoto, and composer Kevin Penkin — whose credits include Made in Abyss, Tower of God, and The Rising of the Shield Hero — is confirmed to return as well.

The main voice cast all reprise their roles: Ami Koshimizu as Holo and Jun Fukuyama as Kraft Lawrence, with Mai Nakahara (Norah Arendt), Saeko Chiba (Fermi Amati), and six further supporting cast members confirmed. A specific release window within 2027 has not yet been announced.

For more anime and manga news, check our full coverage archive.

Catch Up on Season 1 on Crunchyroll Before Season 2 Arrives

Spice and Wolf: MERCHANT MEETS THE WISE WOLF | OFFICIAL TRAILER 2 — via Crunchyroll on YouTube

Season 1 of the reboot ran from April to September 2024, covering 25 episodes on Crunchyroll. The remake notably included an arc from Isuna Hasekura’s 22-volume light novel series that the 2008–2009 original anime never adapted, making it essential viewing even for long-time fans of the franchise. Singapore and Southeast Asian fans can stream the full first season on Crunchyroll right now.

Holo and Lawrence sharing bread — Spice and Wolf Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf key visual
Image courtesy of TOHO animation / Studio Passione

The Season 2 confirmation and new teaser visual were posted to the official TOHO Animation English account on X on 31 August 2026. No broadcast schedule, episode count, or confirmed streaming partner has been announced for Season 2 yet; given Season 1’s distribution through Crunchyroll, the sequel is widely expected to follow the same route for international viewers including Singapore.

Manga Anime

SHAFT Tapped for The Long Summer of August 31 Anime

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SHAFT — the studio behind Puella Magi Madoka Magica and the Monogatari series — has been revealed as the animation production house for the upcoming TV anime of Ito Ikkado’s hit manga The Long Summer of August 31, with a live-action drama adaptation also confirmed. Both announcements dropped simultaneously on August 31, 2026 via Kodansha’s official channels (Japanese).

The Long Summer of August 31 official Kodansha promotional banner featuring main characters Suzuki and Takagi
Image courtesy of Kodansha

What Is The Long Summer of August 31?

If you have not yet picked up the manga, here is the setup: high school students Takaya Suzuki and Kana Takagi are the only two people who know they are trapped in an endlessly repeating August 31st — the final, dread-inducing last day of summer break. Every morning they wake to the same day. Only they retain memories across each loop. And the reason the loop persists has something to do with a very specific goal Suzuki has yet to accomplish over summer — which the manga describes, with cheerful frankness, as a romance-adjacent bucket-list item.

Creator Ito Ikkado — whose earlier work Boku wa Oniku Janai built a loyal seinen readership — launched the series in Kodansha’s Morning magazine in March 2023. Three years and 13 volumes later, the manga has earned itself an anime-and-drama double billing. Kodansha’s own genre label? “Youth time-loop comedy that confronts romance head-on” — which is exactly the kind of premise SHAFT was built to visualise.

The Long Summer of August 31 Volume 1 manga cover by Ito Ikkado, showing Suzuki and Takagi standing together on a summer beach
Image courtesy of Kodansha

SHAFT at the Helm — Why It Matters for Anime Fans

SHAFT is not a neutral casting choice. The studio has built its reputation on anime that treat visual language as a storytelling instrument: the stark shadow-play of the Monogatari series, the stained-glass surrealism of Madoka Magica, the breakneck rhythm of Nisekoi. A time-loop romance anchored to a single repeating date — the same morning, the same faces, a thousand subtle variations playing out across 13 volumes — is a concept that maps naturally onto SHAFT’s skill set.

At this stage there is no release window, no director, no announced cast. The official series X account (@831longsummmmer) promises further details in due course. But for Singapore anime fans who have been tracking SHAFT’s output, the studio name alone is enough to put this firmly on the watchlist. As for Ito Ikkado’s own reaction to the announcement: the author’s comment, as carried in the Kodansha press release (Japanese), was refreshingly succinct — “That’s quite the summer announcement.”

A Live-Action Drama Is Also Coming

Confirmed alongside the TV anime is a separate live-action TV drama adaptation. Network, cast, and air date have not been disclosed — both the anime and drama appear to be in parallel early development. The dual adaptation approach (TV anime plus concurrent live-action drama) has become a notable Kodansha playbook for its bigger titles, and the simultaneous announcement here suggests the publisher sees strong crossover potential for The Long Summer of August 31 beyond a strictly anime-watching audience.

The Long Summer of August 31 Volume 13 manga cover showing Kana Takagi on a road bicycle with a tropical palm-lined boulevard in the background
Image courtesy of Kodansha

Where to Read the Manga Now

Singapore readers can get into the story well ahead of the anime. Seven Seas Entertainment has been releasing the English edition since April 2025, and Volume 6 landed in August 2026 — six volumes of Suzuki and Takagi’s endless summer are available in English right now, with more to follow as the remaining volumes roll out. The series is also available in digital English on Kodansha’s K Manga platform, accessible from Singapore. As a launch promotion, Kodansha also made four volumes free on Comic Days for the week following today’s announcement.

For more manga and anime adaptation news as production details emerge — staff, cast, and a first proper trailer — stay tuned to GameTrader.

Manga Anime

Oshi no Ko Season 4 Is the Final Chapter — Trailer Out Now

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The curtain is coming down on one of the most talked-about anime of recent years. Oshi no Ko Season 4 has been officially confirmed as the final season of the anime adaptation — and a new teaser visual plus an official trailer arrived last month to send fans into a frenzy.

【OSHI NO KO】Season 4 | Official Trailer — via Crunchyroll on YouTube

The Final Season Is Official

Doga Kobo first revealed that Season 4 would be the concluding chapter on March 25, 2026, moments after the Season 3 finale aired. On August 16, 2026, at the Ichigo Production☆Fan Thanksgiving event, the studio dropped a fresh teaser visual and the first full trailer for the final arc, showing a closer look at characters and moments that will shape the ending.

The returning main cast is fully confirmed: Takeo Otsuka as Aquamarine Hoshino, Yurie Igoma as Ruby Hoshino, Megumi Han as Kana Arima, Manaka Iwami as Akane Kurokawa, Rumi Okubo as Mem-cho, Lynn as Miyako Saito, and Rie Takahashi as Ai Hoshino.

Ruby Hoshino close-up from Oshi no Ko Season 4 trailer
Image courtesy of Oshi no Ko Production Committee / Shueisha

What the Final Season Will Cover

Season 4 is set to adapt the last major stretch of Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari’s manga — roughly two and a half arcs: the conclusion of the Movie arc, followed by “The End of the Play” and the final arc, “Toward the Stars and Dreams.” That means the full emotional payoff of Aqua’s years-long obsession, Ruby’s path to stardom, and the truth that connects them both are all coming to a close.

For fans of the manga who know how the story ends, this season is the one. For anime-only viewers, the journey that began with Ai’s death is about to hit its conclusion in full animated form.

Kana Arima, Akane Kurokawa and Aqua Hoshino in Oshi no Ko Season 4
Image courtesy of Oshi no Ko Production Committee / Shueisha

Where to Watch in Singapore

Crunchyroll has confirmed it will simulcast Oshi no Ko Season 4 worldwide — that includes Singapore. HIDIVE, which carries all prior seasons, is also expected to stream the final chapter. No premiere date has been set at the time of writing; based on Doga Kobo’s production schedule and the gap between previous seasons, a 2027 debut is the likeliest window.

All three previous seasons are currently on Crunchyroll if you need a refresher before the finale drops. Check out other upcoming anime on our anime and manga coverage for more seasonal news.

Manga Anime

Baki Gaiden: Retsu Kaioh Is Getting an Isekai Anime in 2027

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Fans of the Baki franchise have a new anime to look forward to: BAKI GAIDEN: KAIOH RETSU Doesn’t Mind Getting Isekai’d has officially been greenlit for a TV anime adaptation, with TMS Entertainment handling animation production. The announcement dropped on 30 August alongside a teaser trailer on the studio’s official YouTube channel.

What Is the Baki Isekai Spinoff?

The manga picks up where BAKI-DOU: The Invincible Samurai left off. After his fateful battle with legendary swordsman Musashi Miyamoto, Retsu Kaioh — the powerfully built kenpo master beloved by Baki fans worldwide — dies. Then wakes up in a sword-and-sorcery world unlike anything he has ever faced.

The premise is exactly what it sounds like: a martial-arts grandmaster dropped into a classic isekai fantasy. The hook is that Retsu has zero interest in adapting — he is here to prove the supremacy of Chinese martial arts against swords, magic, and creatures the modern world does not produce. Creator Keisuke Itagaki handles the original story concept, with Daisuke Ihara and Eiji Mutsui on script and art.

The manga launched in Akita Shoten’s Monthly Shonen Champion in December 2020 and has since accumulated more than 2 million copies across print and digital. Volume 17 arrives on 8 September 2026.

Baki Gaiden: Kaioh Retsu Doesn’t Mind Getting Isekai’d — Anime Adaptation Announcement — via TMSアニメ公式チャンネル on YouTube

TMS Entertainment Brings the Franchise Full Circle

TMS Entertainment has been the home studio for the modern Baki anime run — from 2018’s Baki through Baki Hanma and most recently BAKI-DOU: The Invincible Samurai, which is available on Netflix including in Singapore. This Gaiden adaptation keeps the franchise in the same hands.

Baki Gaiden Kaioh Retsu isekai anime announcement visual
Image courtesy of TMS Entertainment

The Baki franchise has a solid following here. BAKI-DOU: The Invincible Samurai Part 2 landed on Netflix in June 2026, and Yujiro Hanma made headlines as a confirmed Tekken 8 DLC character earlier this year. The franchise keeps expanding — and the isekai angle opens up a completely new type of story for Retsu, one of the series’ most charismatic fighters.

What Singapore Fans Should Expect

No premiere date or broadcast season has been confirmed yet. The announcement is a greenlight paired with a teaser, not a full production reveal. Given TMS’s track record of bringing Baki series to Netflix for Southeast Asia, a similar streaming arrangement is a reasonable expectation — but nothing is confirmed.

Baki Gaiden Kaioh Retsu isekai anime trailer
Image courtesy of TMS Entertainment

Voice cast and production staff details have not been released yet. With Volume 17 of the manga dropping in early September 2026, expect further announcements to follow over the coming months. Keep an eye on our anime coverage for updates as they land.