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Manga Anime

THE ONE PIECE by WIT Studio Gets New Key Art at Anime NYC — February 2027 on Netflix

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The wait is almost over. At Anime NYC 2026, Netflix and WIT Studio unveiled fresh key art for THE ONE PIECE — the highly anticipated full anime adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s legendary manga — and confirmed the series is set to premiere in February 2027, exclusively on Netflix.

THE ONE PIECE official Netflix / WIT Studio poster — young Luffy and Shanks in a bar, February 2027
Official key art for THE ONE PIECE, dropping February 2027 on Netflix. “The adventure starts here.” (© Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha; Produced by WIT Studio for Netflix)

What Is THE ONE PIECE?

Not to be confused with Toei Animation’s long-running weekly series, THE ONE PIECE is a brand-new, from-scratch anime adaptation produced by WIT Studio — the team behind Attack on Titan (Seasons 1–3) and Spy × Family. The project aims to retell Oda’s saga with modern animation quality, faithful story pacing, and a fresh visual identity.

The series was first announced in 2023. Since then, WIT Studio has been quietly in production, occasionally teasing key art and brief clips that show an aesthetic closer to theatrical film than weekly TV anime.

Anime NYC 2026 Reveal

The Anime NYC panel was a major moment for the project. Netflix and WIT Studio dropped two pieces of new key art at the event:

  • A bar scene poster depicting a young Monkey D. Luffy sharing a drink with the red-haired pirate Shanks — a callback to the formative moment in East Blue that sets the entire story in motion.
  • A dynamic action visual showing Luffy in mid-motion, manga-panel styled, hinting at the kinetic fight choreography WIT is bringing to the adaptation.
THE ONE PIECE — Luffy close-up animation still with Netflix branding
A manga-panel styled action close-up of Luffy, shown at Anime NYC. (© Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha; WIT Studio / Netflix)

WIT Studio’s Approach

WIT Studio has repeatedly stated that THE ONE PIECE will not simply retread the Toei version scene-for-scene. Instead, the team is drawing directly from Oda’s original manga panels — working with Shueisha and the author himself to ensure the adaptation captures the feel of the source material, not just the plot. Expect updated designs, condensed and re-paced arcs, and animation that justifies the wait.

THE ONE PIECE — Luffy in red vest celebrating, blue sky background
Luffy’s spirit of adventure comes through in every frame of WIT’s visual direction. (© Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha; WIT Studio / Netflix)

Watch the Official Teaser

Netflix dropped the official teaser on their YouTube channel alongside the Anime NYC reveal. It’s a short but punchy look at the production’s ambition:

February 2027 — What to Expect

Netflix has not yet confirmed an episode count, release cadence (weekly vs. batch drop), or which arc(s) will be covered in the first season. Given WIT Studio’s production pace and the scope of East Blue alone, the most likely scenario is a single-cour (12–13 episode) premiere season covering the Romance Dawn through Arlong Park arcs — the beats that the live-action Netflix series also adapted in 2023.

Whatever the structure, the February 2027 window positions THE ONE PIECE perfectly ahead of what would be One Piece’s 30th manga anniversary in 2027. Oda’s story has never looked more alive.

Are you watching THE ONE PIECE from the start, or are you already caught up with Toei? Let us know in the comments.

Manga Anime, News

Sakamoto Days Season 2 Reveals New Characters and a New Director — January 2027 on Netflix

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Netflix has dropped new details for Sakamoto Days Season 2, and the retired hitman’s next mission is a lot more dangerous than running a convenience store. Three brand-new characters are officially named, the director’s chair has changed hands, and the January 2027 premiere is locked in — as we first reported when Season 2 was announced in June.

Three New Characters Set to Complicate the JCC Infiltration Arc

Sakamoto Days Season 2 new teaser visual — Sakamoto and Shin with glowing yellow detail
Image courtesy of TMS Entertainment / Netflix

Season 2 adapts the JCC Infiltration Arc, sending Taro Sakamoto undercover into Japan Clear Creation (JCC) — the country’s foremost assassin training academy — disguised as his own wife Aoi (his randomly assigned exam weapon: a pen). His partner Shin Asakura enrols as a student. Their target is the enigmatic killer-of-killers known only as Slur. Standing in their way will be three freshly announced faces:

  • Amane — a top-ranking JCC student who harbours deep resentment toward the Assassin’s Alliance.
  • Satota — the longest-serving teacher at JCC, and the very man who once trained Sakamoto himself.
  • Yotsumura — one of the mysterious founding members of the shadowy organisation ORDER.

Returning favourites Natsuki Seba and Akira Akao are also confirmed back for Season 2.

New Director, Same Studio, Fresh Energy

Character still from Sakamoto Days Season 2 trailer — intense close-up of a character in dark jacket
Image courtesy of TMS Entertainment / Netflix

Season 2 sees a significant change behind the camera. Daisuke Nakajima, who served as an episode director in Season 1, is promoted to series director. Original director Masaki Watanabe steps up to chief director, staying closely involved in the production rather than stepping away. The rest of the core team remains unchanged: Yo Moriyama returns as character designer, Taku Kishimoto continues as series composition writer, and Studio TMS Entertainment handles animation.

Speaking through Netflix’s press materials (as relayed by CBR), Nakajima said: “I am honored to be working on such a popular Shonen Jump title. Carrying the baton from Season 1, I am bringing all my passion to expressing in animation the appeal, the momentum and epic scale of a work loved so fervently by fans around the world.”

Watch the Official Season 2 Trailer

Sakamoto Days | Season 2 Teaser Trailer — via Netflix on YouTube

When and Where to Watch in Singapore

Sakamoto Days Season 1 original promo art showing Taro Sakamoto
Image courtesy of TMS Entertainment / Netflix

Season 2 of Sakamoto Days lands exclusively on Netflix worldwide in January 2027 — no confirmed date within the month yet. Singapore subscribers will get it at the same time as the rest of the world. If you haven’t caught Season 1 yet, all episodes are streaming on Netflix now — it’s one of the stronger action-comedy anime picks of 2025 and a very easy binge before the new arc begins.

For more anime news and upcoming Netflix titles, keep an eye on GameTrader.SG.

Manga Anime

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 Hits Netflix on 20 October — All the New Crew Details

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Night City is calling again. Netflix has locked in 20 October 2026 as the premiere date for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, and the just-released Official Teaser #2 gives Singapore fans their clearest look yet at the new crew — and the carnage they are about to walk into. If you have been waiting for a date to put in your calendar, this is it.

A young character looks up intensely in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2
Image courtesy of CD Projekt Red / Netflix

A Standalone Story Set in the Same Brutal Night City

No Season 1 catch-up required. Edgerunners 2 is a completely self-contained 10-episode series — same city, entirely different cast. The two central figures are D (Koki Uchiyama in Japanese, Nazeeh Tarsha in English), a deadly nomad driven by revenge who stumbles onto corpo secrets never meant to surface; and Weak Kingsley (Kentaro Tone / Clancy Brown), a once-legendary cyberpunk who has lost all his chrome and is searching for any scrap of purpose in a Night City that has moved on without him.

Alongside them: Roman Carax (Momoka Terasawa / Valeria Rodriguez), a young documentary filmmaker whose camera frames the story in a way that promises something structurally different from the first season; and Talia Yang (Akari Kitō / Kimoy Lee), heavily augmented and tight-lipped about her motivations. A fifth character has been teased but not yet named.

New Director, Same Studio Trigger Intensity

Weak Kingsley, battered and bloodied, in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2
Image courtesy of CD Projekt Red / Netflix

The biggest creative change from Season 1 is in the director’s chair. Kai Ikarashi steps up to helm Edgerunners 2 — a debut feature directorial role after working key animation on the original run. Hugo Award-winning showrunner Bartosz Sztybor returns to write, and Ichigo Kanno leads character design, so the visual DNA is recognisable even as the narrative swings in a fresh direction. Studio Trigger is once again on animation duty, and the new teaser makes clear their hyper-expressive, hand-crafted action style is very much intact.

The official logline frames the show around “family, obsession, legacy — and how your lens reflects the stories of the people around you.” Roman’s documentary angle hints that Edgerunners 2 will play with perspective in ways the first season did not — which is exactly the kind of creative ambition that keeps the franchise worth watching.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 | Official Teaser #2 — via Netflix on YouTube

When Do Singapore Fans Get to Watch?

All 10 episodes drop simultaneously on Netflix Singapore on 20 October 2026 — no weekly release schedule. Netflix typically rolls new titles out at midnight Pacific Time, which translates to around 3pm SGT on the 20th. Set the reminder now.

We covered Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 back in July when the show was confirmed for Fall 2026 with its new cast announced. We now have the exact premiere date, fresh teaser visuals, and the full creative team breakdown. October is shaping up to be one of the strongest months for anime on Netflix Singapore this year — 20 October is the date to watch.

Manga Anime

Blue Eye Samurai Season 2: Mizu Takes Her Revenge to London — Netflix Confirms Return at Anime NYC

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Mizu is heading west. Netflix confirmed Blue Eye Samurai Season 2 at its Anime NYC 2026 mega-panel on 20 August, with the Emmy Award-winning animated series taking its samurai revenge story from feudal Japan to the streets and underground fight pits of London.

Mizu in Blue Eye Samurai Season 2
Image courtesy of Netflix

London Calls

Season 2 picks up exactly where Season 1 ended: Mizu sailing for England, Abijah Fowler — played by Kenneth Branagh — held captive aboard as her reluctant guide. The season centres on London’s underground fight pits, where Mizu faces what Netflix describes as “new friends, old foes, and her own demons.”

Director Jermaine Turner explained the transition at Annecy 2026: “Season 1 ended with Mizu and her prisoner Fowler, who was the big bad, on a ship bound for London, the next stop on her quest for bloody revenge.” (What’s on Netflix.) The series carries its graphic violence, moral ambiguity, and emotional complexity into the new season.

The Japan Storyline

Not all the action shifts west. Akemi and Taigen remain in Japan, navigating the treacherous politics of Edo Castle under a dangerous new Shogun, while Ringo searches for his own direction. The creative team has also hinted at returning characters, teasing that “there are going to be maybe some people you thought died… who maybe are still alive” (What’s on Netflix).

Watch the Trailer

Blue Eye Samurai Season 2 promotional art
Image courtesy of Netflix

Season Details

Season 2 comprises six episodes, animated by Blue Spirit. Jermaine Turner directs alongside John Aoshima; creators Michael Green and Amber Noizumi return, with Jane Wu producing.

Season 1 scored 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and won the Emmy Award for Best Animated Series. Season 2 is confirmed for a 2027 release on Netflix; a specific premiere date has not yet been announced.

For Singapore Fans

Netflix is available in Singapore and no regional exclusion for Blue Eye Samurai has been announced. SG fans who haven’t watched Season 1 have time to catch up before the 2027 premiere.

Manga Anime, News

Fairouz Ai Joins Disney Twisted-Wonderland Season 2 as Yuuka Hirasaka, an Anime-Original Character

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Disney Twisted-Wonderland Season 2 has a new name to announce — and it’s one Singapore fans will recognise immediately. Fairouz Ai has been cast as Yuuka Hirasaka, an anime-original character making her debut in the Episode of Savanaclaw arc. The news came via an August 19 teaser posted by Aniplex USA, just weeks ahead of the December 2026 premiere on Disney+.

We covered the initial Season 2 announcement back in July — Twisted Wonderland Anime Season 2 Hits Disney+ This December — which confirmed the Savanaclaw setting and December streaming window. What’s new today is the character herself and who’s voicing her.

Disney Twisted-Wonderland Episode of Savanaclaw official key visual — Leona, Ruggie, and Jack
Image courtesy of Aniplex / Disney

Who Is Yuuka Hirasaka?

Yuuka Hirasaka is an anime-original character — she doesn’t appear in the Aniplex mobile game. She’s described as a judo student, which places her firmly in the Savanaclaw dorm’s physical, competition-driven culture. The arc centres on Leona Kingscholar’s domain: a pride-lands-inspired environment where strength determines everything, and where the protagonist has to navigate a new social order from the ground up.

Fairouz Ai is a natural fit for the role. Known to Singapore audiences for Jolyne Cujoh in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean and Kanae Kurokawa in Oshi no Ko, she brings a physicality to her performances that suits a judo student well. She also voiced Rio Futaba in Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai and starred in the 2025 Hajime no Ippo reboot.

Leona Kingscholar close-up from the Disney Twisted-Wonderland Season 2 Savanaclaw teaser
Image courtesy of Aniplex / Disney

The Full Savanaclaw Cast

The core Savanaclaw dorm cast was confirmed earlier this year. Yuichiro Umehara voices Leona Kingscholar, the arc’s central antagonist — proud, bone-idle, and seething with buried resentment. Aoi Ichikawa is Ruggie Bucchi, the cunning hyena who does Leona’s dirty work. Taito Ban voices Jack Howl, the wolf beastman whose instincts put him at odds with himself throughout the story. Fairouz Ai’s Yuuka Hirasaka completes the principal Savanaclaw cast.

Savanaclaw Trailer

Disney Twisted-Wonderland — Savanaclaw Animation Trailer — via Aniplex USA on YouTube
Leona Kingscholar silhouette against a dramatic sunset — Disney Twisted-Wonderland Savanaclaw trailer
Image courtesy of Aniplex USA

Production and December Streaming

Season 2 is produced by Yumeta Company and Graphinica, the same studio partnership behind Season 1. Shin Katagai directs; Takahiro Natori handles both chief direction and series composition; Yoichi Kato is on writing. Character design is by Haruka Nakano and Akane Sato, adapting from Yana Toboso’s original designs.

Disney Twisted-Wonderland Season 2: Episode of Savanaclaw premieres on Disney+ in December 2026 and will be available in Singapore through the platform. Season 1 is already streaming now. More anime coverage here.

Manga Anime, News

Naruto’s 2027 Roadmap Drops at NYCC — October 10 Countdown Is Live

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If you have been waiting for news on what the Naruto franchise does next, the wait just got a fixed end date: October 10, 2026, at New York Comic Con. VIZ Media announced a dedicated panel for that day, and alongside it, the official Naruto site launched a countdown — Naruto Uzumaki’s own birthday — where the full roadmap for the franchise’s future will finally be revealed.

Naruto Uzumaki in Sage Mode from Naruto Shippuden
Image courtesy of Pierrot / Shueisha

October 10 at NYCC: The Reveal Singapore Fans Have Been Waiting For

The panel runs on Saturday, October 10 at 5:00 PM ET at the Empire Stage. VIZ Media confirmed two special guests: Junko Takeuchi, the Japanese voice of Naruto Uzumaki, and Noriaki Sugiyama, the Japanese voice of Sasuke Uchiha — both reprising their roles since the original 2002 broadcast. The panel description promises attendees an exclusive look at “what’s next for Naruto,” covering the anime, the Naruto Card Game, and “other exciting new projects,” capped off with “the new roadmap for the future of the Naruto universe.”

The last time both iconic VAs appeared together for an official announcement was rare — their inclusion signals that at least some of what gets announced on October 10 will be anime content, not just merchandise or card games.

What TV Tokyo Already Confirmed: 2027 Is a New Beginning

The countdown is not appearing out of thin air. Earlier this month, Japanese broadcaster TV Tokyo laid out its intentions in a financial briefing: the company is “positioning the 25th anniversary as the beginning of a new stage” for the Naruto franchise, with new video content and games — developed with new partners — scheduled to launch starting in 2027.

Classic Naruto cast key art featuring Team 7 and Konoha shinobi
Image courtesy of Shueisha / Pierrot

Naruto’s anime first broadcast in Japan on October 3, 2002 — making 2027 the 25th anniversary year. TV Tokyo noted that Naruto consistently drove the company’s highest anime rights revenue for the fiscal year ending March 2026, outperforming even its sequel series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. Treating 2027 as a relaunch moment, not just a milestone, makes commercial sense for a franchise that still commands massive global viewership.

Celebrating Naruto’s 25th Anniversary — via vizmedia on YouTube

New Anime, New Games — What the Announcement Could Cover

TV Tokyo’s wording — “video content” and “games developed by new partners” — leaves the door open for a range of projects. The most likely candidates based on franchise momentum:

  • A new Naruto anime series or special — TV Tokyo’s mention of new “video content” points here. Whether it revisits classic arcs with updated animation, adapts the ongoing Boruto: Two Blue Vortex manga, or launches an entirely new chapter of the story is the central question October 10 should answer.
  • A new Naruto video game — The franchise has not had a major new title since Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections in 2023. TV Tokyo’s mention of new partners in the games space suggests a fresh development studio is coming on board.
  • Full-color manga and expanded publishing — A digital full-color edition of the original manga exists in Japan; an English-language version would be an easy win for VIZ Media to announce at their home turf.
Naruto in combat, animated action close-up
Image courtesy of Pierrot / Shueisha

The Naruto Card Game and the Bigger 2027 Picture

Also in the pipeline: the Naruto Card Game (TCG), which we covered after its Gen Con debut, is slated for a Summer 2027 release. Singapore’s card game community has been watching this one closely — the Naruto IP and competitive TCGs are both strong here, and a well-designed set could draw new and lapsed players alike. The NYCC Naruto booth (#2705) will have hands-on demo sessions with the card game, so attendees in New York can get an early feel before the 2027 launch.

Separately, the live-action Naruto film directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Spider-Man: Brand New Day) has already begun its global casting search for Team 7. That project is further out but part of the same franchise expansion wave TV Tokyo is orchestrating for 2027 and beyond.

For Singapore fans, the October 10 panel at NYCC is the clearest window yet into what Naruto becomes post-Boruto, and after years of anniversary teasers without a firm plan, the franchise is finally showing its hand. Mark the date.

The Naruto NYCC panel takes place Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET (October 11, 5:00 AM SGT). Source: VIZ Media via Anime Corner. Follow our anime coverage for updates as October approaches.

Manga Anime, News

Overgeared Anime Full Trailer: October 2 Crunchyroll Premiere Confirmed

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J.C.STAFF’s adaptation of the beloved Korean webtoon Overgeared — officially titled Tempal: Item no Chikara — just dropped its first full trailer, and the premiere date is now locked: 2 October 2026 on Crunchyroll. Singapore fans, mark your calendars.

Overgeared anime key visual showing Grid, Euphemina and Huroi
Image courtesy of J.C.STAFF / EGG FIRM

Watch the Full Overgeared Anime Trailer

Overgeared | Official Trailer | Crunchyroll — via Crunchyroll on YouTube

The trailer gives the first proper look at the animation style from J.C.STAFF — the studio behind Sword Art Online: Progressive and Food Wars! — directed by Ayako Kōno. The tone leans into the MMORPG power-fantasy core of the source material: Grid grinding through Satisfy, forging legendary gear, and slowly ascending from deadbeat to the most dangerous player in the game.

Two New Cast Members Join the Party

Grid in golden divine-class armor in the Overgeared anime
Image courtesy of J.C.STAFF / EGG FIRM

Two characters have been cast alongside the previously announced leads:

  • Euphemina — voiced by Saya Fukuzumi (Raphtalia in Shield Hero). A legendary copy mage and one of the game’s most powerful players, Euphemina is pivotal to Grid’s early rise.
  • Huroi — voiced by Shuntaro Takayama. Grid’s first true ally and the guild leader Huroi brings a loyal, enthusiastic energy that counters Grid’s grumpy intensity.

The confirmed cast now stands at: Tatsumaru Tachibana as Grid, Asami Seto as Yura, Saya Fukuzumi as Euphemina, and Shuntaro Takayama as Huroi.

When and How to Watch in Singapore

Grid in a tense moment during the Overgeared anime
Image courtesy of J.C.STAFF / EGG FIRM

Crunchyroll will simulcast Overgeared in Singapore from 2 October. The series composition is handled by Kenta Ihara (Sentenced to Be a Hero), with Yoshiaki Fujisawa scoring the soundtrack — a combination that should do justice to the webtoon’s mix of brutal dungeon dives and unexpectedly wholesome guild moments.

For readers who missed the initial announcement, we covered the Anime Expo reveal back in July when the first promo video and staff lineup were confirmed. The full trailer is a step up from that tease — more action, more character, more reason to be hyped. October cannot come soon enough. Follow anime news on GameTrader.SG for updates as the premiere approaches.

Manga Anime, News

Chainsmoker Cat Pulled From Hong Kong Streaming Over Smoking Laws

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Hong Kong health regulators have dealt anime fans a curveball this week. Chainsmoker Cat, the Summer 2026 dark comedy about chain-smoking anthropomorphic cat-girls, has been pulled from Animation Crazy (HK) and removed from Ani-One Asia’s YouTube presence in the region — not by the show’s producers, but on orders from the Hong Kong Department of Health.

What Actually Happened

On 19 August, Animation Crazy (HK) — the Hong Kong branch of Taiwanese streaming platform Bahamut — announced on Facebook that it had received an official letter from the Hong Kong Department of Health. The letter cited the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance, Sections 13B and 14, classifying the anime’s continued streaming as the “online dissemination of advertisements for smoking products.”

The platform promptly suspended the series and advised affected subscribers to apply for refunds. Under the Ordinance, violations carry a maximum fine of 50,000 HKD (approximately SGD 8,500) plus an additional 1,500 HKD per day for any continuing offence.

Ani-One Asia’s Hong Kong YouTube channel has also stopped streaming the series, despite Hong Kong being listed among its licensed territories when the show launched in July.

Animation Crazy Taiwan showing Chainsmoker Cat search results with 948,000 views
Image courtesy of Animation Crazy / Bahamut (Taiwan)
Animation Crazy HK showing no animation found when searching for Chainsmoker Cat
Image courtesy of Animation Crazy / Bahamut (Hong Kong)

Singapore and SEA Fans Are Unaffected — For Now

The suspension is specific to Hong Kong and does not extend to other Ani-One Asia territories. Singapore fans can still access Chainsmoker Cat through Ani-One Asia and on Netflix, where the series remains available.

It is worth noting that Singapore has its own Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act, which prohibits tobacco product advertising. There has been no regulatory action taken here against the series, and given that the show is widely understood as an unglamorous, cautionary portrayal of nicotine addiction rather than a promotional one, such action seems unlikely — but the Hong Kong case is a first of its kind for streaming anime in the region and a reminder of how differently regulators across Asia can interpret the same content.

Two Chainsmoker Cat characters sharing a cigarette in a scene from the anime
Image courtesy of Yani Neko Production Committee

About Chainsmoker Cat

Based on the manga of the same name by NyanNyanFactory — serialised in Kodansha’s Weekly Young Magazine since February 2023 — Chainsmoker Cat follows anthropomorphic cat-girls living in a run-down apartment complex, several of them dependent on nicotine and other substances. The series blends dark humour with an unglamorous look at addiction.

The anime adaptation premiered on 2 July 2026, produced by Bibury Animation Studios under director Taku Kimura. Script duties fall to Takashi Aoshima, with character designs by Riki Matsuura and a score by Keiichi Suzuki. Yuko Natsuyoshi leads the voice cast as protagonist Yani. Seven Seas Entertainment holds the English manga licence for global print readers.

A green-haired Chainsmoker Cat character exhaling cigarette smoke on a balcony
Image courtesy of Yani Neko Production Committee

The Irony: Manga Sales Are Soaring

Despite the controversy — or arguably because of it — Chainsmoker Cat is doing very well commercially. Following the anime’s run, every volume of the source manga has been confirmed for a reprint to meet rising demand, as reported by Denfaminico Gamer. In Japan, the series was reportedly the subject of a recent BPO (Broadcasting Ethics & Program Improvement Organization) session, with the committee ultimately finding its content within the bounds of permissible freedom of expression.

The Hong Kong ban is the most significant regulatory response the series has faced so far. With manga sales climbing and the anime still streaming on Netflix across the region, it seems unlikely to slow the franchise down. Singapore fans wanting to catch up can head to Netflix now.

For more anime and manga news, keep it here at GameTrader.SG.

Manga Anime

Haikyu!! VS The Little Giant Movie and Special Anime Both Confirmed for 2027

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Haikyu!! fans, the wait is almost over — and it turns out you’re getting two productions instead of one. On August 19, 2026 (aka Haikyu!! Day in Japan), TOHO animation officially confirmed that both 劇場版ハイキュー!! VS 小さな巨人 (Haikyu the Movie: VS The Little Giant) and a companion special anime, ハイキュー!! バケモノたちの行くところ (Haikyu!!: The Place Where Monsters Go), will release in 2027 in Japan.

Official 2027 announcement card showing both Haikyu!! projects
Image courtesy of TOHO animation

What Haikyu!! VS The Little Giant Covers

The film picks up where Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle left off. Karasuno High School faces Kamomedai High School in the Spring High Nationals quarterfinals — and at the centre of it is a rivalry the series has been building to for years: Shoyo Hinata versus Korai Hoshiumi, two players who both carry the legend of the Little Giant on their shoulders.

Director Susumu Mitsunaka and studio Production I.G. return from the first finale film. Mitsunaka has helmed the franchise since Season 1, and his handling of the Dumpster Battle earned widespread praise for its pacing and emotional punch — so expectations for this second match are high.

Super Teaser PV for Haikyu!! VS The Little Giant — via TOHO animation チャンネル on YouTube
Hinata Shoyo in action on the volleyball court
Image courtesy of TOHO animation

The Companion Piece: Bakemono-tachi no Iku Tokoro

Here’s the part that has the fanbase buzzing: the companion special anime The Place Where Monsters Go runs concurrently with the Karasuno vs. Kamomedai quarterfinal in the manga, following Fukurodani Academy vs. Mujinazaka in their own quarterfinal clash. Both stories are happening at the same time in the same tournament. Publishing both as a simultaneous release is a smart structural choice — and gives fans who’ve been waiting for the Fukurodani match their own dedicated production rather than a background mention.

Official 2027 release announcement for both Haikyu!! productions — via TOHO animation チャンネル on YouTube

Catch the Live Special Tonight at 7:19pm SGT

If you want to see the full reveal as it happens, the third Haikyu!! RECEPTION special programme streams live on the TOHO animation YouTube channel tonight at 20:19 JST (7:19pm SGT). Voice actors Ayumu Murase (Hinata) and Kaito Ishikawa (Kageyama) are appearing alongside manga editor Ritsuki Azuma, and more details on both productions are expected to drop during the broadcast.

Hinata Shoyo close-up portrait
Image courtesy of TOHO animation

When Will Singapore Fans Get to Watch?

No international release dates or streaming platform partnerships have been confirmed yet — all we know is 2027 in Japan. That said, The Dumpster Battle landed on both Netflix and Crunchyroll for Singapore audiences after its Japanese theatrical run, so Haikyu!! has form when it comes to reaching SEA fans. Crunchyroll currently simulcasts the existing series in Singapore. For now, SG fans will need to keep an eye on announcements from both platforms.

For more anime news and event coverage, check out our Manga & Anime section.