Tag Archives: SHAFT

Manga Anime

Studio SHAFT Drops First Trailer for Just Like Mona Lisa — Chika Anzai Cast as Lead

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Studio SHAFT has released the first teaser trailer for Just Like Mona Lisa (Seibetsu “Mona Lisa” no Kimi e.), the upcoming anime adaptation of Tsumuji Yoshimura’s manga about gender identity and self-discovery. The teaser confirms Chika Anzai — known for Reina Kousaka in Sound! Euphonium and Filo in The Rising of the Shield Hero — as the voice of protagonist Nagishiro Mona.

TVアニメ『性別「モナリザ」の君へ。』ティザーPV｜Anime “Just Like Mona Lisa” Teaser Trailer — via CyberAgent ANIME on YouTube

What Is Just Like Mona Lisa?

Tsumuji Yoshimura’s manga, serialised in Square Enix’s Monthly GFantasy, follows Nagishiro Mona — a student who was assigned male at birth but navigates life and relationships with a fluid sense of gender identity. The title draws on the Mona Lisa’s famously ambiguous expression and presentation, using it as a metaphor for Mona’s own position between binaries. The series has built a dedicated readership for its careful, empathetic portrayal, and the anime announcement was met with significant enthusiasm from fans of the source material.

Just Like Mona Lisa anime teaser visual showing protagonist Nagishiro Mona's eyes close-up
Image courtesy of CyberAgent ANIME

Studio SHAFT and a Fitting Creative Match

The adaptation is helmed by Studio SHAFT — the studio behind Madoka Magica, Monogatari, and Nisekoi — whose signature visual vocabulary of stark geometric framing, fragmented interiors, and lingering close-ups on expression makes it a stylistically apt home for a story that foregrounds interiority and identity. The teaser leans into that aesthetic immediately: the opening seconds are a slow pull into Mona’s eyes against a stark white backdrop, with text dissolving in and out rather than appearing on-screen.

Just Like Mona Lisa anime announcement illustration featuring Nagishiro Mona surrounded by staff celebration art
Image courtesy of CyberAgent ANIME

Cast and Release Window

Chika Anzai’s casting as Mona is the headline announcement accompanying the trailer. No supporting cast has been announced yet. A full premiere date has not been confirmed; the production is targeting a 2026 broadcast window. CyberAgent ANIME is handling production alongside SHAFT. For more anime news and coverage, visit our manga and anime section.

Manga Anime

Wazamonogatari: Karen Ouga Is the Next Monogatari Series Arc

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The Monogatari Series is heading back into SHAFT territory this winter — and it’s Karen Araragi’s turn to step into the spotlight. Aniplex revealed on 2 July 2026 that the next arc under the Off & Monster Season umbrella will be Wazamonogatari: Karen Ouga (業物語 かれんオウガ), with winter 2026 confirmed as the broadcast window and both a first key visual and official PV released to mark the announcement.

業物語PV｜〈物語〉シリーズ オフ&モンスターシーズン — via アニプレックス チャンネル on YouTube

What Wazamonogatari: Karen Ouga Is About

The title confirms what longtime fans have hoped for: an arc devoted entirely to Araragi Karen (阿良々木火憐), Koyomi’s hard-hitting younger sister and one half of the Fire Sisters duo. The story finds Karen in her first year of high school. Her karate master has recognised her exceptional strength — but rather than a promotion, Karen receives an order: solo mountain training across the Ōga Sanzan (逢我三山), a trio of peaks comprising Kikaiyama, Senbaridake, and Kachikachi-yama. The arc revolves around what waits for her at the other end of that ordeal.

The first key visual encapsulates the arc’s energy. Karen is shot from below, yellow track jacket billowing, lunging upward toward an outstretched hand — motion and momentum in every line. The tagline printed alongside her reads: 「青春は、登り続ける物語。」 — “Youth is a story of continuous climbing.” For a character defined by physical grit and relentless forward drive, that framing lands exactly right.

Monogatari Series Off and Monster Season cast ensemble visual featuring Araragi Karen and other characters
Image courtesy of Aniplex

Off & Monster Season — The Ongoing Stage

Off & Monster Season is the umbrella season carrying the Monogatari Series forward after the main chapters of Final Season concluded. Production on this run was first announced in July 2025 (Japanese), and the season has been delivering self-contained arcs focused on supporting and peripheral characters rather than Koyomi taking centre stage — a format that gives the series room to explore its deep bench in depth. The arc immediately preceding Karen Ouga in the season is Aserollamonogatari: Bon Appétit (あせろらボナペティ), which is still running at the time of this announcement.

Wazamonogatari: Karen Ouga will follow in the same format — a focused arc, standalone enough to be accessible but deeply rewarding for anyone who has followed Karen since her Nisemonogatari and subsequent appearances.

Monogatari Series Off and Monster Season key visual showing Nadeko and another character under a night sky
Image courtesy of Aniplex

The Production Team

The core creative pillars are firmly in place. NisiOisiN (西尾維新) provides the original novel — Wazamonogatari (Kodansha BOX) — with VOFAN continuing as the character design originator whose distinctive art has defined the series’ look since 2009. Overall direction remains with Shinbou Akiyuki (新房昭之), while Yoshizawa Midori (吉澤翠) serves as arc director. Series composition is shared between Higashitomi Ayako (東冨耶子) and Shinbou, with Watanabe Akio (渡辺明夫) handling character design adaptation and chief animation direction. SHAFT produces, as it has for every entry in the series since Bakemonogatari.

Wazamonogatari Karen Ouga official title logo
Image courtesy of Aniplex

What Singapore Fans Should Know

A winter 2026 broadcast window in Japan typically means an October-to-December air date, placing Wazamonogatari: Karen Ouga just a few months away. Previous Off & Monster Season arcs have streamed internationally, with earlier Monogatari entries available through major platforms — streaming availability for this arc is to be confirmed closer to release, so keep an eye on official Aniplex and NisiOisiN Anime Project announcements. For now, the official X account (@nisioisin_anime) is your best source for real-time updates.

For Singapore fans who have been watching this franchise since the Bakemonogatari days, getting a Karen-centric arc — written by NisiOisiN, built by SHAFT, and arriving winter 2026 — is a significant step for a character who has always felt like she deserved more than a supporting role. Check our manga and anime coverage for more as this one develops.

Manga Anime

Fool Night Anime: Sunrise x SHAFT Join Forces on Netflix

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One of the most striking manga you’ve probably never heard of is about to become one of the most visually distinct anime on Netflix — and it’s arriving in 2026. Fool Night, Kasumi Yasuda’s acclaimed dystopian thriller serialised in Shogakukan’s Big Comic Superior, has been confirmed as a global Netflix anime, backed by a studio pairing that has literally never happened before.

Toshiro Kamiya walks through a neon-lit dystopian city in Fool Night
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Filmworks

What Is Fool Night About?

The premise is instantly arresting. Sunlight hasn’t reached Earth in a century — thick clouds have locked the planet in perpetual winter and darkness. Plant life has collapsed, oxygen is critically scarce, and humanity’s response is a morally fraught technology called transfloration: a procedure that implants seeds into the bodies of people near death, gradually transforming them into oxygen-producing plant beings. It is presented as a choice, but one driven entirely by economic desperation.

At the centre of it all is Toshiro Kamiya, a young man struggling with poverty and his mother’s illness, confronting the question the series keeps asking: is life worth preserving if it means ceasing to be human?

Yasuda’s manga has earned serious recognition in Japan — it ranked in the prestigious Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2023 list and took home best suspense manga at the Japan Expo Daruma Awards 2023. But outside Japan it remains largely under the radar, which makes this Netflix adaptation a genuine discovery moment for anime fans in Singapore and across Southeast Asia.

A Historic Studio Pairing: Sunrise Meets SHAFT

A transflorated being cradles a dying flower in a scene from the Fool Night Netflix teaser
Image courtesy of Netflix

The production story is, on its own, something anime fans won’t forget quickly. Fool Night marks the first-ever collaboration between Sunrise and SHAFT — two of anime’s most storied studios, working together for the first time in their respective histories.

Sunrise built its legacy on the scale and ambition of Mobile Suit Gundam, Cowboy Bebop, and Code Geass. SHAFT built theirs on the visually singular, avant-garde craft of Puella Magi Madoka Magica and the Monogatari series — shows defined by daring direction and unforgettable aesthetics. The Fool Night teaser already hints at what this union looks like: Sunrise’s epic scope filtered through SHAFT’s precise, intimate visual instincts.

The Creative Team Behind Fool Night

A close-up of the Fool Night protagonist from the official Japanese teaser PV
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Filmworks

The assembled team is a who’s-who of recent prestige anime:

  • Director: Atsuyuki Yukawa, who served as unit director on Makoto Shinkai’s Suzume
  • Series Composition: Jin Tanaka (Oshi no Ko, Kowloon Generic Romance)
  • Character Design: Robert Sato
  • Sound Director: Yota Tsuruoka (A Silent Voice)
  • Composer: Tatsuya Kato (Dr. Stone)

The voice cast is equally compelling: Koki Uchiyama — the voice behind My Hero Academia’s Tomura Shigaraki and Genshin Impact’s Xiao — takes the lead as Toshiro Kamiya. Minako Kotobuki (K-On!’s Tsumugi Kotobuki) voices Yomiko Horai.

Watch the Official Fool Night Teaser

Fool Night | Official Teaser | Netflix Anime — via Netflix Anime on YouTube

Streaming on Netflix in 2026 — No Singapore Wait

Fool Night is confirmed as a Netflix worldwide exclusive debuting in 2026. An exact premiere date has not been announced yet. Netflix’s global simultaneous release model means Singapore subscribers will get it day-and-date with the rest of the world — no waiting for a regional rollout.

Given the creative pedigree, the unprecedented studio collaboration, and a story with genuinely rare ambition, this is one to add to your watchlist now. For more anime and manga news, check out our Manga Anime coverage.

Manga Anime, News

Fool Night Anime Revealed — Sunrise × SHAFT’s First Collab Streams on Netflix in 2026

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The wait is over. At the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026, the Sunrise × SHAFT anime project that has had the fandom buzzing for a week finally has a name: Fool Night. The dark sci-fi thriller will stream exclusively worldwide on Netflix later this year — yes, including Singapore.

「Fool Night」 Teaser PV — via Bandai Namco Film Works on YouTube

What Is Fool Night?

Based on the award-winning manga by Kasumi Yasuda, Fool Night is set in a bleak future where thick clouds permanently block the sun, plunging Earth into endless darkness. With plant life wiped out and oxygen depleting, humanity devised a drastic solution: transfloration, a process that converts dying humans into plant-like organisms to restore the oxygen supply.

At the centre of the story is Toshiro Kamiya, a young man who undergoes transfloration and discovers an unexpected side effect — he can hear plants. That ability sets him on a path to bridge the silence between humans and those who have transformed, a drama of identity, grief, and survival sitting somewhere between hard science fiction and quiet horror.

Fool Night anime key visual — Sunrise × SHAFT
Image courtesy of Fool Night Anime Production Committee / Bandai Namco Film Works

Two Studios. One Historic First.

This announcement caps a genuine historic milestone: Sunrise and SHAFT have never collaborated on an anime before. Sunrise’s legacy spans Cowboy Bebop, Code Geass, and the entire Gundam franchise; SHAFT built its reputation on the kinetic, visually daring style of Puella Magi Madoka Magica and the Monogatari series. Pairing them on a single dark, atmospheric sci-fi property is a bold creative bet — and the kind that tends to pay off.

Meet the Team Behind It

The production staff is full of names anime fans will recognise:

  • Director: Atsuyuki Yukawa — previously an episode director on Suzume no Tojimari; Fool Night marks his debut as a chief series director
  • Series Composition: Jin Tanaka — the writer behind Oshi no Ko
  • Character Design: Robert Sato
  • Sound Director: Yota Tsuruoka — credits include A Silent Voice (Koe no Katachi)
  • Music: Tatsuya Kato — the composer behind the acclaimed Dr. STONE score
Fool Night anime — Toshiro Kamiya and Yomiko Horai character visual
Image courtesy of Fool Night Anime Production Committee / Bandai Namco Film Works

The lead voice cast is equally well-matched. Koki Uchiyama — known to many as Tomura Shigaraki in My Hero Academia — voices protagonist Toshiro Kamiya. Minako Kotobuki (Tsumugi in K-On!) plays Yomiko Horai, Toshiro’s childhood friend.

An Award-Winning Manga with a Global Following

Yasuda’s manga is no newcomer to acclaim. Serialised in Shogakukan’s Big Comic Superior since November 2020, it currently runs to 12 volumes. It ranked in Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2023 — Japan’s reader-voted best manga guide — and took home the Japan Expo DARUMA Award 2023 for Best Suspense in France, signalling international appetite long before any anime was confirmed. Singapore and SEA readers can pick up the English-language volumes through Shogakukan Asia.

Netflix Streams Worldwide — Singapore Included

Netflix confirmed a worldwide exclusive for Fool Night in 2026. No specific episode count or premiere date beyond “2026” was given at Annecy, so keep an eye on the Netflix Singapore page for updates. Given how quickly Netflix rolls out its anime titles globally, expect close-to-simultaneous access for Singapore fans when the series premieres.

Last Words

Midnight in Singapore, and the anime news cycle just woke up. Fool Night checks every box for a prestige Netflix anime: an acclaimed manga source, a career-defining staff roster, and two studios whose visual signatures are so distinct that their collision alone is worth watching. Singapore fans who want to get ahead of the curve can dive into the English manga through Shogakukan Asia now. We will be covering this one closely as a premiere date firms up. For more anime news, check out our Manga Anime coverage.

Manga Anime, News

Sunrise x SHAFT Team Up for the First Time — Anime Reveal Tonight at 11:30pm SGT

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Two of anime’s most storied studios are teaming up for the very first time, and the big reveal lands tonight. Sunrise — the studio behind Mobile Suit Gundam, Code Geass, and Love Live! — and SHAFT — the house that built Puella Magi Madoka Magica and the Monogatari series — have launched a joint account (@sunrise_shaft) on X, and their first-ever joint anime project reveals tonight at 11:30 p.m. SGT (24 June, 12:30 a.m. JST).

Sunrise x SHAFT joint anime teaser art showing neon urban imagery
Image courtesy of Sunrise x SHAFT

Why This Collab Is Unlike Anything Before

Sunrise and SHAFT have each defined a distinct corner of anime for decades. Sunrise sits inside Bandai Namco Filmworks and is the powerhouse behind mecha royalty: Gundam has been running since 1979, and Code Geass remains one of the genre’s most beloved strategy thrillers. SHAFT, founded in 1975, took a very different path — its signature visual fingerprint, long associated with director Shinbo Akiyuki, gave the world Madoka Magica‘s heart-breaking mahou shoujo deconstruction and Monogatari‘s text-art layering and head-tilts.

These studios occupy genuinely different creative worlds. That is exactly what makes the announcement of a first-ever joint project so striking: nobody saw this coming, and the question of what happens when you blend Sunrise’s action-driven storytelling with SHAFT’s avant-garde visual language has no precedent to draw from.

What the Teaser Shows — and What It Doesn’t

The teaser posted on @sunrise_shaft uses color script artwork — the atmospheric painting technique animators use before full production begins — to suggest the story’s mood rather than show its world outright. The clip hints at neon-drenched urban settings. Two images stand out: a figure holding a knife, and another figure scribbled out and walking through a crowd in neon light. The account’s profile picture is a red spider lily, which in Japanese symbolism is associated with death, farewell, and the boundary between worlds.

None of this confirms a title, source material, genre, or cast. All of that is for tonight.

What Fans Are Speculating

The visual language in the teaser has led some fans to point toward Fool Night, a manga by Kasumi Yasuda about a street artist who takes a risky gamble on someone else’s identity. The knife, the crossed-out figure, and the urban neon palette are consistent with that premise. But the production has confirmed nothing about source material. This is fan pattern-matching — worth noting, but not confirmed fact.

How to Watch the Reveal Tonight

The official announcement drops tonight at 11:30 p.m. SGT. The easiest way to follow along is to head to X and watch @sunrise_shaft directly. There is no confirmed streaming platform for the eventual series yet — that information will likely come as part of or after tonight’s reveal.

Last Words

Singapore fans know both studios well. Gundam has had a consistent presence here — from the model kit aisles at Bugis+ to the crowds that turned up to dedicated mecha exhibitions. SHAFT’s catalogue is practically required reading for any serious anime fan, and Madoka Magica in particular has had a lasting grip on the local community. Whatever this joint project turns out to be, tonight’s reveal is one of the more genuinely anticipated anime moments of 2026. Set your alarm for 11:30 p.m.

More anime news on GameTrader.SG

Manga Anime

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

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

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

Why This Pairing Is a Big Deal

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

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

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

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

What We Know (and Don’t Know)

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

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

The Full Reveal Countdown: Mark 23 June

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

Last words

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