The Apothecary Diaries is getting a live-action drama starring Mana Ashida, on Prime Video from 2028. Japanese social media flipped from dread to approval within an hour, but one uncast role still has fans nervous.
France announced three theme parks near Paris, €6 billion of Saudi money, and the region said one would be Dragon Ball. Toei Animation says it granted no license; Paris now says it never put that name forward.
Saint Seiya creator Masami Kurumada sued his ex-manager on September 2, 2026, over 4.686 billion yen (about $29.3 million) allegedly embezzled. A trusted editor walled him off for 25 years, his lawyers say.
ONE PIECE FILM BAAD opens in 2029, and so far it is four handwritten letters and nothing else. Japanese fans have landed on 5 readings; overseas forums reached for Arabic and Urdu dictionaries instead.
Japan's anime studios billed a record $2.56 billion in 2025, clearing 400 billion yen for the first time. Teikoku Databank says 2026 could bring the first decline since 2021, in a year when 34.6% already ran a loss.
At Disney's D23, Tetsuya Nomura and Tai Yasue promised Kingdom Hearts IV arrives in 2027 with absolutely no delay. Given the studio's history, that is an unusual thing to say out loud.
Chiikawa the Movie took 8.07 billion yen in 20 days. A random figurine, then a Bonbon Drop sticker: how Japan's moviegoer-gift system built the repeat viewing behind that number, and where the film opens next.
On July 25, 2026, Toei Animation announced a new Galaxy Express 999 theatrical anime, with Rintaro (director of the 1979 film) drafting the story. Toei named no title, no release date and no director. Here is what the announcement actually says, and where fans outside Japan can watch the 1979 original in the meantime.
Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island opened in Japan on July 24, 2026. One Tokyo multiplex gave it all ten screens and 41 showings, with 32 near sold out by 7 a.m. Why this cute-but-brutal series travels, and what fans abroad can actually get.
Japanese fans split within hours over Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-ZERO, due in 2027: hope for real SF from Kamiyama and EnJoe, resistance to an alien enemy.
Bandai Namco Filmworks reveals a new Gundam anime on July 24, timed to a San Diego Comic-Con panel. Japanese fans are guessing everything from Hathaway's finale to Crossbone and the cursed Gundam Sentinel. The English press release may have already spoiled it. Updated with what was actually revealed.