April 2026 saw Slime season 4 (five cours), Re:Zero season 4, Classroom of the Elite season 4, Witch Hat Atelier, and One Piece's Elbaf arc all launch at once. Slime held the top on viewership, but the satisfaction rankings went to Yomi no Tsugai, which nobody saw coming. A look back at the haken race, with lessons from Chainsaw Man and The Promised Neverland season 2.
TOHO animation is bringing its biggest-ever booth to AnimeJapan 2026 on March 28-29, featuring around 30 titles including Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3, Frieren Season 2, and The Apothecary Diaries. With star-studded voice actor stages, exclusive new merchandise, and free livestreaming for international fans, here's everything you need to know.
ONE PIECE manga has surpassed 600 million copies worldwide! Creator Eiichiro Oda has written down the secret of the One Piece treasure for the very first time and, with help from Japan's JAMSTEC ocean research agency, sealed it 651 meters beneath the sea. The answer will only be revealed when the manga ends. Here's everything you need to know about this extraordinary event.
Hideaki Hatta, president of Kyoto Animation, died on February 16, 2026, at the age of 76. From subcontracted cel painting that his wife Yoko started in an apartment block, through incorporation in 1985, he led the studio for more than four decades under the motto "creating together," producing The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, K-On! and Violet Evergarden. A look back at his career, including the years he spent rebuilding after the 2019 arson attack.
A brand-new Evangelion series was announced at the franchise's 30th anniversary festival. NieR: Automata creator Yoko Taro will handle series composition and screenplay, with NieR composer Keiichi Okabe on music. The "NieR team" joining Eva has stunned fans worldwide. Directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki and Toko Yatabe, produced by Studio Khara × CloverWorks. Following the $70M finale of Shin Evangelion, this unexpected crossover of gaming and anime talent has set Japanese social media ablaze with excitement.
Eve, the voice behind Jujutsu Kaisen's viral hit "Kaikai Kitan," teams up with Yorushika vocalist suis for "Kaze no Anthem," the opening theme of TV anime Witch Hat Atelier (premiering April 2026). It is their third collaboration. Here is why this Eisner Award-winning manga adaptation drew so much attention outside Japan.
Japan's anime market has reached a record $25 billion globally. While aggressive M&A deals by Sony, KADOKAWA, and others have fueled explosive overseas growth, questions remain about low animator wages, creative risk-taking, and whether the industry's real creators are seeing any of the profits. A deep dive into the boom's winners and losers.
At its first global showcase, Amazon Prime Video announced worldwide exclusives on three Japanese anime titles: a 40th-anniversary Fist of the North Star reboot, a new Ghost in the Shell TV series, and a fantasy sequel. What the deals say about Japanese IP in the streaming era.
Multiple Spring 2026 anime have been delayed, yet Japanese fans are surprisingly optimistic. "Though I Am an Inept Villainess" now premieres in July, perfectly matching the story's timeline, while fans of "The Reincarnated Great Saint Hides Her Status" welcome the chance for higher quality. We explore the industry-wide labor shortage behind the delay trend.
Creator Shun Umezawa reveals the fascinating backstory behind Darwin's Incident characters. Discover how Billie Eilish's "bad guy" MV influenced Lucy's design, the philosophical origins of Charlie the Humanzee, and behind-the-scenes casting stories from the hit anime adaptation.
"Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Witch of Circe" reached ¥2.5 billion and 1.48 million admissions in 48 days, passing the first film's ¥2.23 billion lifetime total in under a month. SZA and Guns N' Roses on the theme songs, a May 15 North American opening, and a Gundam IP now worth ¥254.3 billion a year.
