The first theatrical trailer for Sekiro: No Defeat is here. We break down the hand-drawn 2D look, the story of Wolf and Kuro, the no-AI pledge, Ryuichi Sakamoto's theme song, and how (and where) the rest of the world can watch it on Crunchyroll.
Top shareholder Oasis Management is pushing to remove KADOKAWA CEO Takeshi Natsuno, triggering a full proxy fight ahead of the June 24 shareholder meeting. We break down the arguments over an 89% EPS drop, the 'isekai over-reliance' critique, and FromSoftware's monetization, and check how our earlier predictions held up.
The 50th Kodansha Manga Award has announced its 2026 winners: Gachiakuta in the shonen category, Darwin's Incident in the general category, and Shini-Pro in the shojo category. Two of the three are already global anime hits — here's a guide for international readers, including English release status and where to stream.
LINE Manga marked 13 years with a "Favorite Manga Election," and the 2,889,609 votes tell a story. One Piece placed in the top three of five categories; Demon Slayer and the Korean webtoon Teenage Mercenary took two each. With a voter base skewing female and under 40, Japanese manga and Korean webtoons split the categories along clean lines. Inside the hybrid platform that puts both in one app, and where international readers can find each title.
Tanuki Marugoto BOOK hit #1 in twelve Amazon Japan categories on pre-orders alone before its May 1 release, and topped Rakuten Books' daily ranking. Shigaraki pottery and its eight lucky aspects, Studio Ghibli's Pom Poko, Tom Nook in Animal Crossing, and a single social post about a defeated-looking tanuki with 96.5 million views. Why this animal is loved across so many cultural layers in Japan, explained for readers who keep mistaking it for a raccoon.
KADOKAWA has released 'The World of Hideki Kamiya,' a 176-page book covering the legendary game designer's 30-year career. Featuring hundreds of concept art pieces and 150,000 characters of commentary on Bayonetta, Okami, Devil May Cry, and more. We explore its contents and the prospects for an English edition.
Hong Kong activist fund Oasis Management has raised its KADOKAWA stake to 13.76%, surpassing Sony as the largest shareholder. We break down what this means for Elden Ring maker FromSoftware, the failed 2024 Sony acquisition, and the future of KADOKAWA's gaming empire.
Kojima Ao's 'Hon Nara Uru Hodo', a gentle human drama set in a used bookshop, won the Manga Taisho 2026, Japan's most influential bookstore-selected manga prize, then took the Manga Grand Prize at the 30th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in April. Inside the award sweep, and whether it can travel.
Hong Kong hedge fund Oasis Management has raised its KADOKAWA stake to 10%, matching Sony as a top shareholder. With Oasis also targeting Nidec over accounting fraud and ValueAct boosting its MoneyForward stake to 14.39%, activist investing in Japan is surging. We analyze the forces driving this wave and what it means for investors.
Hong Kong hedge fund Oasis Management has acquired an 8.86% stake in KADOKAWA, parent company of Elden Ring developer FromSoftware, for approximately $265 million. We break down what this activist investor's entry means for the gaming industry, the Sony partnership, and Japanese entertainment M&A trends.
Dengeki Online's pre-broadcast popularity poll for Spring 2026 anime is out. From roughly 80 titles, the Top 10 features Re:Zero Season 4 at #1, Classroom of the Elite 4th Season at #2, and exciting newcomers including Ice Castle Wall, Witch Hat Atelier, and Daemons of the Shadow Realm. Full streaming platform guide included.
KADOKAWA is opening Studio One Base, a 4,600㎡ anime production hub housing 400 staff and five group studios inside Ikebukuro's Sunshine City in fall 2026. Part of a vision to turn Ikebukuro into a world-class anime city, the move comes as Japan's anime market hits a record ¥3.84 trillion ($24 billion). Here's what it means for fans and the global anime industry.