The smartphone game Dark Tales ~Mirror and Mad Princess~ was officially released on April 11, and the popular singer and talent Kyary Pamyu Pamyu performed the theme song for the title.

The dark RPG tells a tale of the loss of childlike innocence and was pre-downloaded over 1 million times. The theme song, Magical Mirror, was written and composed by Yasutaka Nakata.

Fans of the genre won’t want to miss out on this mysterious mobile title!

Japanese indie game label Yokaze will exhibit many anticipated upcoming titles at the 2023 Taipei Game Show. The event will be held in Taiwan from February 2 until February 5, 2023.

ghostpia

ghostpia’s visuals mix warm, delicate art that would be fit for an illustrated children’s book with glitch and noise effects, for a strangely nostalgic visual novel vibe. The story takes place in a snowy town where immortal “ghosts” live. When Sayoko, a girl who doesn’t belong, meets Yoru, a newcomer to town, her world begins to change. Her thoughts begin to drift outside of the town, and certain events bring her back to a lost friendship. Filled with mystery and a bit of violence, this title is being touted as a movie you can read on PC.

Developer: Chosuido
Release Date: 2023
Platform: Nintendo Switch™/Steam, etc.
Website: https://ghostpia.xyz/

Recolit

Recolit is a pixel art mystery adventure game where players explore a strange town by following trails of light. After your spaceship crash lands in a mysterious place, you’ll have to help the residents of the town as you explore and progress through the story.

Developer: Image Labo
Release Date: 2023
Platform: Steam/itch.io (Others planned)
Website: https://image-labo.com/recolit/

Kitsune: The Journey of Adashino

Kitsune: The Journey of Adashino is a 3D adventure game set in a mysterious version of Japan. One day, a fox girl and her frog friend find themselves on a mysterious island shrouded by darkness but for a few floating lights. Torii gates, food stall lanterns, and neon signs give light and color to the island. Something is lurking in the shadows, inching ever closer. Kitsune can use light to temporarily blind these demons, giving her enough time to find safe routes and hiding places. Be sure to enjoy this curious tale when it releases in the future!

Developer: Rias
Release Date: TBD
Platform: Nintendo Switch™/Steam (Others planned)
Website: https://www.foxandfrog.net/

The card game SCOUT, designed by Kei Kajino and developed overseas by Oink Games, was nominated for the Spiel des Jahres Award in Germany on May 23, 2022. The yearly award is given to a card or board game and is known as the highest honor in the world of tabletop games. This is the second time in seven years that a Japanese-designed game has been nominated.

The Spiel des Jahres Award has been given out each year since 1979. There are three categories: Game of the Year, Kids’ Game of the Year, and Complex Game of the Year. Three board or card games are nominated from among those released in Germany in the previous year, and one is awarded the grand prize. The last Japanese game to be nominated was Machi Koro, a board game that has become extremely popular among Western audiences. The grand prize winner will be announced on July 16.

What is SCOUT?

You have suddenly been appointed as the leader of a circus. Using the members of your circus you must put together a show that will beat out your rivals. Everyone on your team has a specific role. To fill in the gaps on your team, try to scout members away from other circus groups! With the addition of just one extra person you may set off an incredible chain reaction that helps you create a show that no other circus will be able to surpass. Will you battle with your current members? Or will you wait it out and try to recruit different ones?

You will feel amazing when you make the right choices in this speedy card game!

A new version has just been released for players purchasing the game from outside of Japan. In Japan, the original version was released by One More Game.

Initial D The Arcade is the tenth game in the Initial D series. Released in February 2021, one particular song from the title has struck a chord with fans. After a long wait, SCRAMBLE EYES by MOTSU vs A-One, has finally been released on streaming services starting May 25!

SCRAMBLE EYES is a fast-paced track blended with sharp vocals and engaging rap. The speedy song is perfect for Initial D, bringing to mind being behind the wheel and driving at top speed. Fans have called the song addictive, and even those who aren’t a fan of the game have been applauding the track across social media. 

MOTSU and A-One have both provided comments following the song’s release.

MOTSU

The name SCRAMBLE EYES was inspired by the bright headlights plowing through the darkness during a particular stage in Initial D The Arcade.

I’d be so happy if the listeners could get the same tingling sensation I felt when I met A-One for the first time.

A-One

I’m so thankful to be able to create music for Initial D, a series that brought me so much joy as a child.

And collaborating with MOTSU? I absolutely adore him, so I put all of my energy into this track.

If you work hard and don’t back down, your dreams will come true.

But one of my dreams hasn’t come true yet–playing this song live!

MOTSU, let’s do it someday!

Please enjoy this track and really feel the speed and excitement as you race towards your goals!

In 2023, an anime adaptation of MF Ghost, the sequel to Initial D, is scheduled to premiere. The series takes place in the 2020s, when self-driving cars are normal Japan, and focuses on Kanata Livington, a Japanese driver who goes back to Japan after graduating at the top of his class at a racing school in England.

ARMA BIANCA, an online store specializing in original goods, is now taking orders for limited-time collaboration items between Touhou Project and One Night Werewolf!

Lineup

One Night Werewolf Collaboration – Pixel Art Ver.

Acrylic Stand

Preorder Purchase Bonus

Acrylic Keychain

Preorder Purchase Bonus

Pin

Preorder Purchase Bonus

T-Shirt

Hoodie

Clear Folder

Mug

Pen

One Night Werewolf is a card game where players take on the role of a Villager, a Werewolf, or a number of special characters with unique abilities. The goal is to figure out who the Werewolves are and to kill at least one in order to win!

The Touhou characters featured in the collaboration include Reimu Hakurei, Marisa Kirisame, Cirno, Youmu Konpaku, Sakuya Izayoi, Satori Komeiji, Koishi Komeiji, Remilia Scarlet, Flandre Scarlet, and Kagerou Imaizumi. 

POLARIS, the story game label started by NOMEETS, will get a second installment titled ‘Inside Blue’ this summer. Preorders will open at Spring Game Market 2022 on April 23 and April 24, 2022.

POLARIS is a story game label launched in the winter of 2021. Players become characters in the story, sometimes cooperating and sometimes betraying each other to arrive at their own unique endings. An incredibly immersive experience, the first work ‘RED LINE’ sold 400 units at Winter Game Market 2021, gaining tons of positive reviews. The title has over 300 different endings and a unique design like no other title before.

The second title ‘Inside Blue’ follows a group of high school students trying to solve a summer murder mystery in a small town. This is a massive change from ‘RED LINE,’ which was set in a world filled with humans and vampires in conflict. By interacting with townspeople, attending summer festivals, and enjoying vacation, how will you solve this bizarre and terrifying mystery? 

To commemorate the 4th anniversary of the popular smartphone game Azur Lane, the fashion shopping site ZOZOTOWN has launched a limited apparel collaboration exclusive on their website. The Azur Lane Black Collection will be available until March 18, 2022.

Azur Lane is a side-scrolling shoot ‘em up RPG set in an alternate timeline of World War II. Using cute female characters based on warships to battle, the game is popular with players of all ages. 

Items at a Glance

ZOZOTOWN × Azur Lane Hoodie

ZOZOTOWN × Azur Lane T-shirt

ZOZOTOWN × Azur Lane Acrylic Stand

ZOZOTOWN × Azur Lane Character Blanket

ZOZOTOWN × Azur Lane Tapestry

Bonus – Original Pin

Lottery Prize: Super Large 50cm Acrylic Stand (Not for Sale)

The Azur Lane Black Collection features seven popular characters from the game–Friedrich der Große, Vittorio Veneto, Belfast, Bremerton, Atago, Ajax, and Unicorn. The illustrations were provided by Modare, Yatsuha, and Rag Miwano and were created exclusively for the collection. In addition to apparel, fans can also pick up acrylic stands, blankets, tapestries, and more.

For every item purchased, customers will receive one original pin. A large acrylic stand will be given away to seven lucky winners, so good luck!

The music duo CAPSULE is celebrating 20 years since their major debut, and their third new single for 2021 Virtual Freedom is now streaming. The highly-anticipated music video has also been released. 

Virtual Freedom Streaming Links

https://capsule.lnk.to/virtualfreedom

Virtual Freedom takes listeners on a trip through the history of synthesizers and submerges you in layers of interwoven soundscapes.

Virtual Freedom Music Video

https://youtu.be/ouD9PVPI1Xk

Director: KENTARO SAISHO 
3DCG supervisor: HIROMU KONNO
Production: Totte.Co., Ltd

A song-sharing campaign is also underway! Follow Warner Music Japan’s Twitter account and use the Twitter share function on Apple Music, Spotify, or LINE MUSIC to share Virtual Freedom with the hashtag #VirtualFreedomCP. 50 random people selected will receive the original cassette tape photographed for the cover of the Virtual Freedom album! 

Japanese electronic band CAPSULE is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its major debut! The group’s two members, Yasutaka Nakata and Toshiko Koshijima, have announced the release of their third new single for 2021, Virtual Freedom. The track will release on streaming platforms on December 10 and follows Hikari no Disco and Future Wave. Cover art for the song featuring an old-school cassette tape has been revealed ahead of the song’s release. 

Composer and producer for the band Yasutaka Nakata also serve as the music producer for popular group Perfume and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. 

Virtual Freedom can now be pre-added or pre-saved on Apple Music and Spotify. Be sure not to miss out on this new song when it drops later this week!

Ready to put your thinking caps on? Gather your best friends and head to Matsudo City in Chiba (about 40 minutes from Tokyo Station) for the real puzzle-solving game ‘The Little Wizard and Monsters ~Enter the Costume Contest, ya hear?~, taking place from December 4, 2021, until March 27, 2022. During the event, guests will have to search for clues in the area around Yabashira Station on the Shin Keisei Line, as well as the 21st Century Forest and Square Park. 

The 21st Century Forest and Square Park and Yabashira Station are both very familiar to those in their 20s and 30s who love pop culture, and this event was planned in the hopes that people would learn more about the area. While attempting to solve the puzzle, guests will find plenty of very Instagrammable spots and locations perfect for cherry blossom viewing as well!

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s new album Candy Racer isn’t coming until October 27, but the singer has released a new song early. Dodonpa is now available on streaming services, and a lyric video has been posted to YouTube. 

Dodonpa Lyric Video

Dodonpa is a more experimental track by the pop singer, written and composed by Yasutaka Nakata and featuring more scat and beatboxing elements. To match the catchy and upbeat percussion and fun lyrics, the new video is as vivid and colorful as it can be. We’d expect nothing less from Kyary!

An official announcement has also been made on the label’s website encouraging creators to make and upload their own videos using Dodonpa as the background music if they follow specific rules. The best videos will be selected by Kyary and her staff, and will be featured in a playlist on the official Kyary Pamyu Pamyu YouTube channel! This contest will also be appearing on other SNS sites like TikTok, so keep an eye out and get creative!

If you don’t speak Japanese, don’t worry! The lyrics themselves are nothing but fun sounds, and the video has subtitles in English, Spanish, Korean, and Chinese. Fans are also encouraged to use the song in vlogs and other creations. 

What do you think of Kyary’s exciting new track? 

Celebrating 10 years since her major debut, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu will release her fifth full-length album Candy Racer on October 27, 2021. This will mark the singer’s first full-length album release in three years, her last being Japamyu in 2018.

Limited Edition

Regular Edition

The fifth album, titled Candy Racer, will be produced by CAPSULE’s Yasutaka Nakata. It will feature 11 tracks, including the recently released single GENTENKAIHI, of which the wacky music video has amassed over 1 million views on YouTube. Previously released tracks Kimi ga LINE Kuretara and Gum Gum Girl will also be included, along with world fabrication, a cover of a pre-electronic CAPSULE track originally released in 2005.

Creation of the album brought together a number of creative minds who have worked with Kyary Pamyu Paymu over the years, including Steve Nakamura serving as art director, Ken Hanzawa acting as photographer, Kumiko Iijima returning as the singer’s stylist, and Shinji Konishi as Kyary’s hair and makeup artist. All of these individuals were with Kyary at the time of her debut, and have returned to encourage her to not only stay connected to her roots, but to move forward without hesitation.

The limited edition version will come with a special 64-page flipbook.

A number of bonuses have also been announced, from stickers, clear pouches, and mobile stand keychains. These will be available while supplies last, so fans looking to get their hands on some of this swag are encouraged to preorder the album.

Are you looking forward to hearing Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s new tracks?