Mizuki Tsujimura’s popular novel about struggles in the anime industry Haken Anime! is getting a live-action film in May 2022. Directed by Kohai Yoshino, the star-studded cast will include Riho Yoshioka, Tomoya Nakamura, Tasuku Emoto, Machiko Ono in the leading roles.

The story focuses on Hitomi Saito, who has entered the anime industry and is making her directorial debut. She is competing for the title of Haken (supremacy) with the star direction she previously idolized, Chiharu Ouji. Together with a peculiar producer and a unique group of friends and colleagues, the novel shows the more difficult parts of creating a successful anime series, and how important it is to follow your dreams.

Set in the anime industry, the live-action film also includes some incredibly high-quality animation. Both ‘Soundback – Kanade no Ishi,’ directed in the film by fresh anime director Hitomi Saito, and ‘Unmei Sensen Liddell-Light,’ directed by the legendary anime creator Chiharu Ouji, have been released on YouTube to huge fanfare. After plenty of speculation, the creators of these anime snippets have been unveiled!

‘Soundback – Kanade no Ishi’

Directed in the film by fresh-faced anime director Hitomi Saito, Azuma Tani (Hill Climb Girl, Thermae Romae) was responsible for directing this short piece. Character designs were created by manga artist Eisaku Kumonouchi (Chocolat, Carole & Tuesday), and mecha designs were done by Takayuki Yanase (Mobile Suit Gundam 00, Mazinger Z/INFINITY). 

Special YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOH59X7ukrM

‘’Unmei Sensen Liddell-Light’

In the film, Chiharu Ouji is a legend in the anime world. His film was directed by Takashi Otsuka (Precure, One Piece Stampede). Character designs were created by Takahiro Kishida (Durarara!, Madoka Magica.) The story follows a magical girl, Mitsuri, who has the power to transform her bike which she then uses to compete in races against her rivals. The main characters get older by one pear each episode, which leads to a super interesting art style and premise. 

Special YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvTjnJjv698

Original author Mizuki Tsujimura has complemented the anime included in the film and has stated that it’s the part she’s looking the most forward to seeing. In fact, she personally wrote the plots for each of the series’ 12 episodes, even those not being included in the film! Who knows? Maybe it will become an actual anime series in the future. 

©️2022 映画「ハケンアニメ！」製作委員会

Hard rock band BAND-MAID will stream a special acoustic concert on Christmas day. The event will be available to watch globally, so don’t worry about missing out!

This will be the group’s first attempt at an acoustic performance with no audience and will be pre-recorded. Everything within the stream was created with Christmas in mind, and the audio commentary will have English subtitles. More information detailing tickets and the stream’s start time will be announced soon. 

The official scorebook for BAND-MAID’s “Unseen World” will also be released on January 31, 2022. In addition to the band’s score for all 13 tracks on the album, the book will include member interviews, special photos, and an instrumental CD of the album. The interviews will be translated into English for international fans. 

Stay tuned for more details on the event coming soon!

Singer-songwriter Aimyon will hold her first fan club tour starting in January 2022, along with a 14-city arena tour beginning in April. The artist has seen an incredible amount of success since her major debut in 2016, winning Artist of the Year at the Billboard Japan Music Awards in 2019. 

The fan club tour will start on January 20, 2022, at Tachikawa Stage Garden in Tokyo before moving on to seven more locations through February. Those who want to join the fan club can visit the official website below. 

Aimyon’s arena tour will start on April 16 at the World Hall in Kobe and will span 28 shows in 14 cities around Japan. This will be the singer’s largest ever tour. 

On the artist’s official website, a warning has been posted regarding the pandemic. Information and dates may change depending on the spread of COVID-19, so check the official tour page often. 

Pokémon has released the music video for “Okey dokey!”, a tie-up song between the online battle arena video game Pokémon Unite and the mysterious new five-piece band NovelUNITE. 

MV「Okey dokey!!」

Pokémon Unite is a free-to-play game (optional in-game purchases apply) that is compatible with both Nintendo Switch and smartphones, offering players the opportunity to enjoy Pokémon team strategy battles together regardless of which device they are using.

The members of NovelUNITE, are all wearing costumes inspired by Pokémon from “Pokémon Unite, the guitarist SOJIRO as SLOWBRO, the bassist KEIGO as LUCARIO, the vocalist YUDAI as LIZARDON, the drummer NEGI as GARDEVOIR, the guitarist KAITO as Aloan Ninetales.  Please check out their bright and pop song!

©2021 Pokémon. ©1995-2021 Nintendo/Creatures Inc./GAME FREAK inc.
©2021 Tencent.
ポケットモンスター・ポケモン・Pokémonは任天堂・クリーチャーズ・ゲームフリークの登録商標です。
Nintendo Switchのロゴ・Nintendo Switchは任天堂の商標です。

Shizuoka-based egg specialty store TAMAGOYA is currently running a BERRY BERRY Strawberry Fair for a limited time.

TAMAGO Pudding Parfait

ICHIGP Pudding Parfait

Gigantic ICHIGO Shortcake Parfait

Strawberry-filled Pancakes

The cafe offers pancakes and parfaits made with strawberries from Shizuoka Prefecture. The menu includes the “TAMAGO Pudding Parfait” that looks like a fried egg with fluffy pancakes and pudding as a specialty of egg stores, and the seasonal “ICHIGO Pudding Parfait”. The “ICHIGO’s Giant Shortcake Parfait,” which weighs over 5 kg, is available by reservation only.

Enjoy the harmony of eggs and strawberries to your heart’s content.

One of seventeen Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto is currently being illuminated in a sea of otherworldly lights. Nijo Castle in Kyoto is the location for the One to Ten: Evening Party, using projection mapping to bring out the beauty of this magnificent locale. For those who can’t visit in person, an event on December 7 is inviting people to watch the lights online, including the illumination of the Karamon Gate and the Ninomaru Garden. Tickets for the online event go on sale on December 3, 2021. 

To capture the feeling of being on-site and to convey the incredible atmosphere, a camera will guide viewers along the normal route through the castle grounds with audio commentary. The popular ‘Special Performance,’ which only allows a limited number of people each day due to space constraints, will be available to view in its entirety during the stream. 

The live event will air on December 7 at 10:00 PM JST, and will be archived until December 26 at midnight. Tickets to watch are available from December 3 until December 26. 

If you’re looking to feel like a kid again, Yokohama Spaghetti & Cafe is offering a chance to have afternoon tea with some adorable miniatures in a dollhouse atmosphere. The popular set will be reimagined during December to feature a Christmas motif, and is the perfect backdrop for Twitter or Instagram pictures!

‘Afternoon Tea for ‘me’ and ‘my friends,’ drink included: ¥1,380 per person (Tax Included)

The set includes seven beautiful desserts crafted by a pastry chef and features seasonal fruit. Whether you enjoy tea and cakes by yourself or with friends, feel free to take pictures of the miniatures for a jolt of cuteness. 

To celebrate the release of volume 3 of the Dandadan manga series, participating Tower Records locations in Japan will be selling some collaborative merchandise starting on December 3. The items will also be available to purchase on Tower Records Online. 

Acrylic Keychain (8 varieties): ¥715 (Tax Included) 

*This product is limited to 16 per person.

Square Pins (6 varieties): ¥605 (Tax Included) 

*This product is limited to 12 per person. 

Sticker (Momo Ayase, Okarun, Aira Shiratori & Turbo-Granny, 3 Varieties): ¥880 each

Tiny Pin: ¥660 (Tax Included) 

Sticky Note Set: ¥880 (Tax Included) 

Towel:  ¥2,200 (Tax Included) 

Reversible Reuseable Bag: ¥2,200 (Tax Included) 

T-shirt (Okarun, Turbo-Granny, 2 varieties): ¥3,850 each

©︎龍幸伸 / 集英社

A special event for the wildly popular Tokyo Revengers anime series will be held on December 18, 2021. The first visual for the event has been released!

The new image shows Takemichi, Chifuyu, Peh-yan and the founding members of the Tokyo Manji Gang taking a well-deserved break. Takuya Eguchi, who plays the role of Shuji Hanma, will make an appearance during the evening show. Along with the members of the Tokyo Manji Gang, members of Valhalla will be present too, so it’s sure to be a wild time. 

Exclusive merchandise will be sold at the venue, and pamphlets featuring cast photos and special interviews will be handed out. Good luck charms will be on sale, with many seen in episode 22 of the anime series. 

Tickets went on sale December 1 and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

©和久井健・講談社／アニメ「東京リベンジャーズ」製作委員会

To commemorate the release of his long-awaited third album, Dean Fujioka will hold a special Livestream on Niconico and YouTube on December 8, 2021. 

The title of the new album ‘Transmute’ was chosen to convey the message of how important it is to ‘mutate’ in order to survive in today’s chaotic and unpredictable world. During the stream, Fujioka will talk about his thoughts on the album’s creation, his current nationwide tour, and more. 

This will be the first live appearance of Dean Fujioka on Niconico in about 9 months, so be sure to tune in!

There are plenty of bizarre anime series out there, but at least this one has a helpful message. Lovers Labo has released the second part of ‘Condom Battler Goro,’ a short anime series aiming to spread helpful knowledge about condom use. The new episode is available via YouTube. 

Part One：https://youtu.be/EzD4aOgFxvA
Part Two：https://youtu.be/mkH88T1cf04

The first episode aimed to convey common skills and knowledge about wearing condoms, but the new episode is tackling one very specific issue: unplanned pregnancies. The easy-to-understand story explains that people shouldn’t be embarrassed to ask for or wear a condom and that the prejudice surrounding such a thing is completely false. 

Sure, it’s strange, but it’s a message worth sharing. 

The Yokai Art Museum, which often works with local artists and community organizers in the ‘maze town’ of Shodoshima in Kagawa Prefecture, is currently holding the ‘Folklore Exhibition’ at the Naoki Onogawa Museum of Art. Six new works inspired by the Setouchi region are on display until December 26, 2021. 

Naoki Onogawa creates incredible sculptures made from tiny origami cranes that are folded one by one using only 1cm paper–and they’re made without tweezers! After experiencing the Tohoku Earthquake in 2011 when he was a student, he visited Rikuzentakata City in Iwate Prefecture a year after the disaster. Shocked and deeply impacted by what he saw, he began making origami cranes. The way he utilizes cranes is not as the traditional symbol of peace, but as solemn prayers to encase his feelings that have no other outlet. His works have a delicate and mysterious beauty that pulls in visitors and makes them think about the meaning of life itself. 

His new works, six of which were inspired by the Setouchi area, were on display at the Setouchi Municipal Museum of Art from March 9 to May 5, 2021.

My History with Paper Cranes | A Message from Naoki Onogawa

“Origami was my passion when I was a child. The origami crane is one of the most famous forms of traditional origami, and as I spent time making them, I started to feel that I could channel my emotions into them. It started to become a habit, then an obsession. I couldn’t stop. There was no endpoint or goal in mind, I just made them as often as I could. 

In 2011, the Tohoku Earthquake happened. In April of the following year, I visited Rikuzentakata City to listen to the community’s stories and to see the devastation firsthand. It was terrifying to see how helpless human beings are in the face of nature, but even still, I was struck by how strong human beings could be to persevere. No matter our age, race, gender, or status, we all face the major threats of nature, while also living in harmony with it. At that time, I was very aware that it was important to live in the moment. Beside a school building that had been totally destroyed by the tsunami, I saw a thousand paper cranes. 

It was akin to a solitary ritual. The paper cranes were used to express those feelings that had nowhere else to go and to pray for those who had been lost. I can’t really put it into words, but the cranes I make now might have come from those solemn prayers. This is the place for my cranes now. When I look at them now, I think that origami cranes are incredibly precious, and hide something mysterious within them. They are the ultimate beauty in my mind. 

Each of us has our own personal journey with these paper cranes. It’s up to each person to decide how he or she feels and how his or her thoughts are layered. I just hope that while looking at these works people will find their hearts moved.”