Amazon Music’s first music entertainment show for kids and families to be released in Japan is here! Hee! Hee Hoo! premiered on Prime Video on January 26. The four-member vocal and dance group Atarashii Gakko! is also participating in the project.

Hee! Hee Hoo! is a body-themed four-episode series featuring surreal and psychedelic visuals along with Amazon Music Original music for young kids and their parents. This project was made to entertain and educate babies and children by using original images and music to address the physical changes they’ll experience from birth to death and to explain the sensations they feel.

The members of Atarashii Gakko! appear in the first episode, performing the song BABY which was written exclusively for the show.

<Comment from Atarashii Gakko!>
“The theme for this show is so great–the four of us had so much fun coming up with ideas, writing lyrics, and making choreography! I hope even fetuses can enjoy it!!”

Awesome City Club’s new song Setting Sail ~Modern Love Tokyo~ will be used as the theme song for the Amazon Original drama series Modern Love Tokyo. The series will begin airing worldwide on October 21, 2022. In addition, a special video containing a part of the song and a comment from Awesome City Club has been released.

The original Modern Love series was produced in the United States in 2019 and became popular around the world. Modern Love Tokyo is a series of seven stories set in Tokyo, each depicting love in a different way. Six of the episodes will be live-action while one will be animated. The series will depict the unique forms of love found in 2022, such as dating through matching apps, sexless relationships, senior love, and love that transcends borders. 

Setting Sail ~Modern Love Tokyo~ is an arrangement of the theme song Setting Sail, originally sung by Gary Clark for the first series. While the gentle melody remains, atagi wrote the Japanese lyrics. 

Special Video

▼Comment from Awesome City Club’s atagi

“Awesome City Club will be performing the theme song for the Japanese localization of this globally popular series, which was made possible by some of Japan’s leading directors and actors. I think that this song is warm and welcoming, perfect for accompanying all of these wonderful love stories. We would be honored if you’d enjoy it along with the show. 

I watched the drama first and wrote the lyrics in a way that would touch the audience while also interpreting them in Awesome City Club’s own way.”

▼Comment from Showrunner and Director Atsuko Hirayanagi

“The song was incredibly original, and I was amazed when I first heard it. I also thought that its Japanese sound was very cool. It’s full of joy, longing, and affection, but the way it is expressed is still gentle, warm, and a little nostalgic. The lyrics that atagi created are very tasteful given the theme of the series. There’s no doubt in my mind that this song will resonate with people around the world. Thank you for the wonderful theme song!”

Takeshi’s Castle, a popular Japanese game show originally aired in the late 1980s, will return in 2023 when a new series will start on Amazon Prime Video. 

The original series, which invited participants to take on a series of physical challenges, became an unprecedented success in the 80s. In each episode, 100 normal people took on the hilarious Beat Takeshi by trekking through mud and wading through drenched obstacle courses to make it to the Castle. After 34 years, the show will be revived on Amazon Prime Video in 2023. The first teaser trailer has been revealed, showing footage from the original series to get viewers pumped up.

The trailer begins with the legendary voice of Hayato Tani, known as Captain Tani on the original series, as he shouts “Go!” It’s sure to bring back memories of the original series.

Each episode of the show featured a number of unique and difficult challenges, making participants cross a massive river while trying to identify which stepping stones are real or fake. Some players lose their balance and fall into the water, others plunged face-first into the mud, and the sight of grown adults desperately taking on the challenge never stops being funny.

The video promises that the new series will include “the biggest power-up in history.” The new series is sure to drastically evolve the classic challenges for a new audience and new challengers, but it’s unclear what audiences should expect. What kind of hilarious antics await?

Original Series Trailer

TBS, the production company behind the new series, has opened a casting call for those wanting to appear on the new show.

Want to take on Takeshi’s Castle? Check out the open call on the TBS official website.
https://www.tbs.co.jp/TakeshisCastle2023/

What kind of difficult, hilarious, and terrifying challenges await? Be sure to tune in to Revival! Turbulence! Takeshi’s Castle when it premieres on Amazon Prime Video in 2023! 

MBS will begin airing the Drama Series block ‘Drama Shower’ for one year only starting April 21. The first work, set to air on TV Kanagawa, Gunma TV, and a number of other networks around Japan,  will be the BL series Fukou-kun wa Kiss Suru Shikanai!

The story follows Fukuhara Kouta, a college student who has bad luck that causes problems everywhere he goes. One day, he runs into Shinomiya Naoya, a fellow student with the opposite problem – super good luck. Shinomiya decides to help him out, and in order to divide the luck between them, they need to be with each other all the time. As they become closer, the audience will be treated to plenty of laughs and heartwarming scenes, so you won’t want to miss it!

Check out the New 30-second Preview, Featuring the Ending Theme Shinu Made Kimi wo Shirou by Kobayashi Touya!

The trailer for the series, set to the emotional ending theme, features the quick and witty dialogue of the show’s token hottie Shinomiya Naoya. After hearing things like “I thought we were going on a date today,” and “I love your smiling face,” how can anyone NOT blush and want to see more?

Fukou-kun wa Kiss Suru Shikanai! 30-second Preview

The New BL Series is Scheduled to be Broadcast in over 190 Countries!

Social media sites have been filled with excited comments in Thai, Korean, English, and other languages, with BL fans excited for this international broadcast! Will you be tuning in from your country?

©「不幸くんはキスするしかない！」製作委員会・MBS

Takeshi’s Castle, a popular Japanese game show originally aired in the late 1980s, will return in 2023 when a new series will start on Amazon Prime Video. 

The original show, aired between 1986 and 1989, proved a massive hit as the prizewinning film director and comedian, also known by his stage name Beat Takeshi, played the lord of a castle where he and his henchmen engaged in a water-gun battle with contestants eliminated after a series of physical challenges. The series became a huge success in the United States, Australia, and England. Over the years, it has ended up airing in more than 150 countries, spawning dozens of local versions.  

Participants were challenged to over 100 unique tests of strength, from crossing stepping stones and unstable scaffolding to jumping over massive pits filled with mud. The series has inspired many game shows to follow in markets around the world and transcended language and cultural barriers with its physical comedy.

The new series is tentatively titled Revival! Turbulence! Takeshi’s Castle, and is scheduled to air globally sometime in 2023. Participants will take on all kinds of new challenges, and we’re excited to see what the new age of Takeshi’s Castle will look like.

Comment from Takayuki Hayakawa, Head of Original Content for Amazon Prime Japan

“I’m happy to announce that Takashi’s Castle is being reimagined for a new age. This iconic Japanese series has continued to fascinate people all around the world, transcending languages and cultural barriers, and we hope customers of all ages will enjoy this program, with many new tricks on a grander scale. Look forward to it in 2023!”

The first Japanese Amazon Original movie ‘HOMESTAY,’ a live-action adaptation of Eto Mori’s classic novel ‘Colorful,’ will be released worldwide to Prime members on February 11, 2022.


The film is a moving mystery following a dejected soul reaching the train station to death. He is told that he is ‘lucky’ and will have another chance at life, and is then placed in the body of a 14-year-old boy named Makoto Kobayashi who has just committed suicide. Watched over by a neutral spirit, the soul must figure out what his greatest sin and mistake was in his former life before his 100-day time limit in Makoto’s body runs out. He also wants to find out why Makoto decided to end his life in the first place.

In the new trailer, Shiro (Kento Nagao) is told to take over Makoto’s body to find out the reason for his death, and we see him happily going about his high school life despite his overwhelming confusion. Shiro becomes close with Makoto’s childhood friend Akira (Anna Yamada) and Mizuki (Rikako Yagi), but the atmosphere of the story drastically changes when Shiro finds a diary and photos in Makoto’s room. While spending time as Makoto, Shiro learns more about his family’s secrets and his past. Why did Makoto choose to die? 

Official Trailer

If you look closely at the key visual, you can see a sad expression on Makoto’s face in Shiro’s reflection. The image shows two people in stark contrast: the cheerful and energetic Shiro and the delicate and shy Makoto.

Be sure to watch the film when it debuts worldwide on February 11!

©︎ 2022 Amazon Content Services, LLC OR ITS AFFILIATES.All Rights Reserved.

Bandai Namco has announced an upcoming global streaming event to highlight both current and upcoming Dragon Ball titles. ‘Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2022’ will take place between February 18 and February 19 in regions around the world. Plenty of updates and announcements will be made during the stream, so you won’t want to miss it!

The event was first held in February 2021 and brought together Dragon Ball fans from 23 countries around the world. This second annual event will feature even more popular content and will utilize the latest technology to bring even more excitement to fans of the series.

The world’s strongest players will once again be invited to participate in an exciting battle! This year’s Games Battle Hour will feature the Dragon Ball FighterZ, the Dragon Ball Super Card Game, and the smartphone title Dragon Ball Legends. Kids can also enjoy the new Super Dragon Ball Heroes digital card game!

On Dragon Ball FighterZ, the World Championship will be held to determine the world’s best player among the winners of the Regional Finals, a tournament featuring the top-ranked players from Europe, Japan, and North America. In the Dragon Ball Super Card Game, the winner of the 2021 World Championship will face off against the newest top player. Dragon Ball Legends will also announce a new project. 

A Super Dragon Ball Heroes event will pit six players from Japan against each other, separated into two teams for 3v3 battles. Those who aren’t interested in participating in fighting games can also enjoy a trivia competition!

The “DBXV2 Super Fashion Show” will see the top 16 fashion leaders in Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 showcasing their most creative work. The ‘Dragon Ball Art Challenge’ will also invite viewers to create their favorite characters using unique mediums like balloons and Rubik’s cubes.

The recently revealed multiplayer game, Dragon Ball: The Breakers, will also be part of the event with the game’s producer giving an in-depth look and gameplay demonstrations for this upcoming game. ‘Dokkan DATA 2022’ will look back at the seven years since the launch of Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle and will share some data about how players have been playing the game and its exciting history.

Viewers can also take place in a workshop to learn how to best photograph their ‘Dragon Stars Series’ and ‘S.H.Figuarts’ action figures. A master of Chinese cooking will also take the stage to recreate dishes from Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot in the special program ‘Kakarot Cooking.’

A master sculptor and his protegee will create figures of Goku and Vegeta live during the event as well! Will you be tuning in? 

©BIRD STUDIO/SHUEISHA, TOEI ANIMATION

©バードスタジオ／集英社・東映アニメーション　©BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.

Eve will hold a special live streaming event on YouTube on–you guessed it–Christmas Eve! The stream will run from 19:00 until 20:00 on December 24, 2021. 

The stream is being held to celebrate over 3 million subscribers to Eve’s YouTube channel. During the event, he’ll go behind the scenes of the Yadorigi music video, as well as show the Live Film version of Inochi no Tabekata. There may also be a big announcement during the stream, so don’t miss it!

There will be no VOD for this event, so remember the date and time.

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!

Amazon Prime Video will release the Japanese adaptation of the Australian comedy series No Activity as an Amazon Original series on December 17, 2021. Ahead of the release, a new visual along with staff and cast details have been released!

The dramedy tells the story of two detectives on a stakeout, along with two officers at the station and a pair of dastardly criminals who discuss their personal lives. The catch? All of them are just waiting for a crime to take place! 

Special Video

In this adaptation, Shingo Tokita (played by Etsushi Toyokawa) plays a detective who has completely given up on his career. Despite appearing to be highly skilled, he’s a lousy worker who has never been promoted. Asobu Shiina (played by Tomoya Nakamura) is a good-natured newbie to the force, who previously worked as an instructor at a driving school. A good listener, he eventually coaxes Tokita to open up and reveal more about himself as a person and a cop. 

The series is directed by Tsutomu Hanabusa, known for his work as director of the recent Tokyo Revengers live-action film. The script was written by the winner of the King of Comedy 2014, Jirou from the comedy duo SISSONNE. 

Comment from Etsushi Toyokawa

“Jirou’s script was hilarious, and each line manages to be very convincing. The project sounded like a lot of fun and hearing that I’d be working with Mr. Nakamura again, I really wanted to participate. I hope you enjoy the funny dialogue between our characters.” 

Comment from Tomoya Nakamura

“I think this is a rare type of show in Japan. It’s a detective drama, but it revolves around one single situation, and the story only proceeds through unique conversations. It was something I could have a lot of fun with, and I hope that everyone enjoys it!” 

Comment from Tsutomu Hanabusa

“The script that Jirou wrote was something he spent an incredible amount of time on, and it’s incredible. The actors also gave this project their all, and I think this really is a detective drama like no other. Please look forward to it!” 

Comment from Jirou

“When I found out who would be starring in the series, I was in awe. I thought, “Jeez, what have I gotten myself into?” I’m excited to see how the director has managed to create this conversational drama, given that all of these characters have such strong personalities.” 

Tactical Sound Unit Walküre, featured in the Macross Delta anime series and film Passionate Walküre, held their live tour finale at Zepp DiverCity Tokyo on September 10, 2016. Now, a complete version of the concert will be livestreamed to 18 countries around the world for the first time on August 28.

This stream will be the only way to view the complete version of the show, as it has never been included in any DVD or Blu-ray releases.

Walküre made their debut in Macross Delta, the latest entry in the Macross franchise. Macross is celebrating its 40th anniversary next year.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity!

©︎2015 BIGWESTMACROSS DELTA PROJECT

A special interview between Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno and popular Japanese comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto is coming to Amazon Prime Video on August 20. A trailer and teaser visual were also released with the exciting announcement.

The release of sci-fi mecha series Neon Genesis Evangelion in 1995 cemented Anno’s legacy in the anime industry. As a director, he also worked on series like Gunbuster, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, Kare Kano, and 2004’s Cutie Honey.

Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time was released in theaters on March 8 and quickly became a phenomenon, making $92.7 million at the Japanese box office. Currently, all Evangelion films are available on Amazon Prime Video.

Hitoshi Matsumoto has been at the forefront of the Japanese entertainment industry for decades, working as a comedian, film director, writer, and producer. He makes up one half of comedy duo Downtown, along with fellow comedian Masatoshi Hamada.

Matsumoto currently hosts and produces the show Documental, available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. Currently on its ninth season, the show is the longest-running Amazon Original Series in Japan. It revolves around ten comedians trapped in a room with each other, with the last to laugh dubbed the winner. Each comedian is hand-picked by Matsumoto, and the show has become popular in the US, Mexico, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, India, and other countries around the world.

Matsumoto’s other Amazon Prime series, FREEZE, features numerous celebrities, models, athletes, and comedians forced to remain perfectly still as a number of crazy things happen around them. The second season won the top prize at the Asia Television Awards for Original Digital Entertainment Program.

The trailer shows the moment in which Anno and Matsumoto meet for the first time, and viewers can sense the nervous energy in the air.

Hideaki Anno + Matsumoto Hitoshi Interview Special Trailer

What kind of conversation will these two have, considering how different they are? Watch and find out!