Director Jeff Fowler has announced that Sonic the Hedgehog 4 has officially wrapped filming ahead of its release on March 19, 2027. Additionally, the announcement post reveals a new look at the practical model of Metal Sonic.
In a message, Jeff Fowler states the following: “And that’s a wrap on #SonicMovie4!!! On behalf of this amazing cast/crew, we have filmed the BEST Sonic Movie yet and can’t wait to share.” Check out the full message from Jeff Fowler, revealing a new look at Metal Sonic and that Sonic the Hedgehog 4 has wrapped filming:
Recently, Paramount revealed the full cast for the film. A majority of the cast from the previous films will reprise their roles. This includes Ben Schwartz as Sonic, Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik, Idris Elba as Knuckles, Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Tails, James Marsden as Tom, Tika Sumpter as Maddie, Keanu Reeves as Shadow, and Lee Majdoub as Agent Stone. As previously announced, Kristen Bell will play the role of Amy Rose. The following actors have been cast in currently unannounced roles:
Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation, The Last of Us Season 1)
Richard Ayoade (Soul, The IT Crowd)
The first teaser trailer for the film featured Sonic, Dr. Robotnik, Knuckles, Tails, Shadow, Tom and Maddie, Amy Rose, and Metal Sonic. The trailer has the description “the countdown to chaos has begun,” leading to many to speculate that the film will feature the debut of Team Chaotix or Chaos.
Lastly, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 will premiere in theaters on March 19, 2027.
During Anime Central 2026, Sekai Project announced that Animal Herb’s Neko-Mimi Sweet Housemates 2 and Whirlpool’s NEKO-NIN exHeart Spin! 2visual novels are coming to the west in 2026. Neko-Mimi Sweet Housemates 2 and NEKO-NIN exHeart Spin! 2 will both be available for PC via Steam, and the opening movies for each title were revealed.
In addition, the NEKOPARA 10th Anniversary -Sayori Art Works- Artbook will be released in English digitally and physically in 2026.
Here’s the story synopsis and opening movie for Neko-Mimi Sweet Housemates 2 and NEKO-NIN exHeart Spin! 2, via Sekai Project’s official website:
Neko-Mimi Sweet Housemates 2
Story
In the spring, I met the half-beast, half-angel, Mint, who was banished from the heavens and left to fend for herself. We then became a couple and started to live together.
Life with this bundle of cheerful energy was a joy and when Lily, a half-human, half-demon girl from the otherworld and Cacao, another half-beast, half-angel arrive, our chaotic but exciting days continue.
The seasons changed and soon summer arrived. I then meet Kuro, a mysterious girl with animal-like ears and tail yet no halo or wings.
Kuro was rather wary of others but seemed to have some sort of goal she wished to accomplish. Mint wants to help her and drags everyone along to do so when a sinister presence makes themselves known and looks to interfere with Kuro’s goals…?!
Alongside angels, demons and a girl who is neither, all crossing paths. Mint’s chaotic summer vacation fills with twists and turns!
Follow Mint, a popular girl from the doujin circle “Animal Herb,” as her story continues in this heart-warmingly comedic game series!
NEKO-NIN exHeart Spin! 2
Story
After his grandfather’s death, Saiga Kikumaru learns the truth of his origins.
In a nutshell:
He learns that Japan is inhabited by demi-humans, animal-eared people eking out a secretive existence in the shadows of human civilization.
Only the human underworld, where the Saiga clan reigns through its demi-human
connections, knows of their existence. Kikumaru learns he is a Saiga clan heir.
Kikumaru learns he is the illegitimate child of Magoichi, head of the Saiga clan, then is quickly embroiled in the succession war triggered by his father’s sudden disappearance.
Under the loving guidance of a cat-eared ninja girl named Touka, he manages to awaken his latent powers.
After rigorous training, he manages to repel the attacks of his longtime frenemy, earning a brief respite.
Anyway, that’s the gist of it. As you all probably guessed, the story doesn’t end there.
Kikumaru has now won the support of the cat-eared Touka, mightiest of all ninjas, as well as Chika, the very assassin who previously tried to kill him. Just as Kikumaru starts to wonder how the Saiga may be rebuilt, several mysterious new faces step onto the stage!
Racoons, foxes, and his long-lost little sister…
And what’s this? The cats of the Fuma clan are making a comeback!
The curtain rises on the final chapter of this modern-day ninja romp as it spirals into chaos! Get ready to nyan-nyan and nin-nin!
MangaGamer has announced that 07th Expansion’s Umineko: When They Cry – Saku is coming soon to Mac and PC via Steam and MangaGamer.com in English and Japanese. Umineko: When They Cry – Saku will feature newly drawn character sprites to match the Steam version’s upgraded visuals, allowing players to switch between them and Ryukishi07’s original artwork.
Here’s an overview of the upcoming release, via MangaGamer:
Umineko: When They Cry – Saku features three fan disks for the original Umineko series, all in one convenient package coming to MangaGamer.com and Steam.
Umineko: When They Cry – Saku includes:
Umineko: When They Cry – Tsubasa
A collection of 15 episodes from a small booklet distributed in the past at Comiket, adapted to visual novel format.
Umineko: When They Cry – Hane
The “Jessica and the Killer Electric Fan” and “Forgery No. XXX” stories.
Umineko: When They Cry – Saku
The stories “Our Confessions” and “Last Note of the Golden Witch” in which a new witch named Piece declares war against Battler, Enju, and Beatrice.
Although largely comical side stories unrelated to the main plot, they all add some additional background insight into the Umineko series.
Just like MangaGamer’s other Umineko releases, this version of Saku will feature newly drawn character sprites to match the Steam version’s upgraded visuals with an option to switch between them and Ryukishi’s charming original artwork.
In addition, GATE 2: Tides of Conflict will have a collaboration with the VOCALOID Collection Summer 2026 event, where the anime’s ending theme song will be selected from the winning submission. The winning submission song will have a new version made with a new vocalist chosen through a collaboration with the Utaite Collection event this fall.
Production Cooperation: Kasagi Labo, Oshi, and GENCO
Takumi Yanai first released the novel in 2006 and 2009 on the Arcadia platform, before AlphaPolis picked it up in 2010. Alphapolis successfully published it in print in five volumes and five side story volumes from 2010 to 2015. It then went on to inspire an anime adaptation, which ran for two cours, airing in 2015 and 2016. Fans can watch the first season of the anime on Crunchyroll.
Lastly, here’s an overview of the series via My Anime List:
Captain Gorou Edajima, a seasoned captain who has visited various countries in the Special Region on a research mission, and Master Cook Petty Officer, 1st Class Hajime Tokushima, were given a special mission: to rescue an American journalist kidnapped in the Special Region.
Aboard an Oyashio-class attack submarine, they set out onto the seas of the Special Region, but little did they know their mission would lead them headfirst into a whirlpool of petty rulers and pirates vying for control in the Blue Sea.
The staff for the upcoming anime adaptation of Tsuyoshi Takaki’s Black Torch manga has revealed three new cast members and more staff members. The newly added cast members include:
Shinpachi Tsuji as Toshimasa Azama
Yūko Kaida as Toko Kusumi
Hōchū Ōtsuka as Banjuro Tokieda
The previously announced cast includes:
Ryota Suzuki as Jiro Azuma
Yoji Ueda as Rago
Sayaka Sembongi as Ichika Kishimojin
Junya Enoki as Reiji Kirihara
Reina Ueda as Hana Usami
Junichi Suwabe as Ryosuke Shiba
Black Torch will receive an English dub with AJ Beckles starring as protagonist Jiro Azuma.
Kei Umabiki is directing the anime at 100Studio. Gō Suzuki is designing the characters, Gigaemon Ichikawa is supervising and writing the series scripts, and Yutaka Yamada is composing the music.
The Black Torch manga series was first serialized in Shueisha’s Jump Square and Shonen Jump+ between 2017 and 2018. VIZ Media publishes the manga in English.
Lastly, here’s a synopsis of the story, via Crunchyroll:
Jiro Azuma is not your average high schooler. Hailing from a long line of ninja, Jiro has been brought up by his grandfather in the ancient warrior art of the shinobi. Jiro also happens to be a particularly skilled communicator able to converse with the animal world. But life takes an abrupt turn thanks to a mysterious encounter in the forest with an injured black cat named Rago.
Only, Rago’s feline appearance is deceiving…
It turns out the “ordinary” cat is the stuff of mononoke legend–the Black Star of Doom!
Swarming in the shadows are more mononoke, eager to exploit Rago’s uniquely immense powers. To fight back against the tide of dark spirits, the undercover Bureau of Espionage is poised to seek and destroy.
Of course, everyone has their motives when it comes to Rago’s powers. But Jiro and Rago are ready.
A shinobi clash between boy and mononoke is about to ignite!
The official website for the upcoming anime adaptation of Shinji Saijyo’s cooking manga Iron Wok Jan! (Tetsunabe no Jan!) just unveiled the anime’s main promotional video, additional cast members, and the anime’s July 5 premiere date. Additionally, the website revealed that Genin wa Jibun ni Aru. is performing the opening theme song “Hien” (Fire Banquet).
Check out the video below:
Newly announced cast members includes:
Masuo Amada as Nichido Otani
M.A.O as Celene Yang
Takahiro Sakurai as Kei Sawada
Taishi Murata as Tomohide Jun
Yūsuke Kobayashi as Yuji Kawahara
Previously announced cast members includes:
Kikunosuke Toya as Jan Akiyama
Ikumi Hasegawa as Kiriko Gobanchō
Kōhei Amasaki as Takao Okonogi
Kenjirō Tsuda as Narrator
Ei Aoki is directing the anime at TROYCA, Makoto Uezu is handling the series scripts. Masako Matsumoto is designing the characters and also serving as the chief animation director. Tomoki Kikuya is composing the music.
Compositing Director of Photography: Ryosuke Tsuda
CG Director: Mitsutaka Iguchi
Editing: Shota Migiyama
Cuisine Supervision and Coordinator: Takako Satō
Cooking Science Supervision: Naoya Higuchi
Sound Director: Jin Aketagawa
Sound Effects: Masami Baba
Saijyo released the original manga in Akita Shoten’s Weekly Shōnen Champion magazine from 1995 to 2000, and Akita Shoten published 27 volumes for the series. The first 13 volumes of the series were published by ComicsOne from 2002 to 2005, followed by DrMaster acquiring the license and publishing the remaining volumes from 2005 to 2007.
Saijyo also published the Tetsunabe no Jan! R: Chōjō Sakusen (Iron Wok Jan! R: The Summit Operations) manga in Weekly Shōnen Champion, and Akita Shoten published 10 compiled book volumes for the series. In August 2015, Bingo Morihashi launched the Tetsupai no Jan! spinoff manga in Takeshobo’s Kindai Mahjong magazine. Takeshobo published the third compiled book volume of the manga in October. Saijyo then released the successor manga Tetsunabe no Jan!! 2nd (Iron Wok Jan!! 2nd) in 2017.
Lastly, here’s an overview of the series via MyAnimeList:
Jan Akiyama, a cocky arrogant teenager wants to fulfill his grandfathers wish of defeating his arch nemesis Mutsuju Gobancho. When he arrives at the Gobancho restaurant he meets his granddaughter Kiriko Gobancho. Their rivalry is easily compared to theirs grandfathers, for Jan believes cooking is about competition and Kiriko believes cooking is about heart.
Japanese RPG developer Experience has announced that dungeon RPG Demon Kill Demon: Yomi 1984 is getting a free demo for Nintendo Switch on May 21 in Japan. The Demon Kill Demon: Yomi 1984 demo includes an early portion of the game’s story and features, including party member creation, dungeon exploration, and a boss battle.
Demon Kill Demon: Yomi 1984 will launch on May 28 for Nintendo Switch in Japan. Demon Kill Demon: Yomi 1984 costs 3,900 yen digitally, and pre-orders for the physical edition are available now at Japanese retailers.
Here’s a story synopsis for the upcoming dungeon RPG, via Gematsu:
Five years have passed since the “Imprisonment” incident involving an underground explorer. Once again, the darkness lurking in the underworld bares its fangs.
The targets were the students of Yomi High School.
In the hell where their entire classrooms were transported, their only means of survival was to resurrect the corpses of their classmates and use them as assets in battle.
That is not a choice. It is the only thing they can do in order to live.
The curtain rises once more on a dystopian dungeon RPG.
Previously, Experience released Monkarufanta: The Hero and the Crystal Girl for Nintendo Switch on September 18, 2025 in Japan. Unlike more traditional dungeon RPGs, Monkarufanta: The Hero and the Crystal Girl features hack-and-slash action from a top-down perspective. The story focuses on a hero working to level up and defeat the Demon Lord. The game features companions illustrated by Yuji Himukai and monsters illustrated by Akifumi Yamamoto.
The official website for the upcoming anime adaptation of Almond and illustrator Yoshiro Ambe’s The Oblivious Saint Can’t Contain Her Power (Mujikaku Seijo wa Kyō mo Muishiki ni Chikara o Tare Nagasu) light novel series revealed the anime’s second promotional video, additional cast members, and a new key visual. The video reveals and previews the ending theme song “Unknown Me” by Utahime Dream All Stars.
Joining the already star-studded roster will be Shunichi Toki as Theodore and Inori Minase as Melissa.
Previously announced cast members include:
Rie Takahashi as Carolina
Makoto Furukawa as Edward
Haruka Shiraishi as Flora
Mitsutaka Noshitani is directing the anime at Magic Bus and Picante Circus. Tōko Machida is in charge of series scripts, Taihei Nagai is designing the characters, and SUPA LOVE is composing the music.
Kaya will be performing the opening theme song “Windmaker.”
Lastly, J-Novel Club releases the light novel and manga series in English. Here’s an overview of the story, via J-Novel Club:
Lady Carolina, the overlooked daughter of a powerful duke, has always believed herself to be the black sheep amid her illustrious kin. Her father is the distinguished prime minister; her elder sister, a prodigious mage destined to become their nation’s next Saint. In comparison, Carolina resigns herself to a quiet existence in their shadows until a sudden and unexpected royal decree alters her destiny, thrusting her into a political marriage with the formidable “Bloodthirsty Prince” of the neighboring Empire of Malcosias.
Determined to prove her worth, Carolina takes a bold step into a world fraught with both political and mortal peril. As royal obligations intertwine with hints of true love and the stirrings of her own latent power, Carolina moves ever closer to understanding what it truly means to be exceptional.
SEGA has announced that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s Like a Dragon: Ishin! and Lost Judgment have both received price drops to $39.99 (original MSRP: $59.99). Sonic Superstars also received a price drop to $39.99 on Steam. The price drops for Lost Judgment, Like a Dragon: Ishin!, and Sonic Superstars were not enacted on consoles, but the games can be found on sale often.
Lost Judgment is available now for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Final Weapon reviewed Lost Judgment and gave it a 4.5/5 score, noting that the game “delivers an exciting experience for detective and Yakuza fans alike. The game builds off of the foundation of the original Judgment while bringing innovation to the series in both story and gameplay.”
Like a Dragon: Ishin! is available now for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Final Weapon reviewed Like a Dragon: Ishin! and gave it a 4.5/5 score, starting that its “another incredible action game produced by SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. Sakamoto Ryoma’s journey is emotional and action-packed, hitting all of the right chords for an excellent Yakuza / Like a Dragon title.”
MAGES. has announced that My Merry May with be, a remastered collection featuring sci-fi romance visual novelMy Merry May, sequel My Merry Maybe, and additional scenarios “Beginning,” “Metempsychosis,” and “Epilogue,” will release on June 25 for PlayStation 4 alongside the Nintendo Switch version in Japan. The official website notes that the PS4 version of My Merry May with be will be a digital-only release.
My Merry May with be was originally released on June 30, 2005 for PlayStation 2 in Japan. Before the remaster was released, My Merry May released on April 25, 2002, followed by My Merry Maybe on April 24, 2003.
Lastly, here’s an overview of My Merry Maybe, via VNDB:
A university student, Kishimori Hiroto enrolls in an education internship as a teacher in a middle school of a countryside harbor town, Seitenchou. On the way to his temporary residence, a replis – an artificial being constructed to help humans -with the name of “Reu” appears lying in the middle of the road. After a variety of circumstances, Reu is put under the care of Kishimori until her master is found. That is, until a mysterious organization appears…
