Sound! Euphonium The Final Movie Part 1 Releases Main Trailer

Sound! Euphonium Final Movie Part 1 Main Trailer

Kyoto Animation has released the main trailer for the upcoming film, Sound! Euphonium The Final Movie Part 1. The movie will release in theaters on April 24. 

Check out the main trailer for Sound! Euphonium The Final Movie Part 1 below:

TRUE, the artist behind the opening themes for Sound! Euphonium The Movie – Our Promise: A Brand New Day and Sound! Euphonium: Ensemble Contest Arc, will perform the opening track for the upcoming film. The movie will mark the first part of the Sound! Euphonium The Final Movie project. The original anime’s cast and staff includes:

Cast

  • Tomoyo Kurosawa as Kumiko Oumae
  • Ayaka Asai as Hazuki Kato
  • Moe Toyota as Sapphire Kawashima
  • Chika Anzai as Reina Kousaka
  • Haruka Tomatsu as Mayu Kuroe
  • Haruki Ishiya as Shuuichi Tsukamoto
  • Ayaka Ōhashi as Tsubame Kamaya
  • Sora Amamiya as Kanade Hisaishi
  • Ayaka Nanase as Mirei Suzuki
  • Misaki Kuno as Satsuki Suzuki
  • Shimba Tsuchiya as Motomu Tsukinaga
  • Shiori Sugiura as Ririka Kenzaki
  • Shiina Natsukawa as Suzume Kamaya
  • Ayane Matsuda as Yayoi Kamiishi
  • Momoka Terasawa as Kaho Hariya
  • Emiri Suyama as Sari Yoshii
  • Takahiro Sakurai as Noboru Taki

Staff:

  • Director: Taichi Ogawa
  • Chief Director: Tatsuya Ishihara 
  • Script and Series Composition: Jukki Hanada
  • Character Designers: Shoko Ikeda and Kazumi Ikeda
  • Chief Animation Director: Kazumi Ikeda
  • Composer: Akito Matsuda
  • Instrument Design: Hiroyuki Takahashi
  • Instrument Animation Director: Minoru Ōta, Nobuaki Maruki
  • Art Director: Mutsuo Shinohara
  • Color Design: Akiyo Takeda
  • Director of Photography: Kazuya Takao
  • 3D Director: Rin Yamamoto
  • Sound Director: Yōta Tsuruoka
  • Performance Cooperation: Progressive! Wind Orchestra
  • Brass Band Supervision: Masahiro Ōwada
  • Production: Sound! Production Committee 2024
  • Distributor: Shochiku Co. Ltd.

The Sound! Euphonium anime first premiered in 2015, and its latest season, Sound! Euphonium 3, premiered on April 7, 2024. The third season ran for 13 episodes, which covered Kumiko’s third year in high school. Crunchyroll is currently streaming all three seasons of Sound! Euphonium with English subs outside of Japan. 

Ultrakill Layer 8: Fraud Releases Next Week

Ultrakill Layer 8: Fraud Releases Next Week

New Blood and the lead developer of Ultrakill, Hakita, announced that Layer 8: Fraud will release for the game next week. The new set of levels will be available for free. 

Ultrakill initially released in 2020 via Steam Early Access. It is a first-person shooter similar to the likes of DOOM and Quake, with mechanics inspired by Devil May Cry. Further, the game features layers of four levels each, each inspired by the legendary novel Dante’s Inferno. 9 layers will be available in total, with Layer 8 marking the penultimate one. Hakita and New Blood will confirm the exact release date of Layer 8 in the coming days. 

Check out the announcement post confirming the release date of Layer 8 of Ultrakill below:

Lastly, the Steam page describes Ultrakill as follows:

ULTRAKILL is a fast-paced ultraviolent old school FPS that fuses together classic shooters like Quake, modern shooters like Doom (2016) and character action games like Devil May Cry.

Mankind has gone extinct and the only beings left on earth are machines fueled by blood. But now that blood is starting to run out on the surface…Machines are racing to the depths of Hell in search of more.

    • Use your many movement abilities to stay mobile and avoid the relentless attacks of the dead, demons and other machines.
    • Destroy them with an arsenal of incredibly powerful weapons, each with multiple available variations.
    • Soak yourself in their blood to regain health and keep fighting.
    • Kill fast and with SSStyle to rack up combos and gain points that can be used on weapon variations between missions.
    • Master the many levels to achieve high ranks and take on unique optional challenges.
    • Explore the varied and unique campaign environments inspired by Dante’s Inferno to find plentiful hidden secrets.

Be Forever Yamato: Rebel 3199 Fifth Film Reveals Ending Theme

Be Forever Yamato: Rebel 3199 Fifth Film Reveals Ending Theme

Bandai Namco Filmworks has revealed the ending theme of the fifth Be Forever Yamato: Rebel 3199 anime film. The film, titled Hakunetsu no Ginga Taisen (The Incandescent Galactic War), premiered in Japanese theaters on February 20. 

Voice actress Megumi Ogata performs the ending theme, titled “Persona.” Alongside the release of the film, Bandai Namco Filmworks released a lyric video for the song, which includes footage from the fifth Be Forever Yamato: Rebel 3199. Check it out below:

Naomichi Yamato directed the recent film, with Harutoshi Fukui as supervising director, head writer, and scriptwriter. Hideki Oka was the co-scriptwriter, and Nobuteru Yūki was the character designer. Additionally, Junichirō Tamamori, Mika Akitaka, and Yasushi Ishizu were credited for mechanical designs. Hiroyuki Gotō was the CG producer, Shōsuke Uechi was the CG director, and Tomohiro Yoshida was the sound director. Recently, Bandai Namco confirmed that the sixth film in the series will release on June 26. 

Lastly, MyAnimeList describes the prequel film, titled Uchū Senkan Yamato 2205: Aratanaru Tabidachi – Kōshō -STASHA-:

Gamilans are facing their biggest hurdle yet: their planet is dying at an alarming pace. To save his people and relocate them to habitable land, Aberdt Desler feigns submission to the oppressive rule of the planet Galman, which houses a race almost identical to the Gamilans. Desler’s true objective is to seize control and accelerate the salvation of his nation. However, as Gamilans begin their migration, an unidentified massive power attacks them and completely warps their twin planet—Iscandar, Queen Starsha’s home.

Meanwhile, Earth is celebrating the success of the magnificent Space Battleship Yamato and its heroic crew. A new generation of promising recruits joins Yamato and its two new support ships, led by Yuki Mori and Shirou Sanada. But not everyone agrees with the past decisions of its captain, Susumu Kodai. During the Yamato’s six-month-long training mission and diplomatic meeting with the Gamilans, the crew learns of the recent catastrophe, and against all orders, Kodai commands the fleet to Iscandar to aid the surviving refugees.

Be Forever Yamato: Rebel 3199 Sixth Film Releases on June 26

Be Forever Yamato: Rebel 3199

Bandai Namco Filmworks has announced that the sixth Be Forever Yamato: Rebel 3199 will release in Japanese theaters on June 26. The film is titled Aoi Meikyū (Blue Labyrinth). 

Check out the first key visual for the film below:

Be Forever Yamato Rebel 3199 Sixth Film Key Visual

Yesterday, Bandai Namco Filmworks released the 5th Be Forever Yamato: Rebel 3199 film, titled Hakunetsu no Ginga Taisen (The Incandescent Galactic War), in theaters. Naomichi Yamato directed the film. Additionally, Harutoshi Fukui was the supervising director, head writer, and scriptwriter. Hideki Oka was the co-scriptwriter, and Nobuteru Yūki was the character designer. Further, Junichirō Tamamori, Mika Akitaka, and Yasushi Ishizu were credited for mechanical designs. Hiroyuki Gotō was the CG producer, Shōsuke Uechi was the CG director, and Tomohiro Yoshida was the sound director.

Lastly, MyAnimeList describes the prequel film, titled Uchū Senkan Yamato 2205: Aratanaru Tabidachi – Kōshō -STASHA-:

Gamilans are facing their biggest hurdle yet: their planet is dying at an alarming pace. To save his people and relocate them to habitable land, Aberdt Desler feigns submission to the oppressive rule of the planet Galman, which houses a race almost identical to the Gamilans. Desler’s true objective is to seize control and accelerate the salvation of his nation. However, as Gamilans begin their migration, an unidentified massive power attacks them and completely warps their twin planet—Iscandar, Queen Starsha’s home.

Meanwhile, Earth is celebrating the success of the magnificent Space Battleship Yamato and its heroic crew. A new generation of promising recruits joins Yamato and its two new support ships, led by Yuki Mori and Shirou Sanada. But not everyone agrees with the past decisions of its captain, Susumu Kodai. During the Yamato’s six-month-long training mission and diplomatic meeting with the Gamilans, the crew learns of the recent catastrophe, and against all orders, Kodai commands the fleet to Iscandar to aid the surviving refugees.

Bandai Namco and ufotable Tease Tales of 30th Anniversary Collaboration

Tales of 30th anniversary ufotable

Bandai Namco and renowned animation studio ufotable have released a new teaser trailer for a Tales of series 30th anniversary collaboration, which will be revealed on April 3. Tales of series producer Yusuke Tomizawa hopes fans look forward to the 30th anniversary collaboration reveal from ufotable and Bandai Namco in the near future. 

ufotable is no stranger to the Tales of series. The studio was behind the Tales of Zestiria the X anime series, along with the Tales of Symphonia OVAs and animated cutscenes for Tales of Xillia, Tales of Xillia 2, Tales of Zestiria, Tales of Berseria, and Tales of Arise. ufotable is also working on a new Genshin Impact anime and the Witch on the Holy Night movie.

Previously, Bandai Namco released the “Tales of Series 30th Anniversary Memorial Movie” to celebrate the franchise’ 30th anniversary. The video highlights Tales of Phantasia, first released for the Super Famicom in December 1995, all the way to Tales of Arise in 2021. Tales of Festival 2026 is set for July 4 to 5, 2026, at the Yokohama BUNTAI venue in Japan as a continuation of the franchise’s 30th anniversary celebration.

Tales of Berseria Remastered launches February 27 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. The remaster is also getting new merchandise at Animate stores in Japan from February 21 to March 22. Animate will sell acrylic stands, keychains, holographic prints, and other merchandise featuring brand-new illustrations of the game’s characters. Every purchase above 1,100 yen in the lineup includes illustration sheets.

The Cat and the Dragon Anime Trailer Reveals More Cast Members

On “Cat Day (February 22)” in Japan, a new trailer was released to reveal more cast members of the TV anime adaptation of Amara’s The Cat and the Dragon novel series, which premieres in July 2026. A new key visual was also revealed.

The Cat and the Dragon visual
© アマラ・宝島社/「猫と竜」製作委員会

The new cast members include: 

  • Kikuko Inoue as Mama-nyan
  • Fūka Izumi as Shirotae
  • Show Hayami as Kurobane
  • Noriaki Sugiyama as Haibuchi
  • Maki Kawase as Chiikuro
  • Shinnosuke Tokudome as Kurotama

The anime stars Takehito Koyasu as Nekoryū, a dragon raised by a cat.

Jin-Koo Oh is directing the anime adaptation of The Cat and the Dragon at OLM. Mitsutaka Hirota is handling the series composition, and Rie Nishino and Chiaki Kurakazu are designing the characters. Takahiro Obata is composing the music, and Noriyoshi Konuma is the sound director.

Amara launched the web novel on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website in September 2013, and the series is still ongoing. Takarajimasha published the first volume of the light novel series in hardcover with illustrations by Mai Ōkuma in April 2016. The eighth light novel volume launched on April 12, 2025, and more than one million copies have been sold for the series. 

Izumi Sasaki launched the manga adaptation on the Kono Manga ga Sugoi! web platform in September 2017. The manga would be serialized on Manga Box in April 2020 as wel. The 11th compiled book volume shipped in Japan on May 31, 2025

Here’s an overview of the series, via MangaDex:

Deep in the forest where ferocious beasts and magical creatures dwell, a cat takes in an orphaned baby dragon as one of her own.

Witch on the Holy Night Film Premieres in 2026, New Trailer Released

Witch on the Holy Night Film New Trailer, Releasing 2026

ufotable announced tonight that the Witch on the Holy Night anime film is finally set to premiere in Japanese theaters in 2026. More information is set to be released sometime this Spring. The new footage showcased more of the iconic Kitsy Land fight, in addition to another look at Soujyuro.

Studio ufotable is responsible for the animation of this film. The studio has a long-standing relationship with Type-Moon, being responsible for the production of Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works, and the Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel movie trilogy. Additionally, ufotable animated the eight the Garden of Sinners films. Alongside their Type-Moon works, the company is also known for their work on Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.

It’s yet to be seen if this project will end up being multiple films or just one, but based on the source material, it seems likely that at least one more film will follow the first. Witch on the Holy Night was shown in ufotable’s “future projects” reel, which is worth noting.

Witch on the Holy Night is available now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam. Stay tuned for more details on the film coming this Spring.

Mega Dragonite Makes its Debut in Pokémon GO

Niantic and The Pokémon Company have announced Mega Dragonite is making it debut in Super Mega Raids during Pokémon GO Tour: Kalos. First seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Mega Dragonite appears alongside Mega Victreebel on February 21 and Mega Malamar on February 22 in Super Mega Raids, and lucky players may encounter a Shiny variant.

The “Road to Kalos” event will also be held in the lead-up from February 23 at 12:00 a.m. to February 27 at 11:59 p.m. local time, followed by Pokémon GO Tour: Kalos Global from February 28 to March 1. During Road to Kalos, players can encounter wearing Red’s Hat, Leaf’s Hat, Ethan’s Hat, or Lyra’s hat. Each day, a different event-themed Pokémon will appear in the wild, including the first partner Pokémon from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova.

There will also be Raids held each day from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time with opportunity to battle and catch Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, event-themed Pikachu, Shadow Lugia and Ho-Oh, and many more Pokémon. What’s more, the featured Pokémon for the Raids may appear with a special background.

There will be various event bonuses, including 1/2 Egg Hatch Distance when Eggs are placed in an Incubator during the event period, and an increased Remote Raid Pass limit of 30. There will be no limit on Remote Raids from Saturday, February 28, to Sunday, March 1.

Timed Research themed after the featured regions will be available starting at 5:00 a.m. local time daily, and completing research tasks nets rewards like Candy, TMs, encounters with costumed Pikachu, and more. New Field Research tasks will also be available every day at 12:00 a.m. local time each day. 

Square Enix Teases Future of NieR: “NieR: Automata to be continued…”

NieR: Automata To Be Continued Teaser

Square Enix shared a commemorative PV  for NieR: Automata today for its ninth anniversary, teasing “NieR:Automata to be continued…” at the very end. It’s been almost five years since a NieR game was released on consoles, and that was a remaster of the original NieR. Since then, we’ve received NieR Re[in]carnation, but that mobile game was shut down in 2024.

Dragon Quest and NieR series producer Yosuke Saito has teased that Square is preparing “a little something” for the 9th anniversary of NieR: Automata in 2026 in 4Gamer’s annual end-of-year interviews with Japanese developers, so perhaps this tease for the future of NieR: Automata could be just that.

This teaser follows Square Enix’s confirmation that NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… has sold over 2 million copies worldwide and NieR: Automata‘s sales of over 10 million copies. NieR has continued to be a massively popular series worldwide for Square Enix, spawning concerts worldwide, large amounts of merchandise, and even a 24-episode anime, NieR: Automata Ver1.1a. The NieR: Orchestra Concert re:12024 was recently released worldwide this month.

We’ll have to see if this tease comes to fruition anytime soon, but at the very least, it does seem plausible that something for NieR is at least in the works.

The Apothecary Diaries: Maomao’s Notes on the Inner Palace Manga is Releasing in English

The Apothecary Diaries: Maomao’s Notes on the Inner Palace

VIZ Media has announced that author Hyuganatsu, artist Minoji Kurata, and character designer Touko Shino’s The Apothecary Diaries: Maomao’s Notes on the Inner Palace manga will be releasing in English this fall. The first volume of The Apothecary Diaries: Maomao’s Notes on the Inner Palace will be available, and VIZ Media noted that the original creator prefers going by the name Hyuganatsu. Previous adaptations of the series often referred to the creator as Natsu Hyūga in English.

The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 will premiere in October 2026 with a two-cour run. The third season’s second cour will follow up in April 2027, and a new original anime film was announced for December 2026. What’s more, the new anime film includes a new story written by Hyuga.

Hyuganatsu writes the original The Apothecary Diaries light novel series, with illustrations by Touko Shino. The novel made its debut on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website in October 2011. Nekokurage later released an ongoing manga adaptation in Square Enix’s Monthly Big Gangan magazine in May 2017. The series has over 45 million copies in circulation.

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 ran from January 10 to July 4, 2025, and it’s streaming on Crunchyroll. What’s more, Itsuki Nanao’s The Apothecary Diaries: Xiaolan’s Story manga was launched on March 23 on Manga UP!.

Lastly, here’s a synopsis of the series, via Crunchyroll:

Maomao lived a peaceful life with her apothecary father. Until one day, she’s sold as a lowly servant to the emperor’s palace. But she wasn’t meant for a compliant life among royalty. So when imperial heirs fall ill, she decides to step in and find a cure! This catches the eye of Jinshi, a handsome palace official who promotes her. Now, she’s making a name for herself solving medical mysteries!