Genshin Impact’s latest Special Program has spilled all the beans on the game’s next major update, Luna 4. The update, which arrives on January 14, kicks off 2026 with several bits of new content, including some previously-teased characters.
The Game Awards 2025 ceremony brought us yet more gacha game news, this time a big announcement for Arknights: Endfield. The free-to-play game set in the the universe of Arknights has been in various forms of closed tests for a while, but it finally has a release date.
HoYoverse just hosted a sizeable Honkai: Star Rail Special Program, revealing more than just the game’s next major update. Version 3.8 was the big highlight, of course, with the new release arriving soon, on December 16-17 depending on your server region.
It didn't take long for the mega-length One Piecefranchise to establish some running themes or cycles. The Straw Hat crew will always visit a new island in a fresh new arc, and they keep getting stronger while meeting new friends. As for Luffy's own habits, fans have noted his biggest act of mercy: his apparent rule of never killing his enemies.
Of all the most powerful families in the entire Naruto franchise, many believe that the infamous Uchiha Clan are the greatest even among them. Due to their important lineage tying them to some of the most important Shinobi in the history of the series, members of this clan have been born with exceptional abilities across every facet of power.
I found the opening 15 minutes of EvoCreo’s demo to be a laugh riot, mostly because I accidentally named my character “Help”, not “Helen”. This lent a certain urgency to all the routine scene-setting and tutorial dialogue. Help, Farmer Whatshisname is looking for you! Help, I’m adding a map feature to your tablet! Help, there are over 170 Creos to discover! Given that RPGs can be sluggish at first, I think I’m going to adopt this as standard practice going forward. Nothing gets you over the opening hump like the impression that everybody you speak to has just escaped from a burning house.
Even a Replica can Fall in Love is a essentially a manga about a doppleganger or tulpa situation, pairing existential questioning with romantic connotations. While happy, perhaps even joyful and loving, moments can appear, they’re always tinged with trauma and the specter of what could happen if an individual disappears. As a result, it can feel like the situations involving Sunao Aikawa, her replica Second (that eventually goes by Nao), and their classmate Shuuya Sanada are always a moment away from tearing at your heartstrings in the first volume of this series.
The story begins with a brief explanation and refresher. Sunao has been able to summon up a replica of herself since she was a child, ever since she first did so this tulpa could make up with her friend Ritsuko for her after a fight. When she does, that entity has all of her memories up to that moment. Sunao only calls her “Second” and does nothing for her quality of life or benefit despite the double needing to eat and sleep. She even doesn’t believe Second has feelings. And so her replica doesn’t get to sleep in a bed, have breakfast, keep any money, or basically own anything.
This replica eventually refers to herself as Nao, and she considers her whole life to be in service to the person who spawned her. While Sunao’s actions suggest she’s nothing and Nao seems to have internalized that, she clearly is her own individual with her own personality. But even though she may want to do things, like create her own novels or enjoy certain activities, she feels she isn’t able to. Especially since Sunao could decide to be rid of her and make her not exist with no notice. So right away, it’s really sad to see this vivacious young woman who does enjoy life and have her own sense of self consider herself to be… nothing.
Things start to change when a classmate named Shuuya Sanada returns after an injury kept him out of school for a while recovering. He shows an interest in Nao on the days when she’s filling in for Sunao. He even joins the literature club she’s in, becoming its third member. She’s clearly fascinated with him and even feels bad that she never visited him in the hospital. So much so that we see she’s starting to want to see him and get excited about the prospect.
That, of course, is in jeopardy after Sunao returns to school. She criticizes Nao for her actions toward Shuuya and tells her to watch out. To the point where Nao tries to pass it off to him as her being temperamental some days and saying he should only talk to her when she has her hair up. And after a critical couple events in the volume, we see Sunao isn’t above “punishing” her replica by sending her away. So just when we see Nao getting to live and enjoy things a bit, she’s reminded of her nature.
But there are hints of another side to it all too. The fact that Sunao is so readily and often relying on a replica is a serious sign of depression. She’s avoiding life and staying in her room, in bed, instead of getting out and facing things. During one of her altercations with her second, we get hints that this sort of life is damaging to her and not making her mental health situation any better.
Even a Replica can Fall in Love feels like a manga and series designed to constantly make you feel sorry for its characters and hope for the best for them. Nao is a second and replica, and it seems her self esteem is so low that she can’t even dare to imagine actually living her own life. Sunao seems incredibly depressed, and she’s using her double and even abusing her to avoid life. Shuuya seems perplexed and interested in Nao, but perhaps like he’s treated poorly by Sunao on days when she actually shows up. It’s the start of a potentially tragic love story.
Volume 1 of Even a Replica can Fall in Love is available via Yen Press, and volume 2 of the manga will appear on June 23, 2026. The company also handles the original light novel adaptation. An anime version is in development and expected to debut in 2026.
The post Even a Replica Can Fall in Love Manga Is Heartbreaking appeared first on Siliconera.
The Love Love Series 15th Anniversary Tribute Album CD filled with songs from the anime by other artists debuts on January 14, 2026 in Japan, and the Hatsune Miku and Umamusume covers are already online. Four tracks showed up on Spotify ahead of the launch, with Cygames even promoting one of them. That will cost 4,000円 (~$26), with CD Japan selling it for $25.49. While these first four are on Amazon Music Japan already, it isn't on the worldwide branches yet.
The full track list for the album isn’t available yet. As such, the only confirmed songs we know are the ones that showed up already online. The cover does show Ado, Haruka Amami from The Idolmaster 765Pro All Stars, Konata Izumi from Lucky Star, Vtuber Ui Shigure, and You and Idol Pretty Cure Cure Idol Uta Sakura, who are also going to appear. So the known tracks are the Aikatsu, BanG Dream Poppin'Party, Hatsune Miku, and Umamusume ones.
Here’s the full list of tracks with links to listen to them:
It is unknown if “Snow Halation” will be part of this. That has been covered many times before, including by Hololive Vtubers.
Here's the full cover art for the album:
The Love Live Series 15th Anniversary Tribute Album of song covers will launch in Japan on January 14, 2026. The anime can be found on Crunchyroll.
The post Hear Love Live Series 15th Anniversary Tribute Album Umamusume, Hatsune Miku Songs appeared first on Siliconera.
The Japanese version of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie trailer appeared a few weeks after the English one, and it revealed Maaya Sakamoto will be the Rosalina voice actor and Daiki Yamashita will play Bowser Jr. They join returning cast members like Mamoru Miyano (Mario) and Arisu Shida (Princess Peach). The film debuts in Japan on April 24, 2026.
Both Maaya Sakamoto and Daiki Yamashita are well known as voice actors ahead of their appearances as Rosalina and Bowser Jr in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. She’s a voice actress and singer, with some of her most notable parts being Aerith in FFVII, Aigis in Persona 3 (including Reload), Lightning in FFXIII, Mari in Evangelion, Rem in Trigun, Echidna in Re:Zero, and Akito in Fruits Basket. Meanwhile, we can hear him as Deku in My Hero Academia, Sakamichi in Yowamushi Pedal, and Mafuyu in Sakamoto Days.
Here’s the version of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie trailer with Japanese voice acting and, while we get to hear Daiki Yamashita as Bowser Jr, we don’t get to hear Maaya Sakamoto as Rosalina yet.
As a reminder, we already knew the cast for the English version of the movie. All actors from the original installment will return for the film, with Brie Larson joining as Rosalina and Benny Safdie showing up as Bowser Jr.
The original Super Mario Movie is available now physically and digitally, and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie will appear in theaters in the US on April 3, 2026 and in Japan on April 24, 2026.
The post Maaya Sakamoto Is Rosalina in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie appeared first on Siliconera.
Journal Standard announced the Baycrew’s site will begin selling the Dragon Ball Daima Champion shirts and hoodies on December 6, 2025. These will ship worldwide via Buyee. There are 12 designs available, all featuring characters and logos from the newest anime based on the series.
All 12 of the Dragon Ball Daima Champion shirts and hoodies are gender neutral items for adults that are available in medium, large, and extra large sizes. The three hoodies are the most expensive items at ¥ 18,700 (~$120). The nine sweatshirts are ¥17,600 (~$113). In addition to expected and returning characters like the mini versions of Goku and Vegeta, folks original to this storyline like Glorio, Gomah, and Panzy appear.
Here’s a look at all the Dragon Ball Daima hoodies and sweatshirts in this collection:
In other news related to the series, the Dragon Ball the One worldwide character popularity poll is running. Stage 2 just ended, and the Stage 3 vote to get it down to 21 characters begins later this week.
Journal Standard and Baycrew’s Dragon Ball Daima Champion shirts and hoodies will be available in Japan on December 6, 2025, and the online store is shipping them worldwide. Dragon Ball Daima is streaming on services like Crunchyroll.
The post Dragon Ball Daima Champion Shirts Launch This Week appeared first on Siliconera.
Taito announced even more Cardcaptor Sakura x Sanrio Characters are on the way, with the latest four being a batch of plush keychains that include Cinnamoroll and Pompompurin. These designs will head to Japanese arcades in the middle of December 2025. There’s no word on whether we’ll see them worldwide eventually or not, but items like acrylic standees based on the crossover did show up everywhere.
The four options in this collection involve two versions of heroine Sakura Kinomoto, Cinnamoroll, and Pompompurin. One version of Sakura features her with Cinnamoroll’s ears in her school uniform. The matching Cinnamoroll one has him in the same outfit. In the case of the Sakura and Pompompurin pair, both of them are wearing the costume from the second season anime opening “Open the Door.” Each one has a ball-chain keychain at the top and is almost five inches tall (12cm).
Here’s how those look:
It has been a few weeks since we’d seen any new plush from this Cardcaptor Sakura and Sanrio crossover. Ones of Sakura Kinomoto and Hello Kitty in Clear Card second anime opening outfits appeared in Japan in October 2025. However, there were some keychain pouches with the heroine alongside Cinnamoroll and Pompompurin that showed up in November 2025.
The Cardcaptor Sakura x Sanrio Characters plush featuring Sakura Kinomoto, Cinnamoroll, and Pompompurin will launch in mid-December 2025 in Japan. The anime can be found on Crunchyroll, and Kodansha handles the manga.
The post New Cardcaptor Sakura Sanrio Plush Include Cinnamoroll, Pompompurin appeared first on Siliconera.
The Stage 2 Dragon Ball the One worldwide character popularity poll results are in, and the top 40 still includes characters like Bulma’s Family Cat and Farmer with a Power Level of 5. The revival battle to pick the single character who will be “saved” and also move on to the top 41 in Stage 3 of the poll was held on social media until 11:59pm JST on December 3, 2025. Stage 3 runs on the official site between December 4-8, 2025, and that will narrow things down to the top 20.
The known top 40 Dragon Ball the One worldwide character popularity poll currently includes expected characters, unexpected ones, and a handful of wildcards like Bulma’s Family Cat, Farmer with a Power Level of 5, and Dolphin. (All three of those have risen higher up the rankings since the original Stage 1 poll.)
Here are the top 20 characters as of the end of Stage 2. I placed their previous range as of Stage 1 in parentheses after their name.)
Here are the official infographics for the top 40
Dragon Ball the One is live now, and we’ll see the results of the worldwide character popularity poll on January 24, 2026. Stage 3 will take place between December 4-8, 2025, and Final Stage runs December 17-20, 2025.
The post Dragon Ball Popularity Poll Still Includes Bulma’s Family Cat appeared first on Siliconera.
SacAnime Winter 2026 is around the corner but the guest list continues to grow with the inclusion of Keith Silverstein.
The post Keith Silverstein is Coming to SacAnime Winter 2026 appeared first on 8Bit/Digi.
What is a battle shonen anime without eye-catching transformations? As one of the genre's cornerstones, Naruto perfected the art of gorgeous and creative designs, and most of the best forms are given to the eponymous shinobi. Starting as an outcast who could barely use basic techniques, let alone control the Nine-Tailed Beast lurking within, Naruto gradually transforms into perhaps the strongest being in this universe, and he goes through many changes along the way.
If you yearn for the days when anime dubs were hilariously stilted or nearly incomprehensible, don’t fret. Amazon Prime Video is leading the charge in bringing back the bad old days by using “AI beta” dubs for the English and Latin American Spanish versions ofBanana Fish and No Game, No Life Zero, much to the chagrin of fans. It’s not just an ethical concern; the AI voices genuinely sound bad, as viewers have pointed out on social media. The "AI beta" tag also appeared in English and Latin American Spanish dubs of Pet, Journal of the Mysterious Creatures, and Vinland Saga. Following the backlash, Amazon has removed the dubs for Banana Fish and No Game, No Life Zero, though Journal of the Mysterious Creatures and Vinland Saga still remain.
The Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, Monkey D. Luffy has come a very long way since his humble beginnings in the East Blue. Over the two years of his pirating career, Luffy has slowly, but progressively, grown a lot in power. Luffy has advanced his Haki, awakened his Devil Fruit, Gomu Gomu no Mi, and reached the very top as one of the Yonko of the One Piece world. It goes without saying that Luffy has become a top-tier character in the One Piece world, but he has yet to surpass some pirates, including the likes of Shanks who are still alive.
With the Fall 2025 season having only a month left to go, the current year is almost done. However, before long, January will arrive, bringing forth an array of new sequels and newcomers who have the potential to hog the limelight and online discussions. What will be the biggest 2026 anime? While certainly too early to make any definitive claims, a few prime contenders have already stated their intentions to grab the crown, provided they are not delayed or produce seasons that are well below expectations.
Featuring larger-than-life anime-styled characters, fast and ferocious melee combat, towering boss encounters and a sweeping story drawn from the acclaimed webtoon, Solo Levelling: ARISE OVERDRIVE aims to deliver spectacle and intensity in equal measure. This guide brings together all the essential details, making it a one-stop resource for newcomers and fans alike.
Be sure to keep this page bookmarked, as it covers the game’s release platforms, editions, core gameplay systems, PC requirements and the latest official trailer.
Solo Levelling: Arise Overdrive has been officially confirmed for a full release on Xbox PC and Steam on November 24, 2025. Meanwhile, the game is set to launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2026, though a specific date has yet to be announced. At this stage, there is also no confirmation that Solo Levelling: Arise Overdrive will arrive on the Nintendo Switch or its successor.
Alongside the Standard Edition, developer Netmarble Neo has confirmed a Deluxe Edition, which includes a range of bonuses and grants 72 hours of early access. Wondering what those bonuses actually are? You can find the full list of Solo Levelling: ARISE OVERDRIVE Deluxe Edition goodies below:
First things first, it’s worth clearing up a common misconception. Solo Levelling: ARISE OVERDRIVE, a third-person action RPG built around melee combat, should not be confused with Solo Levelling: Arise, the earlier free-to-play gacha-based mobile and PC title. Now that’s settled, we can get down to the essentials.
The game features two core modes. The first is a sprawling single-player campaign where players take control of Sung Jinwoo, a rising Hunter who must carve through a growing tide of powerful beasts. The story draws from the Solo Levelling webtoon while also introducing new chapters created specifically for the game. The second mode is a cooperative raid experience that lets up to four players join forces to tackle exceptionally strong monsters, each choosing from various characters and Hunters across the Solo Levelling universe.
At its core, Solo Levelling: ARISE OVERDRIVE is a third-person action RPG inspired by titles like Devil May Cry and Lost Soul Aside. Players can chain together attacks, skills, special moves and more, while a wide selection of weapons gives Solo Levellers the freedom to shape their combat style.
As you might expect, the game also emphasises evasion and parrying, echoing the mechanics found in many Soulslike titles of the past fifteen years. This includes an “Extreme Evasion” that triggers when players dodge at the last possible moment, and a familiar perfect parry, which allows for a last-second deflection followed by a devastating counterattack.
Beyond combos, evasions, parries, special attacks and an arsenal of weapons, players can tap into the titular Arise ability, summoning shadow soldiers to fight alongside them. You’ll need every tool available – skills, parries, summons and more – to bring down the game’s titanic, screen-filling bosses, which stand as centrepieces of Solo Levelling: ARISE OVERDRIVE’s core combat design.
Progression is equally robust. A deep skill tree can be tailored through eight distinct job advancements, while a weapon-crafting system lets players forge new gear using materials harvested from defeated monsters. Iconic weapons from the webtoon, including the Demon King’s Daggers and Kasaka’s Venom Fang, also make an appearance.
With its sharp cel-shaded characters and environments, you might assume Solo Levelling: ARISE OVERDRIVE demands a high-end PC to run well. Fortunately, that isn’t the case. The game can still deliver impressive visual and technical performance even on hardware more than five years old. You can compare your setup to the minimum and recommended PC specifications below.
1050 or better 2060 or betterThe latest trailer for Solo Levelling: ARISE OVERDRIVE is available to watch right now, and you can view it above. Focused on gameplay, it showcases the game’s striking cel-shaded visuals and highlights many of the screen-filling bosses players can expect to take on.
The post Everything You Need To Know About Solo Leveling: ARISE OVERDRIVE appeared first on Green Man Gaming Blog.
The D.N.Angel manga release ended up a bit troubled outside Japan. See, it started out as a Tokyopop series. So when that company cut it off, physical copies ended at volume 13. Viz Media then had it on its app for a while digitally! …But again, nothing appeared past 14. Now we’re in a situation when it is Yen Press to the rescue, as it announced D.N.Angel New Editionat Sakura Con 2025. It’s a well-deserved return, with a lavish omnibus volume that inspires me with hope that this time around, Yukiru Sugisaki’s series will get the treatment it deserves.
So the first thing to know going in to this is that D.N.Angel New Editionisn’t just the first volume of the manga. We’re getting all of volume one, all of volume two, and much of volume three. (That’s Chapters 1-8, to be specific.) It’s also a little larger than the original release, as it’s over eight inches by almost six inches, rather than seven and a half by five. So it’s bigger in two ways. It does allow a little better look at the linework and shading, so it’s a nice perk.
The bump in quality for the cover and a pull-out insert also feels like a fun tribute to the 28-year-old series. The front cover has Daisuke Niwa in a suit and a falling card in his right hand, with Wiz on his shoulder. The pull-out immediately after the front cover is a “clean” version of it without the cover details. There’s a glossy finish to it, which I appreciate, and someone could pull it out to use as a mini-poster.
Yen Press also noted that when it’d prepare the D.N.Angel New Editionvolumes, there would be color pages of the manga throughout. I sort of expected this to only apply to the first few pages of the introduction and the final pages, due to a social media post showing some of pages at launch. But there’s more to it here, which I appreciated. The first three pages, including a full-color spread of Daisuke. Ahead of each chapter, there are some minimalistic color renditions of the pages. So before chapter 2 starts, we see Dark. They’re very well handled and in some cases feature some really intricate coloring. The image of Daisuke in a scarf at sunset as snow is starting to fall ahead of chapter 7 is a perfect example of the quality of those color illustrations.
It almost feels like Yen Press is trying to make up for lost time with the D.N.Angel New Edition manga release. It’s a great size tome that covers multiple volumes. The print quality is well-done, especially with the color images ahead of chapters. The pull-out of the cover art is a nice touch. After what we went through waiting for a proper physical run of it outside Japan, it feels like it is finally getting the release it deserves.
Volume 1 of the D.N.Angel New Editionmanga is available now, and Yen Press will release volume 2 on February 24, 2026.
The post D.N.Angel New Edition Feels Like a Proper Return to the Manga appeared first on Siliconera.
Ubisoft is unleashing one of the series’ boldest crossovers yet, merging Assassin’s Creed Shadows with Attack on Titan for a limited-time event.
Starting Nov. 25, the historical precision of feudal Japan collides with the dark fantasy of anime as the Attack on Titan collaboration event goes live. The four-week event kicks off with a strange encounter that draws protagonists Naoe and Yasuke into a new questline north-east of Yamashiro. Guided by a mysterious woman named Ada, players must venture into the Crystal Cave to rescue her friend from a cult involved in forbidden rituals, and things get only stranger from there.
Once players dive deeper into the caves, they will quickly find something much more unsettling than the historical epic they have been playing up to this point. They soon discover that monstrous transformations begin to unfold, and the duo must face an enemy unlike anything else in the base game. It’s a fresh challenge that demands players rely on instinct rather than only their bladework, adding a layer of horror that feels distinct from the usual political intrigue of the era.
For those who survive the Crystal Cave, the rewards are substantial. Beyond a new katana and loot hidden in chests, the update introduces Attack on Titan-themed gear to the in-game store. You can outfit Yasuke in a Titan-inspired look or dress Naoe in Mikasa’s signature style, complete with a Survey Corps mount to traverse the open world, which is perfect for fans of the iconic anime.
Balancing the grim tone of the crossover is a second free story drop included in the patch, titled “A Puzzlement.” This quest takes a lighter, more humorous approach, focusing on the bond between the two leads. Players will see Naoe attempt her own version of Yasuke’s war kick, while the samurai learns the art of non-lethal stealth. It also adds a new environmental puzzle that may answer lingering lore questions players have wondered about after playing the game.
Developed by Ubisoft Quebec and powered by the enhanced Anvil engine, Assassin’s Creed Shadows continues to expand its immersive world across all major platforms. While the update lands tomorrow for most, Nintendo fans have a specific date to mark on their calendars: the game—and this new quest—arrives on the Switch 2 on Dec. 2.
For a franchise often rooted in realism and historical concepts, this update shows a willingness to experiment with the unexpected and dive into fantastical worlds, and what better than to tackle Attack on Titan? It’s a bold, fun twist that gives players a solid reason to jump back into the shadows before the event wraps up on Dec. 22.