The Uniqlo Instagram teased a new collection of Studio Ghibli anime shirts, and both the Japanese and US s are tagged in it. This confirms the new collection of UT graphic t-shirts will appear worldwide. There’s no exact date for the collection’s debut yet, but the official site is open and checking the exact listings for images seem to mention a late July 2025 window.

Following the first tease, a more in-depth hint at the Studio Ghibli anime shirts in the UT Uniqlo collection appeared on social media and some of the designs appeared. This confirmed it will consist of men’s unisex t-shirts and styles for kids. Kanyada is the artist behind all of the art. Eight movies in particular are highlighted, though children’s sizes will only appear for four of them. 

Here’s the full list of movies that will be part of this collection, in addition to one shirt in the general “Everything Ghibli” section. I also noted when adult and kids’ styles will be available.

• The Boy and the Heron (How Do You Live in Japanese) - adults and kids styles.
• Howl’s Moving Castle - adults and kids styles.
• Kiki’s Delivery Service - adults and kids styles.
• My Neighbor Totoro - adults and kids styles.
• Pom Poko - adults styles.
• Princess Mononoke - adults styles.
• Spirited Away - adults styles.
• Tale of the Princess Kaguya - adults styles.

Other movies, such as Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Ponyo, are references in the Everything Ghibli design.

And here are all the teaser images for the designs Uniqlo will sell. Adult sizes will be in XS through XXXL, while the kids ones will be in 5-6Y through 13Y. While most items are t-shirts, there are some sweatshirts like for Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. There are three styles for The Boy and the Heron, with the children’s t-shirt looking like the adults design, and there are four My Neighbor Totoro options.

In addition to this collection, in August 2025 there will be Pokemon Trading Card Game shirts at Uniqlo.

The Studio Ghibli adult and kids shirts will be at Uniqlo in the near future, and the movies are streaming on services like HBO Max in the US. 

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A second One Piece baseball game night is coming up, with a Los Angeles Dodgers game against the Chicago White Sox featuring the manga and anime characters. The tie-in happens at Dodger Stadium at 7:10pm PT on July 3, 2025. This time, the promotion is connected to the One Piece Card Game, with the free giveaway being an exclusive meant for players.

The official MLB site for Dodgers tickets brought up some of the promotions and special events tied to One Piece night. In addition to the card for the game, there will also be straw hats given away and a drone show will take place during the evening. While everyone gets one card per ticket, the hats are only for the first 40,000 people who enter. The cheapest price to get in as of time of writing is $99.10, which includes the $12.10 in additional feels. The most you could end up spending is about $317.10, which includes $22.10 in fees. 

While we don’t know what the hat will look like, Toei Animation showed what the card will look like. It features Monkey D. Luffy in a Dodgers uniform. He’s got a bat on his back, and a baseball cap on top of his straw hat. He’s in the midst of a pitch, which he’s throwing using his Gum-Gum Fruit abilities. It also has the “Don!! - 2” ability that kicks in when someone’s only played Straw Hat Crew .

Here’s the Luffy Dodgers One Piece Card Game card:

There have been three One Piece game nights already. First, the LA Lakers game against the Clippers honored the anime. In April 2025, the Seattle Mariners game against the Houston Astros involved the crew. The May 2025 Boston Red Sox match against the Minnesota Twins also featured the cast.

The Dodgers One Piece game night takes place on July 3, 2025. The first season of the One Piece live-action adaptation is on Netflix. The anime is streaming on services like Crunchyroll and Netflix. Viz Media handles the manga outside Japan. 

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Bandai Namco announced via the official social media for the Mobile Suit Gundam series that the original Gundam Wing anime is available to watch for free online for a limited time. It didn’t note how long this promotion lasts. However, it confirmed this includes all 49 episodes of the main series, but not the four OVAs. All of this is honor of the 30th anniversary of this installment.

All of the Gundam Wing anime episodes are available for free in a playlist on the official GundamInfo YouTube channel. Specifically, these are the HD remaster episodes of the series. All of them feature Japanese voice acting, but English, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese subtitles are available. 

For example, here is the first episode. 

While this is a limited free release of the episodes, it is possible to stream them with a subscription on other services. Crunchyroll is the current home of the series. All 49 episodes are there now. So is the Endless Waltz movie. 

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing is now free to watch on YouTube for a limited time, and the anime is also available for Crunchyroll subscribers. The most recent anime in the series is Gundam GQuuuuuuX, which is only available to watch on Amazon.

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During the May 2025 Tudum showcase, Netflix revealed the live-action version of Tony Tony Chopper in One Piece and confirmed his voice actor. He’ll be played by Mikaela Hoover. There’s also a brief trailer showing him off, during which the 2026 launch window for the second season appeared. 

The teaser video began with Chopper trying to hide behind a column. Inaki Godoy, as Monkey D. Luffy, mentioned that we can see him and told him to come out. Chopper then stepped out and introduced himself, walking down the steps as he did. He noted that the second season of the live-action adaptation will come out in 2026. After he fell down the stairs, he called for a doctor. However, at that point he brought up that he is a physician. It doesn’t note if any of his other forms will appear.

Here’s the full One Piece live-action video from Netflix showing how Chopper will look in the series.

The character is also now part of a new daily life series called Chopper's. That shows up on social media sites like Instagram and shows him as he goes through daily life and ordinary situations in the modern world.

Many of Mikaela Hoover’s performances prior to her role in One Piece involved ing roles or one-time appearances in ongoing series. For example, she was in one episode of Duster, and she played a Humanimal named Floor in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3.  

This marks the fifth English voice actor for Tony Tony Chopper in One Piece, with Brina Palencia perhaps being the most recent recognizable one. Palencia portrayed him since 2000. 

The first season of the One Piece live-action adaptation is on Netflix. The anime is streaming on services like Crunchyroll and Netflix. Viz Media handles the manga outside Japan. 

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Now that Yen Press’ run of the CLAMP Collection Tokyo Babylon manga is done, we once again get to see what happened to Subaru and Hokuto Sumeragi and Seishirou Sakurazuka. After all, volume 7 is dedicated completely to the major reveals and 

Editor’s Note: There will be spoilers for the Tokyo Babylon manga ending below. 1q3l68

Throughout Tokyo Babylon, CLAMP keeps hinting at things not being exactly right. Seishirou engages in suspicious behavior that proves he not only has his own supernatural abilities and awareness, but may be an onmyouji on par with Subaru. Subaru constantly wears gloves he never takes off. There are times when we’ll see him think back to a childhood memory with a mysterious person. Hokuto seems especially aware of something to do with Seishirou, yet pushes him and her brother together. Once we start to get into later volumes, Seishirou’s activities become more blatant, and we start hearing about the Sakura Zukamori assassin. 

So Tokyo Babylon volume 7 is completely dedicated to giving us answers, yet with the ending also leaving us completely lost with new questions. The bet between Seishirou and Subaru? It’s completely revealed. Seishirou met Subaru when both of them were young and Subaru saw him committing one of his assassinations. Seishirou marked the boy as a possible victim, saying once they’d meet again that Subaru would have one year to get him to fall in love with him. If he failed, Seishirou would kill him. If he succeeded, he’d get to live. But Seishirou claims he failed, and we’re confronted with a scene that’s blatant torture. 

Considering the violence we’ve seen throughout Tokyo Babylon, which affected both Subaru and Seishirou in the past, this in itself isn’t shocking. Especially paired with CLAMP being realistic and showing the effect of this latest encounter on Subaru after the fact. He’s comatose. Completely broken. His mind and body is devastated after Seishirou completely revealed who he is. There’s no immediate recovery. We witness exactly how brutal it all was. 

These moments before the end also provide an opportunity for us to see the healthier loving relationships around Subaru. We know at this point that, age difference not withstanding, the primary pairing here is extremely toxic. But Subaru is initially saved because of an act of love and sacrifice by his grandmother. She resorted to extreme lengths to snatch him away from Seishirou, paying a price in the process. Then Hokuto, his twin sister, sets out as a secondary sacrifice to assure his safety after the previous encounter that left him broken. 

But more importantly, we don’t get to know what’s next. We only know what happened to Hokuto because of CLAMP’s narrative and Subaru’s ability. We don’t see him meet Seishirou again in the ending of volume 7 of the Tokyo Babylon manga. We don’t see the inevitable weeks and months it takes him to recover. We even don’t see him pick up the pieces. We only see him end up assisting on a final “case” to show that even after everything that happened, he’s still using his onmyouji abilities to help others.

I also think the fact that X/1999 remains unfinished helps the Tokyo Babylon ending stand out even further at this point. CLAMP got to offer us some resolution. Further confrontations between Subaru and Seishiro appear, as they meet again. Hokuto is referenced, and we get closure regarding that spell only she could use. But at the same time, we don’t get to know what becomes of Subaru. He still doesn’t get an ending.

The Tokyo Babylon ending still hits me every time I read it, even years later. There’s no mercy in this final volume. CLAMP set up a tragedy, leaving little clues along the way. Some more obvious than others, of course. There’s no closure here. No happy ending. Just like real life, things don’t come together perfectly. Instead, we see how different choices we’ve made and people we let in permanently affect our lives even after a short time together. And, because the follow-up work remains unfinished, we just never get to really know what happened to Subaru at the end.

All seven volumes of the CLAMP Collection Tokyo Babylon manga are available via Yen Press.

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So Takahashi from the Bike Shop, a shojo slice-of-life manga from Arare Matsumushi, is one of those love stories that you can settle in, enjoy, and get cozy with due to how low-key it is. Yes, there’s some anxiety about the relationship in the first volume as characters define things and Panko gets used to Ryouhei. However, by the end of it and throughout the second volume, we’re seeing a strong foundation being built between a couple that could really work. 

Editor’s Note: There are some mild spoilers for volume 2 of the Takahashi from the Bike Shop manga below. 531y6p

The end of the first volume of Takahashi from the Bike Shop and start of the second volume of the manga mainly focuses on how Panko is overthinking things and adjusting to the new potential relationship and her feelings. Like clearly, she’s now dating Ryouhei. There are mutual feelings that are obvious to Ryouhei and the reader. But she’s just taking a moment. Which is relatable and fine! It happens. Where Matsumushi takes a turn from other shojo manga is that this doesn’t get stretched out to a full, uncomfortable volume or two of “will they or won’t they” moments. Instead, Panko realizes at work while fantasizing and shutting down a jerk coworker that yes, she likes him, and she wants to date him. 

This means when she does go out with Ryouhei again, following a meal with her work friend Kimi and her partner Suruga, there’s no ambiguity. The new couple defines what they are. They enjoy their time together. He notices she’s a bit upset about an change. She treats him to a shirt he wanted. It’s just comfortable and pleasant to see a couple who is behaving in such a healthy, mature manner. 

Honestly, I also love how mature Takahashi from the Bike Shop is, but how the manga approaches even serious situations in a cozy and comfortable manner. Panko sees people misjudging Ryouhei or treating people unfairly, and she starts speaking up because of the influence of her new boyfriend. I mean, I’d even consider it as her realizing it doesn’t matter what people think of her. Only the opinions of folks who count, like him and her friend Kimi. She’s 30! Who cares about them! Do what makes her happy! And, in turn, reading that makes me happy. 

This extends to another situation. There’s something of a tragedy that happens at the end of the second volume of Takahashi from the Bike Shop. Ryouhei completely steps up and volunteers to help Panko and her mother. Even though it means he needs to go out of his way, as well as encounter a traumatic situation of his own. He goes all out for his partner and his kindness makes something sad a little more bearable. Then, in turn, Panko comforts him in her own way. They’re able to be there for each other.

Maybe it’s because Panko is an older protagonist or due to the fact that this is a slice-of-life manga with so little drama, but Takahashi from the Bike Shop is a shojo series that makes me feel all cozy and happy. Both Panko and Ryouhei are pretty secure individuals by the time we get to the second volume. She’s still way more anxious about things than he is, so he’s coming across as the more mature one. But we get a sense that this is a real partnership with both people invested in, helping out, respecting, and caring for each other. It’s refreshingly mature and grown-up about things.

Volumes 1 and 2 of Takahashi from the Bike Shop are available now via Yen Press, and volume 3 of the manga will debut on October 28, 2025. 

The post Takahashi from the Bike Shop Is My Current Cozy Manga appeared first on Siliconera.

I’m constantly bombarded with ads from manga apps with shojo series, like Emaqi and Manga Plaza, taunting me with a few pages from a Cinderella story series about a black sheep twin or stepsister who meets the best man who recognizes her for the diamond in the rough she is. Some of these types of stories can be great in their own right due to certain takes on the genre, like Bride of the Barrier Master. Now that we’re five volumes deep into the My Happy Marriage manga, I keep being reminded how its the superior series when it comes to characters, handling of sensitive topics, and actual relationship development.  

Editor’s Note: There will be some minor spoilers for early volumes of the My Happy Marriage manga below. 684g3o

The first reason I feel like My Happy Marriage is the superior Cinderella story manga is because the start is exactly that. Miyo Saimori’s the elder daughter who is pushed aside in favor of her stepsister due to not possessing a Gift and the marriage between her father and mother being essentially a political one. She’s engaged to Kiyoka Kudo, a person with a powerful gift who is also head of the Special Anti-Grotesquerie Unit and rich. He’s as close as a prince as we can get in this period piece. Because she’s so kind, humble, considerate, and unlike any fiance ever forced on him, he ends up seeing exactly who she is and realizing how special she is. And because this is a manga based on a light novel, there’s ample characterization to make him appealing too.

Also important is how Miyo is depicted throughout My Happy Marriage compared to the Cinderella fairy tale and other shojo manga. Miyo went through hell in her family home. She was abused. Throughout the first two volumes, we see her responses to that. She hides the fact that she has so little clothing and is working to make what she has last. She apologizes too much. She goes out of her way to not cause trouble. Don’t make requests. Don’t make mistakes. Don’t make assumptions. It might almost seem like overkill sometimes to see someone trip over herself so much to keep out of others’ ways. However, if you ever were in her position or knew someone who was, it comes across as quite realistic. It isn’t like other shojo manga that involves a heroine more quickly getting over years of abuse because now she’s got a normal life where she’s potentially pampered and loved. She’s very much in recovery.

I also appreciate that Kiyoka’s approach to the situation feels equally realistic. He tries to be patient and kind. He reaches out to her. He sets up gifts in such a way to possibly encourage her accepting them and not feeling guilty about doing so. He has his housekeeper Yurie reach out to her and her. But at the same time, there are moments in later volumes of the manga in which even he gets frustrated. Which happens! Even if you care about someone, it could be easy to get impatient about the time table for recovery not being what you’d expect. 

The fact that Miyo keeps growing throughout My Happy Marriage and her own development as a person isn’t sidelined for the sake of the more romantic elements in this shojo manga and immediately resolved Cinderella story is encouraging as well. By the time the fourth volume hits, we’re aware of her capabilities. But this isn’t a blessing. All gifts are shown to have their own trade-offs, and in her case being untrained is leading to negative experiences that exacerbate her PTSD reflected throughout the story. This means as we lead into the fifth volume, we’re hitting a point at which her own character development is going to be prioritized. As a result, I feel like we’re seeing her feelings for Kiyoka coming through more clearly and better understanding her own power.

I love My Happy Marriage so much, and I’m so glad Square Enix Books picked it up, as the manga ended up being one of the best period piece Cinderella style stories out there. It feels like one of the best written “underdog” tales in a sea of manga about twin sisters who supposedly aren’t the gifted ones, but actually are, and end up with a too-good-to-be-true fiance who realizes exactly how amazing they are and fights off their jealous family. Here we see things like PTSD acknowledged. We watch personal growth between characters. Difficulties surrounding supernatural abilities are addressed, so they don’t seem all wonderful. Plus the actual relationship between Miyo and Kiyoka feels as though it is developing in as health a manner as it can, given the circumstances. It’s a wonderful shojo manga. 

Volumes 1-5 of the My Happy Marriage manga adaptation are available via Square Enix, and both seasons of the shojo anime are on Netflix.

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Kikuri Hiroi can be one of those scene-stealing characters in both the Bocchi the Rock anime and manga adaptations. While the series tends to focus on Kessoku Band like Hitori, Ikuyo, Nijika, and Ryo, this funny and flawed ing cast member with moments of depth is a standout too. Though since she is an alcoholic and has plenty of vices, the enjoyment someone gets out of the Bocchi the Rock! Side Story: Kikuri Hiroi’s Heavy-Drinking Diary spin-off manga will vary depending on how much you like her and the original series.

Editors Note: There will be some mild spoilers for early parts of volume 1 of the Bocchi the Rock! Side Story: Kikuri Hiroi’s Heavy-Drinking Diary manga.  q3f59

While the original Bocchi the Rock is a four-koma series that gradually builds on the story of Kessoku band in strips that also can sometimes stand on their own, the Bocchi the Rock! Side Story: Kikuri Hiroi’s Heavy-Drinking Diary side story manga follows a more traditional format as it looks at Sick Hack’s singer and bass player. While it starts by bringing up Kikuri’s talents and how adept bandmates Eliza Shimizu and Shima Iwashita are, it also quickly establishes she is no angel and shows a copy trying to reason with her when she’s in a full drunken “incorrigible alcoholic”moment. 

It’s a stark introduction to two facets of her personality, and the first chapter continues to emphasize that. She gets so drunk after a sold-out Yokohama Arena show that she winds up blackout drunk in Kanazawa. While Eliza and Shima clearly respect her talents enough to perform and be in Sick Hack with her, neither is going to come and pick her up and they also definitely knew she probably wouldn’t make the fireworks show they were going to go to. People in the bar she winds up in think she’s exaggerating about her indie band being popular and talents, due to the fact she walks in drunk and keeps drinking. But then actual fans recognize her, ask to meet her, and her story. Kikuri gets carried away and offers to cover folks’ tabs, blowing through her money and winding up alone and broke at a shrine with a stray cat and huge bottle of cheap booze. 

What I appreciate is that Bocchi the Rock! Side Story: Kikuri Hiroi’s Heavy-Drinking Diary sort of feels like a different type of slice-of-life manga. It’s still going through an indie rocker’s daily life. We get a different perspective. But it doesn’t lock the story into a comedic or dramatic tone, and it establishes that from the outset. Because while this chapter starts out funny, as we see her deal with her drunkenness, not being able to convince people for a ride, and come to with spending almost all of her money as she’s carried away on fan adoration, that quickly turns darker. By the end of the chapter, she’s entered her infamous Spiral of Happiness, which sees her dealing with any discomfort or pain by getting so drunk that she gets “happy” and numb. 

And we see this continue throughout this spin-off. Kikuri reaches a high point, usually a performance of sorts or something dealing with her talents resulting in a win for Sick Hack or her personally. But then something happens to swiftly bring her down. It could be recklessly spending money that could have ed her for a month or longer. Maybe it’s getting so carried away in the moment that she trashes expensive equipment that belonged to a club. While we see people around her, such as Eliza and even Shima, do care in their own ways and offer different sorts of s, there’s a constant cycle that makes it both occasionally amusing and a fascinating analysis of her as a character. However, because Kikuri is a drunk, I could see it being painful or difficult for some people to read, especially when it can seem like she isn’t thinking about consequences or considering others.

So if someone really likes the original series or is interested in the character, I feel like the Bocchi the Rock! Side Story: Kikuri Hiroi’s Heavy-Drinking Diary manga can be interesting supplemental reading. But if someone has experiencing being in a role like Shima or being around someone like that, I think it might be a difficult read. Especially when moments come up when Kikuri or other people do get serious.

Volume 1 of Bocchi the Rock! Side Story: Kikuri Hiroi’s Heavy-Drinking Diary is available now, and Yen Press will release volume 2 of the manga on September 23, 2025. The company also handles the Bocchi the Rock manga. The anime is streaming on Crunchyroll.

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Cygames released a number of new trailers for the English release of Umamusume, with one of them going over the notable unit Mejiro McQueen and the other highlighting what we can expect from the Anime Expo 2025 appearance of the title. There are four new unit trailers to watch total, and all of them should be in-game when it launches worldwide at the end of June 2026. 

First, the Anime Expo 2025 Umamusume reveal video featured Silence Shizuka and Oguri Cap voice actresses Marika Kohno and Tomoyo Takayanagi in-costume discussing what we’ll see at the convention. Umamusume: Pretty Derby - Beginning of a New Era, the 2024 movie, will be shown in Room 403AB at 1:45pm PT on July 6, 2025. That’s not streaming anywhere, so it being shown at the event is notable. Cygames will give away Silence Shizuka, Special Week, and Tokai Teio pins at its booth throughout the event. Mini cushions will be present there. Takayanagi introduced Oguri Cap and Kohno shared details about Silence Shizuka to close out that video.

As for the new Umamusume character trailers, they featured Grass Wonder, King Halo, Mejiro McQueen, and Mejiro Ryan. Grass Wonder is the star of the thirteenth trailer. She’s voiced by Rena Maeda. She is a part of Team Rigil alongside units like El Condor Pasa and Taiki Shuttle. 

King Halo’s trailer showed up after that. Iori Saeki plays that heroine. She’s not associated with any team.

As for Mejiro McQueen, she’s considered one of the better characters to use in Umamusume even after all this time. She’s also prominently featured in the game and anime adaptation. She’s played y Saori Onishi. While her team affiliation varies based on what you’re playing or watching, she’s on Team Sirius in the game. Oguri Cap used to be on that team, and characters like Narito Brian and Rice Shower are on it with her. 

Finally, the most recent trailer goes over Mejiro Ryan. Yes, she is related to Mejiro McQueen. She isn’t associated with any particular team. Afumi Hashi voices her.

Cygames regularly shares new horse girl trailers ahead of the English Umamusume launch. One of the latest batches included major ones like Daiwa Scarlet.

The Umamusume: Pretty Derby English release date is June 26, 2025, and we’ll be able to pre for the global version of the game on the PC via Steam and Android and iOS mobile devices on April 28, 2025. It is already available in Asia. The new Umamusume: Cinderella Gray anime is on Amazon, and other anime adaptations are on Crunchyroll. Anime Expo will be held July 3-6, 2025, and Cygames will have a booth and show one of the movies based on the series there.

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It’s taken 10 years, but Good Smile Company announced it will finally release a new Cardcaptor Sakura Tomoyo Daidouji Nendoroid. This latest figure isn’t an update of the original, as it depicts an older version of the character from the Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card anime. It will cost ￥6,800 when it debuts in November 2025 in Japan, and it will be $44.99 when it launches in the US in Q2 2026.

Since this is an older version of Tomoyo, she wears her Tomoeda Junior High uniform for the figure. In the original, she wore the elementary branch’s, which featured a simpler white skirt and a hat. She comes with an updated video camera accessory and a phone, both for taking pictures and footage of Sakura. Her school bag can be held in her right hand too. She comes with a neutral smiling face plate, one in which she’s extra happy, and a new take on the "Sakura-chan is incredibly cute" expression. (The original Nendoroid featured a similar one with stars in her eyes. 

Here are the first photos of the figure Good Smile Company shared with all of us via the shop.

Just like the first Nendoroid, there is a Good Smile Company Online Shop bonus. The initial one came with a Kero-chan figure. This one comes with extra hand parts for an additional pose, which you can see below:

This figure is designed to match another recent Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card Nendoroid. One of Sakura Kinomoto appeared in 2024. Her and Tomoyo’s uniforms will match. This could mean that, if you own both, you could swap their hand, arm, and leg parts for more potential poses.

The Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card Tomoyo Daidouji Nendoroid will debut in Japan in November 2025 and worldwide in Q2 2026. Pre-orders are open until July 9, 2025. The anime is streaming on Crunchyroll.

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Sega announced that Suicide Squad Isekai figures of Harley Quinn and Joker are now part of its Desktop x Decorate collection. They are currently showing up in arcades and online crane games, like Taito’s, in Japan. US storefronts aren’t showing them yet, though places like Amazon and Big Bad Toy Store do often sell items from this line for $20-30 each. 

Both the Joker and Harley Quinn figures are static ones based on their appearances in the anime series. He’s slightly taller at almost six and a half inches tall (16.5 cm), and she’s just over six inches tall (16 cm). Neither one is holding any sort of weapons. However, their poses do match a little, as each character has their right hand on their hip.

Here’s how both look: 

This isn't the only time Sega released merchandise based on the characters' anime appearance. Back in December 2024, it also released four plush toys. King Shark and Katana ed Joker and Harley Quinn for that collection.

At the moment there is only one season of the Suicide Squad Isekai anime series. However, that did end on a cliffhanger. Warner Bros and Wit Studio haven’t confirmed if a second one is in the works.

The Suicide Squad Isekai Harley Quinn and Joker Desktop x Decorate figures are now available in Japan via places like arcades, and the anime is streaming on Amazon and HBO Max.

The post Sega Made Suicide Squad Isekai Harley Quinn and Joker Figures appeared first on Siliconera.

Sanrio announced a crossover collection ofmerchandise that features its mascots dressed as Chiikawa characters and vice versa. It will debut in Japan on June 13, 2025, though only applicable Sanrio+ who enter a lottery will be able to buy them initially. The company didn’t note of the items will also appear worldwide yet. 

Five Sanrio mascots and five Chiikawa characters are a part of this collection, and in each case the merchandise features all 10 represented. This means that the pairings mean we’ll see examples where Hello Kitty will constantly be dressed as Chiikawa, and likewise Chiikawa will wear a Hello Kitty outfit. Here is the official list of which characters are connected. 

• Chiikawa and Hello Kitty
• Furuhonya and My Melody
• Hachiware and Cinnamoroll
• Momonga and Kuromi
• Usagi and Pompompurin

There are four kinds of plush products in this crossover collection. Some are more traditional stuffed animals, such as the five 3,696円 (~$26) plush toys of the Chiikawa characters in removable costumes. Those can take the Sanrio outfits off. Five mascot keychains of them that don’t include removable clothes are 2,497円 (~$17). Five plush purses of the Chiikawa characters’ heads with hoods are 2,794円 (~$19). 10 hair clips are also plush and feature all 10 mascots from the crossover for 946円 (~$7) each. Also, while not plush toys, there are 10 flocked 990円 (~$7) of each character. 

There are also some bags and stickers in the collection. A set of what looks to be 17 stickers costs 550円 (~$4). There are three bag options, with one being a set of two. The cheapest is a pink eco bag that can be folded into a pouch for 1,496円 (~$10). The pair of two zippered pouches is 1,980円 (~$14). Finally, the A4-size tote bag is 2,497円 (~$17).

Here’s how all the Sanrio and Chiikawa character merchandise will look:

This crossover collection will first debut in Japan on June 13, 2025. There’s no word on a US or worldwide release yet. The Chiikawamanga and anime are available in Japan.

The post Sanrio and Chiikawa Characters Dress as Each Other for Crossover appeared first on Siliconera.

FuRyu used its social media for figures and merchandise to confirm it will release a Frieren replica of the staff the heroine uses that can be used as a cosplay prop. It will launch in October 2025. There’s no price for it yet. It is designed to look exactly like the weapon from the anime and manga.

So far, there are very few details about this Frieren staff replica, though there is a first photo of the cosplay prop and we know its size. It will stand at 42cm tall, which is about over 16 inches. This means it will not be a 1:1 item, as the actual staff in the manga and anime is almost as tall as she is. We don’t know what materials will be used to make it, but it does look as though the red fabric ribbon around the top will remain. 

Here’s a first photo of FuRyu’s replica of the weapon from Frieren. 

To compare, you can see clear images of her staff in the anime in the YORUSHIKA “Haru” opening video below:

Earlier in February 2025, FuRyu released two other pieces of Frieren merchandise. Both were noodle stopper figures. This means they look like Frieren and Fern as they’re sitting down, and they can be used to hold a cup of instant noodles shut or posed on a shelf. Those released in February 2025 in Japan, and sites like Good Smile Company are selling them worldwide.

The Frieren staff replica from FuRyu that can be used as a cosplay prop will release in Japan in October 2025. The anime is streaming on Crunchyroll. Viz Media handles the manga outside Japan.

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Labubu basically ended up being the pop culture fad going into 2025, with Kasing Lung’s The Monsters designs resulting in different kinds of merchandise based on the characters, and shockingly enough One Piece is a part of it. While the only one with plush elements are the 400% and 1,000% Mega Labubu of Chopper, with the hat being soft fabric, Pop Mart also released PVC, ABS figures of the Straw Hat crew. While I do think the ideal target audience for the collection is going to be people already interested in Labubu, the design and execution is such that I think people who love One Piece might be interested it for the depiction of some of the cast.

Okay, so to start, the Pop Mart The Monsters One Piece collection is a blind box situation, but it is possible to avoid getting repeat characters by making sure you only get Labubu figures from the same box. This is because each unopened box includes a full set of 12. However, the caveat is that this set is actually made up of 13 total, as the secret one is a Gear 5 version of Luffy. Odds of getting it are 1/144. So most likely someone will just get the full, standard crew of Straw Hats or those considered allies in a box. It basically covers up through the Whole Cake Island Arc, if you don’t count the Gear 5 figure. 

In of style and size, the characters are all very uniform. This does mean they aren’t realistic and to scale in any way. Like Chopper being the same size as Franky sort of proves that. However, there is about the same care and effort put into each one, which I appreciated. Their poses all seem realistic and based on attacks or actions in the anime and manga. The standard Luffy one is about to unleash Gomu Gomu no Mi. Sanji is in the midst of a Diable Jambe attack. Nami comes with a (removable) Clima-Tact in the midst of an electrical attack. There are special uses of glossy paint or transparent parts for certain effects, such as Franky and Robin’s sunglasses. Also, when characters arrive, the packing involves foam for more delicate parts, such as Usopp’s slingshot, Jinbe’s ponytail, and the neck of Brook’s guitar, to ensure they aren’t damaged in transit. All of the bases are also individual Berry coins with specialized parts to ensure they grip characters properly. So while Zoro’s coin has no parts, there are pegs on ones for folks like Sanji and slats that fit into Jinbe’s geta. 

I also mentioned that certain people feature extra accessories. as accents, and you could honestly sort of pose them with or without them. The One Piece characters with extra parts in this The Monsters Labubu figures line are Law, Nami, Sabo, and Sanji. Out of those, I feel like you could honestly display any without their extra accent or weapon, though with Nami it’s a bit of a stretch. Her Clima-Tact, the fire on Sanji’s foot, Sabo’s pipe, and Law’s Kikoku are all separate parts, in some cases with additional paint jobs or translucent elements. All of them fit well into the figures’ hands, so they are pretty stable once in place for display. They’re nice little accents that set the characters apart, and I sort of wish Robin came with extra hands to showcase her Devil Fruit ability since she is in a pose that suggests she is using it. 

Honestly, the Labubu Robin figure is the only one in the One Piece The Monsters set that I didn’t really like. Yes, it is cool that she has translucent sunglasses on her head. However, her pose isn’t as expressive as other characters, the nature of it means we don’t see as much of her costume as the the rest of the set, and it generally doesn’t feel as detailed. Everyone else has a lot more personality to them, which I appreciated.

The funny thing is, I actually think the Brook one is one of my favorites even though it features no real The Monsters or Labubu accents. There are no signature ears. The skull doesn’t feature the pointy teeth in place of the standard ones. The only thing that suggests he’s part of the line are the proportions. Even so, it really just looks adorable and very true to the character, and I appreciate that.

Okay, scratch that. My actual favorite is Franky. I really don’t care about the character when he shows up in One Piece games or other adaptations. He’s just sort of there. But I do appreciate how the Labubu figure version of him in this The Monsters line features a little bit of articulation. You can move his arms up and down, and I really like that extra bit of whimsy.

People’s mileage may vary when it comes to the Pop Mart The Monsters One Piece figures of characters as Labubu. The designs are well-thought out and made, I will say. And some of them are especially neat due to extra accessories or posing elements. They are quite cute and, since there is the One Piece connection, they’ll be relevant even when the fad wears out. Especially in the case of the extra cute Franky, Brook, or Chopper ones. I do wish maybe some characters had a bit more to them, like Robin, but in general they’re fun.

The Monsters One Piece figures that turn characters into Labubu are available in single blind boxes or in a full box of 12. The anime is streaming on services like Crunchyroll and Netflix. The live-action adaptation is on Netflix. Viz Media handles the manga outside Japan. 

The post The Monsters One Piece Figures Make Characters Labubu appeared first on Siliconera.

I’ve mentioned before how in early Oshi no Ko manga volumes and anime episodes, it seems to focus on Aqua and his development, and it’s only around volume 9 that we Ruby starts to steal the show. The 10th volume builds on that in a way that’s honestly a little terrifying. We see the full extent of her plans from the previous volume to now and the effects of those actions, as well as her brother’s response, and it shows exactly how brilliant, devious, and powerful she can be.

Editor’s Note: There will be minor spoilers for the first few three chapters of the 10th volume of the Oshi no Ko manga below. 1j6q6q

Things start out with a new episode of the show Dig Deep, which features Aqua as a host and Ruby as a reporter, dealing with the cosplay incident and flaming of the show from the previous volume. Because of the director Tetsu Urushibara’s decisions, a cosplayer was treated abominably, people who were supposed to be on the show had no warning about changes, and approval wasn’t gotten from Abiko Samejima for Tokyo Blade usage. However, while that all went wrong and people’s reputations were hurt and livelihoods threatened, we start with Ruby about to benefit. She orchestrated the proposal for handling it on the show, with her hosting the “interviews” to explain how it all went wrong.

From the outset, it seems like a fantastic way to make amends. The director apologizes. The show explains how it happens. The wronged cosplayer who sicced her thousands of followers on the show and started the hate campaign gets a chance to speak up. Abiko is able to talk about her project and why she’s protective. It seems like everything went right and Ruby gets some attention in the process.

But we see that Aqua understood what Ruby orchestrated, and he brings up up after the episode recording in Oshi no Ko. He can tell she had a hand, but asks when she started it all. It’s then that, like a James Bond villain, we see exactly how brilliant she is. She realized she didn’t want to wait for the assistant director Shun Yoshizumi to climb the ranks so she could get more work. So she used the flaws she observed in Dig Deep, formulated a plan to ruin the direct, pulled in a cosplayer known for leaks and unleashing a toxic community, and put everything together to force a situation where the already established director Urushibara owes her. She forces her way up the ladder quickly, rather than the more gradual and slow way Aqua did. He looks more and more shocked as she explains, and we get this greater sense of appreciation of how observant she was, how she watched people, the decisions she made, and how she ensured she had the cosplayer, director, assistant director, and audience all on her side by the end.

The thing it comes down to is collateral damage. When Aqua schemed in Oshi no Ko, it felt like it ended up being more targeted endeavors. During the Love for Real incident with Akane, he convinces people to work together for a good cause. When he’s taking part in the Tokyo Blade stage play, it’s to reach one specific person and get information from people tied to a certain group. His climb through the ranks of the entertainment industry isn’t about his personal gain, really. It’s about getting clues and insight to find Ai’s killer. His climb doesn’t tear anyone down and, while he does get Akane on his side along the way, the relationship he builds don’t seem to involve exploitation.

With Ruby, she’s more ruthless once she decides she learned what happened to Gorou Amamiya and sets her sights on advancing as quickly as possible. She’s willing to manufacture situations to play people to her advantage. Yes, in this instance she does “fix” things in the end. But the only person who is better off at the end is herself. Also, in so doing, it gives the impression she’s somewhat alienating herself from others. While Aqua did detach from Kana, which he established is a purposeful action to ensure what happened to Ai never happens to her and protects her, he also didn’t set things up to benefit. Ruby is cunning, enraged, and determined enough to do that.

In a way, I think only now getting to see Ruby in this way in Oshi no Ko, especially after Aqua did much of his scheming in early volumes, makes for a more interesting comparison. It makes the lengths she went to and the way she behaved as a mastermind more impressive and terrifying than it might have been otherwise. Likewise, seeing Aqua’s response to the realization that Ruby is willing to go so far is a major moment.

Oshi no Ko volume 10 debuts on May 27, 2025, and Yen Press will release volume 11 of the manga on August 26, 2025. The anime is on Hidive. 

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