It’s been a manga, an anime, and even a couple live-action films. Now Attack on Titan is shingeki -ing its way to the stage. The stage play based on the hit franchise is called Live Impact Attack on Titan , and yesterday photos of the …Read more »
The two members of Trustrick, the musical duo that’s contributed songs to anime like Danganronpa , My Love Story!! , and Shonen Maid , are going their separate ways, at least for now. The duo, vocalist Sayaka Kanda and guitarist Billy, will pursue separate solo …Read more »
Keyakizaka46, one of several AKB48-related all-girl musical groups, is in hot water after its members appeared on stage October 22 in outfits that resembled those of Nazi SS officers. Now both Keyakizaka46’s producer and record label have apologized, citing a “lack of oversight.” Yasushi Akimoto, …Read more »
Yasushi Akimoto, the creator of Japan’s best-selling idol phenomenon AKB48 and its various sub-groups, is at it again. This time, he’s producing a “2D + 3D” anime project and recruiting some serious industry talent to help out. The idol unit, which is described as a …Read more »
Kimura played Howl in 2004's Howl's Moving Castle . Come 2017, the members of Japanese boy band SMAP are going to find themselves with some spare time on their hands. The group, which has been together for 25 years, is set to split up December …Read more »
Eir Aoi, known for performing multiple anime opening and ending themes since her debut in 2011, is going on hiatus, according to a press release from her label Sony Music Entertainment. The press release cited the singer’s poor physical health as the reason for the …Read more »
SMAP, one of Japan’s best-known and best-selling boy bands, are calling it quits. The group, which debuted in 1991 and have become a staple of Japanese pop charts, not to mention TV, radio and advertising, have announced they will officially disband December 31, coinciding with …Read more »
Election winner Rino Sashihara. Vote early and vote often. That oft-repeated phrase may be tongue-in-cheek when it comes to normal politicking, but it’s totally valid when it comes to the AKB48 General Election, in which fans of the popular J-pop group and its affiliates lay …Read more »
If you’ve ever been to the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo, you’ve no doubt seen kids playing around in a life-size version of the Catbus from the studio’s classic My Neighbor Totoro . You may also have felt a pang of jealously, knowing that if …Read more »
Did you know? The age when you become a legal adult in Japan is 20. It’s a pretty magical year for Japanese youth, who get to go to a fancy coming-of-age ceremony, buy alcohol and cigarettes, and become an official member of society. Wow! It …Read more »
Mayu Tomita, an idol singer, was stabbed repeatedly at a fan event Saturday by a man who had reportedly been stalking her for months. She is in critical condition and has yet to regain consciousness. The suspect, Tomohiro Iwazaki, was arrested and admitted to stabbing …Read more »
Are you one of the many Hatsune Miku fans first pumped to learn about the North American tour, then disappointed to find out it wasn’t coming to your city? You may be in luck, as the Expo has now expanded from six to ten U.S. …Read more »
Rock Musical Bleach, a rock musical based on the manga and anime Bleach (as if you couldn’t figure that out based on the title) is back and headed to stages throughout Japan this summer. The 2016 Rock Musical is the longest in a line of …Read more »
Best-selling J-pop singer/songwriter Utada Hikaru is set to return to the Japanese music scene after a five-year hiatus. Utada, whose last album, This is the One , was released in 2009, is one of Japan’s best-selling artists. Born and raised in the U.S., Utada’s debuted …Read more »
Hatsune Miku's big North American tour is set to go live this April, and the Vocaloid superstar will be joined by one of the chiptune music scene's most well-known bands. If the first name that came to your mind was Anamanaguchi, you got it! They …Read more »
Matt Schley
Joseph Luster