An advance screening and chat event for the upcoming anime series Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, set to begin airing in April 2023, will be held at Shinjuku Wald 9 on February 11.   Those lucky enough to get tickets will be treated to the first two episodes of the series followed by a chat with select cast members including Kana Hanazawa (Sariphi), Satoshi Hino (Leonhart), Yuka Nukui (Cy), and Natsumi Fujiwara (Clops).

The ticket lottery is now open on e+, and general ticket sales will open on February 3 if any tickets are left!   Be sure to check out the series when it airs this April!

The CrosSing cover song project brings together popular voice actors to sing classic songs in their own unique style. Launched in March 2022, the YouTube channel has amassed over 150,000 subscribers and upon each song’s release, the project continuously trends on Twitter and other social media sites.   On January 18, 2023, the official CrosSing YouTube channel uploaded a recording video of voice actress Nanaka Suwa performing the song Fantastic future.   Nanaka Suwa is best known for playing Kanan Matsuura in Love Live! Sunshine!! The actress has also released two studio albums. In this new video from CrosSing, Suwa is seen performing Yukari Tamura’s popular song Fantastic future, used as the opening theme for the anime series The “Hentai” Prince and the Stony Cat.  

Fantastic future - from CrosSing - Nanaka Suwa (Recording Video)

The track is now available on numerous streaming sites and those purchasing the high-res version from mora will be able to access a special mini-interview with Suwa herself. LINE MUSIC has also started a playback campaign, and fans listening to the track over 300 times will be entered to win an autographed image!   A retweet campaign is also underway, with two lucky winners receiving Nanaka Suwa’s autograph. For details, check out the official CrosSing Twitter.   The CrosSing project released its first compilation album, CrosSing Collection Vol. 1, in September. Kana Hanazawa’s cover of Rain from Makoto Shinkai’s short anime film The Garden of Words is included as a bonus track. The track is also available on YouTube.

CrosSing Collection vol.1

TrySail is a popular girl group consisting of three popular voice actresses: Momo Asakura, Sora Amamiya, and Shiina Natsukawa. Since their debut in 2015, the girls have performed incredible live concerts, managing to hold successful events at Yokohama Arena and the Yoyogi National Gymnasium. TrySail’s latest album, Re Bon Voyage, was released in September 2021, reaching the #5 spot on the Oricon Weekly Ranking.   The group’s newest song, Karei One Turn, will be used as the theme song for the 2023 anime series My One-Hit Kill Sister. The happy-go-lucky track can be heard in the second teaser trailer for the show.

Along with this exciting anime tie-up, TrySail has announced the song flower. The song will be used to commemorate the group’s upcoming event ‘LAWSON presents TrySail Arena Live 2023 ~Ai ni Yuku yacht! Minna de Aso-boat!~’ Be sure to watch out for what else TrySail has in store for fans in 2023!

More information about the upcoming anime series Insomniacs After School has been revealed. The series is set to premiere on TV Tokyo in April 2023.

 

Makoto Ojiro’s coming-of-age manga series is set in Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture. It follows Ganta Nakami, a high school boy suffering from insomnia, and Isaki Magari, a girl with the same issue. Insomniacs After School is serialized in Shogakukan’s Big Comic Spirits.

 

The second key visual and trailer have been released, giving audiences a better glimpse at this bittersweet tale. The new image shows Ganta and Isaki in different rooms with headphones on. The text reads “what are you doing right now?”

 

The trailer shows off the beautiful scenery around Nanao City. An event was recently held in the real-life city to celebrate the popular series.

 

Insomniacs After School Trailer #2

New characters and their voices are revealed for the first time in this exclusive trailer!

 

The cast includes Haruka Tomatsu, Seiichiro Yamashita, Lynn, Natsumi Fujiwara, Sumire Morohoshi, Mamiko Noto, Sho Karino, Gen Sato, and Konomi Tamura.

 

Insomniacs After School is only three months away. Will you be tuning in?

 

Cast Comments

Haruka Tomatsu (Yui Shiromaru) Popular Works: Sword Art Online (Asuna), Yo-kai Watch (Keta) “I absolutely love stars, so this role makes me super happy! Shiromaru is cool and doesn't talk too much, but he is kindhearted and pure, and it was super fun to play him. Since he’s an older character, there are plenty of scenes where he gives helpful advice. This series is really heartwarming and I hope you’ll tune in!”   Seiichiro Yamashita (Tao Ukegawa) Popular Works: The Eminence in Shadow (Cid Kagenou / Shadow), More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers (Jiro Yakuin) “There are things that are incredibly difficult to say to others, but things that you feel you need to say. I could really feel the romance behind sharing secrets as I worked on this project. It carefully handles difficult issues and reminds us how hard it can be to truly understand other people. That’s why the human experience is so complex and dramatic. It’s a wonderful work filled with love. Enjoy it!”   Lynn (Motoko Kanikawa) Popular Works: Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury (Miorine Rembran), Uma Musume: Pretty Derby (Maruzensky) “I love the atmosphere of the original work. The glimpses of ordinary life seen in every scene are so precious. Kanikawa is funny and cute and it was a blast to play her. I had a blast ad-libbing with the other cast members! I hope that this series reaches a ton of new people now that it’s being adapted into an anime series!”   Natsumi Fujiwara (Kanami Anamizu) Popular Works: SPYxFAMILY (Damian Desmond), Chuka Ichiban! (Mao) “I was worried that Anamizu would be too difficult of a role for me, but thanks to everyone’s help, I was really able to enjoy working on this series. The main character suffers from insomnia which is a terrible thing, but I was thrilled the entire time. After all, I love the stars! Ah, the splendors of youth! I can’t wait to see how the final product turns out!”   Sumire Morohoshi (Mina Nono) Popular Works: Aikatsu! (Ichigo Hoshimiya), The Promised Neverland (Ema) “Nono is so adorable! I wanted to make sure her laid-back energy came through. She’s gentle and kind and I think it will be completely apparent to audiences what kind of person she is. The work itself is both fresh and nostalgic at the same time, and it was so fun to work with the cast. I felt like I was back in high school again!”   Mamiko Noto (Usako Kurashiki) Popular Works: Kimi ni Todoke (Sawako Kuronuma), Hell Girl (Ai Enma) “I’m Mamiko Noto and I play the role of Usako Kurashiki. As a native of Ishikawa, it’s such a pleasure to work on a series based in my home prefecture. Ms. Kurashiki is a charming teacher and one I wish I had when I was a student. The original work is so rich in content and character, both warm and sad…it’s so detailed that it can truly feel like you’re wrapped up in it. I’m sure the anime will be the same way. I hope you’re looking forward to it!”   Sho Karino (Rui Haida) Popular Works: Tokyo Revengers (Chifuyu Matsuno), Idolmaster SideM (Yukihiro Kamiya) “This wonderful story is so meaningful. I was happy to experience it with everyone, with this entire cast. The scenery and starry skies will stick in your mind and make you want to go out and explore the night. Working on Insomniacs After School made me feel like I could enjoy my high school life again! Thank you so much!”

©オジロマコト・小学館／アニメ「君ソム」製作委員会

On August 31, 2022, the voice actor, hero, and music project PRELUDERS released the album By Your Side. Now, the music video for the song Horizon Climber by High Five has been released, and it’s absolutely gorgeous!   High Five is a group led by Asuka Morito (Junya Enoki), and Horizon Climber is a song filled with hope. Young people are encouraged to listen to imagine the kind of hero they’d like to become!   Horizon Climber Music Video

The music video for Horizon Climber depicts the fifth and final chapter of the voice drama Koubou (Beam of Light), in which the members of High Five and S-quad finally confront the two members of Vice Versa, voiced by Atsushi Tamaru and Shintaro Asanuma. The battle is ready to start, with Asuka (Junya Enoki) and Ko Kujikami (Yuma Uchida) taking on those who would threaten their friends. Be sure to keep an eye out for more from this exciting project! Be sure to give this gorgeous video a watch!   （C)PRELUDERS

Shenmue the Animation, based on Yu Suzuki’s game series originally released for the Sega Dreamcast in 1999, is coming to Japan in April! The series is being directed by Chikara Sakurai at Telecom Studios. A Crunchyroll Original, Shenmue the Animation began airing in North America in February. M・A・O will play the open and vivacious Joy, Osamu Taira will portray young street tough Ren Wuyin, Shota Hayama will play gang member Wong, and Takahiro Sumi will play the boss of the Chinese Mafia Dou Niu. Check out comments from the new cast members below!  

Official Cast

M・A・O (Joy) My name is M・A・O, and I will be playing the role of Joy in Shenmue the Animation. I’m so happy to be able to participate in a series that I’ve loved for so long. Joy is a really cool big sister-type character with a huge heart, and I find the way she interacts with Ryo to be so charming. During recording, I really tried to capture both her strength and her kindness. I hope you look forward to it!Osamu Taira (Ren Wuying) I’m Osamu Taira, and I’ll be playing the role of Ren of Heavens, Ren Wuying, following the events of Shenmue III. Having portrayed the original character, I still think of Ren. I was shocked to hear that an animated series was being made!Ren is a difficult character to play because he’s so complex. I got a lot of help from the director and other members of the project.Shenmue the Animation is really a passion project by the staff and cast. I’m also looking forward to seeing the final product!   Shouta Hayama (Wong) I’ll once again be playing the role of Wong in Shenmue the Animation. While reading the script, I was so inspired by his courageous nature. He looks up to Ryo and Ren like older brothers, and he has worked with Joy since childhood. The scene I remember most vividly is escaping with Joy on a motorcycle. It was such a tense scene, but I enjoyed the sister-brother banter between myself and M・A・O!I’ve done my best to play both a childlike Wong and a more adult Wong, so I hope you enjoy my performance!   Takahiro Sumi (Dou Niu) My name is Takahiro Sumi and I’ll be playing the role of Dou Niu.I’m honored to be involved in this series which has become a part of video game history!As his name implies, Dou Niu is a tough foe, much like a raging bull. I did my best to play the role of this massive obstacle standing in Ryo and his friends’ way. Please watch to see how their epic battle will end!   © SEGA / Shenmue Project