On September 9, 2024, Nekokurage, the artist for the manga adaptation of The Apothecary Diaries, gave an update on her tax evasion situation. Long story short, she will continue to work on the series.

In a handwritten note, Nekokurage apologizes for all the trouble she caused people. She has deeply reflected on her actions after receiving a guilty verdict and has now hired an accountant. She swears that she will not repeat this mistake in the future. Nekokurage also thanks the readers who told her they still wanted to see her art in the manga, as well as those who allowed her to remain the artist. She hopes that her work can make it up to everyone, as well as serve as a way of showing gratitude.

Nekokurage, or Erika Ikeda, was found guilty of tax evasion in July 2024. The Fukuoka District Court sentenced her to three years’ suspension, as well as fined her 11 million JPY. She had pleaded guilty in June 2024 after evading taxes worth 47 million JPY. According to her, she had planned on declaring several years’ worth of taxes at once, despite people around her (including the author of The Apothecary Diaries) giving her financial advice. As a reminder, Nekokurage is the artist for the manga adaptation and not the original light novel.

The Apothecary Diaries is available in English from J-Novel Club and the anime adaptation is on Crunchyroll.

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Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist will come out on January 22, 2025. It is the sequel of Metroidvania Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights.

The story of Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist takes place decades after Ender Lilies. With artificial life forms now rampaging through the Land of Fumes, only Lilac, an “Attuner” can save the kingdom. She can use her powers to purify bosses and turn them into her allies. You’ll also be able to customize your fighting style with various attack and equipment options. At launch, you can expect about 35 hours of content. This is a 2D side-scroller set in a dark fantasy post-apocalyptic world, with a play style quite similar to Ender Lilies’s.

You can check out the announcement trailer for Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist here:

Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights came out in 2021 and is a dark fantasy fairy tale that plays like a 2D side scroller. Critics gave it positive reviews at launch. Since then, it’s sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide. The story follows Lily, the final priestess of a land that’s gone through an apocalyptic event called the Blight. As a result of the Blight, everyone in her country turned into monsters. Lily has the power to purify souls from corruption and they then accompany her on her journey to protect her.

Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist will come out on January 22, 2025 for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC via Steam. It's readily available in Early Access.

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Fuwa Minato of Nijisanji has just passed a million subscribers on his YouTube channel. He held a stream on September 8, 2024 that would last until he reached that number and it took him around forty-five minutes to hit that milestone.

The official Nijisanji X (formerly known as Twitter) account posted a commemorative video for Fuwa Minato. It includes highlights from Fuwa’s streaming career, including his appearances in collaborations with other livers. Fuwa also handwrote a message stating his disbelief that he managed to reach a million subscribers. He said that he was only able to do so thanks to his listeners and that he loves them. At the end of the message, he said that he hopes they stay with him until he gets 10 million subscribers.

Fuwa left another message on his Twitter account. He once again thanks everyone for their support and says that he debuted almost five years ago. He wonders how much longer he can remain as Fuwa Minato. Though he doesn’t know what awaits him in the future, he enjoys his life as it is now. At the end of the message, he asks his fans to continue living on with him.

Fuwa Minato debuted in 2019 as part of Nijisanji’s Yaoukoku trio, which consisted of him, Shirayuki Tomoe, and Gwelu Os Gar. He’s also part of groups like ROF-MAO and Mescher’s. In his lore, he’s a host. As you may expect from a host, he has a very friendly and goofy personality.

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Atlus announced that a collaboration between Seven Knights Idle Adventure and Persona 3 Reload started on September 9, 2024 and will run until September 23, 2024. During the event, you’ll be able to obtain Yuki Makoto (the protagonist), Takeba Yukari, Aigis, and Kirijo Mitsuru.

While the Persona 3 Reload event is live in Seven Knights Idle Adventure, you can obtain a special login bonus award. As well, there is a new Challenge Pass available for you to try and get either Yukari or Mitsuru. Koromaru is also in the crossover as a pet, though you’ll need to clear the Tartaros-themed collaboration dungeon in order to get him as an award. Finally, a new Legend Costume for Aigis will appear in the gacha.

All of the Persona 3 Reload characters will have their default Personas with them. However, they’re wearing modified versions of their usual uniforms. The Challenge Pass for Yukari will start from September 9, 2024 and the one for Mitsuru will be from September 16, 2024. The Legend Costume gacha for Aigis will start from September 16, 2024 as well. It features her in her Gekkoukan High School uniform.

Seven Knights Idle Adventure is a spin-off of Netmarble’s other game, SevenKnights, but an idle game. You can get rewards from battles and such even when you’re not actively in the game. As an idle game, all phones should be able to handle it and it’s easy to pick up and play. It focuses a lot more on collecting and raising the heroes from SevenKnights.

Persona 3 Reload is readily available on the PS4, PS5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Seven Knights Idle Adventure is on mobile devices and the Persona 3 Reload crossover event will run until September 23, 2024.

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For the 50th anniversary of Hello Kitty, Sanrio will release a total of 20 different acrylic stands featuring mascots wearing hats of the famous cat girl. These are in blind boxes so there’s no telling which acrylic stand you’ll get until you open them.

These blind boxes are available in convenience stores, supermarkets, hobby shops, and such across Japan. They cost 275 JPY each, which would convert to around $1.95. Like how Bandai releases wafers with collectible cards inside of them, these blind boxes will also come with a little snack. In Sanrio’s case, you can get a piece of chewing gum.

As for the acrylic stands, you have a chance of getting some more minor mascots. Popular characters like Pompompurin, Cinnamoroll, My Melody, Chococat, and Hello Kitty exist, of course. But there’s also the chance of getting Marroncream, My Sweet Piano, Paupipo, and Usahana. For some reason, Chococat and Kirimi come in a pair. Meanwhile, Little Twin Stars do not. If you want both Kiki and Lala, you’ll need to rely on luck.

Sanrio has been launching a lot of limited products and crossovers for the 50th anniversary of its signature mascot Hello Kitty. For example, there is a special plush you can make at Build-a-Bear, as well as a limited edition necklace on FanFun Market. Bandai Namco also released a newer version of the Hello Kitty Tamagotchi Nano model from 2020.

The Hello Kitty 50th anniversary blind boxes with acrylic stands are available in stores around Japan.

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Bunny Garden Version 1.0.5 is now available and it introduces a new cast member. Since she’s still in her trial period, she won’t be able to actually interact with the player directly.

The new cast member will only appear when Kana, Rin, and Miuka are on their break. Though she won’t come up to serve the player, you can still observe her hard at work with other guests. In the picture on Qureate’s official X (formerly known as Twitter) account, she seems to be the girl behind Rin with the pigtails and gray-pink hair. It’s likely that she will finish her trial period in a future patch and become a new romanceable girl.

Yujiro Usuda, the CEO of Qureate, QRT-ed the announcement post to say that it's thanks to players' support that Bunny Garden grew big enough to hire a new cast member. He hints that there will be more exciting things in the future for the game and that he hopes the new girl will start serving customers soon. Finally, he reveals that Qureate is still working hard on games it announced at the beginning of the year. This list likely includes games like Fantasista Asuka.

Bunny Garden is a dating sim that takes place in the titular gentleman’s club. As you may expect from such a setting, there are plenty of ecchi elements in the game so it’s not suitable for a younger audience. In Bunny Garden, you can pay money to enjoy conversations, drinks and games with the hostesses.

Remembering past conversations with the girls in your answers to them can make you more popular with them. However, if you don’t work hard (or win big in gambling), you won’t have enough funds to go hang out with the girl of your dreams.

Bunny Garden Version 1.0.5 is readily available on the Nintendo Switch and Windows PC via Steam. A physical version will also appear on the Nintendo Switch on December 19, 2024.

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There’s a new Shonen Jump manga series, and it is Ichi the Witch. The first chapter is available worldwide, and people can read it for free on MangaPlus and Viz Media’s sites.

Aside from the fact that this is a new Shonen Jump manga series, another reason this release is so notable is the writer behind Ichi the Witch. The author is Osamu Nishi. Previously, she created Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun. Shiro Usazaki is the artist behind it.

Ichi is a young man known for his hunting prowess who lives on Druid Mountain after being abandoned there as a child. He expresses his desire is to hunt and defeat an unknown entity he discovered also living there, concerned about it being a threat to the people in the nearby village. 

It turns out Ichi gets his chance to face it, as a number of the young women from the town heading out to the capital for a test. They end up catching that creature’s attention. It turns out that being is a Majik, with a witch Desscaras also dispatched there to investigate. Women who pass a Majik’s test can become witches. However, in the series’ world, it’s proven impossible for men to become witches. So, we see what happens when an extraordinary young man ends up in a life-changing situation and gains that kind of power.

Chapter 2 of Ichi the Witch will debut in Shonen Jump and on manga sites like MangaPlus and Viz on September 15, 2024.

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Atlus has released a new illustration to celebrate the launch of Persona 3 Reload: Episode Aigis DLC. The official Persona series Twitter account shared the artwork, which was drawn by Azusa Shimada, the character designer for Persona 3 Reload. The illustration marks the release of the new DLC, which focuses on the character Aigis and adds new story content.

You can view the official announcement post below:

Episode Aigis is part of the Persona 3 Reload Expansion Pass, which includes three DLCs that expand on the game's characters and narrative. The post also includes a link to a video that gives an overview of the upcoming Episode Aigis DLC, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the commemorative illustration. Shimada's design highlights the themes of the DLC, while the video showcases the artist’s process and attention to detail.

You can view the YouTube video:

In related news, the Persona 3 Reload: Episode Aigis DLC will feature a special Persona 5 Challenge Battle, where players will face off against Joker, who uses his Persona Arsene. This was revealed in a trailer during gamescom 2024.

Persona 3 Reload is available on multiple platforms, with the Episode Aigis DLC arriving on September 10, 2024.

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HoYoVerse has been helping us better understand the personality of Feixiao, the next new Honkai: Star Rail character, via a series of trailers. The latest one shows what happens when she cuts loose and gets drunk, following meeting with Jing Yuan. The official social media account commentary even noted, "From this day forward, all stores on the Luofu will temporarily cease the sale of alcoholic beverages."

The video begins with Feixiao running out of something she’s drinking. However, her ear twitches as she hears someone nearby. This is Jing Yuan, who tosses a glass of liquor her way when she approaches. However, she isn’t satisfied with one glass and steals the rest of the alcohol. When he attempts to take what remains from her when she’s sleeping, she gets so drunk that she doesn’t recognize him or what’s around her and starts to fight.

Here’s the full animated short on YouTube. Only Japanese voice acting is available, but English subtitles are available if you turn on closed captions. 

This is the second Honkai: Star Rail trailer to feature both Feixiao and Jing Yuan. The first appeared earlier in September 2024. That was a MiHoYo Anime production that compared what the start of the day looks like for both generals. It was set during the Wardance arc of the story, so the two were both preparing to meet with each other and Huaiyan.

As a reminder, this is the first of two new 5-star characters to debut in Honkai: Star Rail. She’s a Hunt character who deals Wind elemental damage. The other is Lingsha, a Fire Abundance unit. While both aren’t playable just yet, they did each appear during the first part of the Wardance storyline in 2.4.

Honkai: Star Rail is available on the PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and the Feixiao banner begins on September 10, 2024. That is also the day the 2.5 update for the game appears. 

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Capcom has announced a collaboration event between Dead Rising Deluxe Remastered and the upcoming movie Saw X as part of a limited-time social media campaign. The event will take place from September 9-19, 2024. While the film debuted in the US in September 2023, it launches in Japan on October 18, 2024.

Participants in Japan can enter the event by following both the official Dead Rising and Saw X social media accounts and reposting campaign videos. Winners will have a chance to receive collaboration-themed prizes, such as original tumblers and shopper bags designed after Willamette Parkview Mall from Dead Rising.

Here are how the themed prizes look:

As a reminder, we will see the game soon. Dead Rising Deluxe Remastered is set to release on September 19, 2024. It brings back the zombie action game with enhanced graphics and additional content. Capcom already opened pre-orders for it, as well as announced an array of crossover skins and background music (BGM) included in the Digital Deluxe version. These skins feature characters from titles such as Resident Evil 4, Street Fighter Alpha, and Mega Man Battle Network. BGM tracks tailored to each skin will play while exploring the Willamette Parkview Mall.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is available to pre-order now, and it releases on September 19th on the PS5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC via Steam.

The post Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster Saw X Event Begins in Japan  appeared first on Siliconera.

Capcom revealed the lineup of games, events, and merchandise goods that will be available as part of the upcoming TGS 2024. Capcom will offer demos and information on a variety of games at the event venue, and the Capcom online program will start on September 26, 2024 at 7am PT/10am ET.. [Thanks, PR Times!]

The main Capcom game at TGS 2024 will be Monster Hunter Wilds. The game will be playable for the first time worldwide during Tokyo Game Show 2024. 112 game stations will be offered in the Capcom area of the venue, while the PlayStation section will have 40 game stations.

Two demos will be available, a beginner friendly single player story quest where players will face a Chatacabra, and a Doshaguma Elimination Quest that can be played either alone or in multiplayer with other people at the venue. Limited tickets for the demo will be offered by order of arrival. In addition, a MHW shoulder bag will be offered as a novelty gift.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster will also have a playable demo featuring early stages of the game. The novelty item is a set of stickers. Any case from both titles of the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection will be available in a test demo Miles Edgeworth stickers are the novelty items for playing the demo. Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess will have a demo featuring a variety of early stages from the game. A clear file folder will be offered as the novelty item gift.

People will be able to try any of the 7 titles included in the Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection. In addition, people will be able to play in either single player or versus modes. A set of original stickers featuring characters from the Marvel vs Capcom series is the chosen novelty gift. Street Fighter 6 will be available as well, featuring the upcoming DLC character Terry Bogard as playable. The Fighting Grounds mode with single player and competitive modes will be available. A sticker set featuring the DLC characters released so far is the novelty gift.

Capcom also revealed the merchandise items that will be available at the venue. The items are also available for pre-order from the special Capcom TGS 2024 online store.

Tokyo Game Show 2024 will be held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan between September 26 and September 29, 2024.

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Netflix confirmed the streaming release dates of the anime movies Grave of the FIreflies and The Boy and the Heron. The former will show up first, as it is set to debut on the service on September 16, 2024. People need to wait a month for the new Studio Ghibli film, as it appears worldwide in countries that aren’t the US and Japan on October 7, 2024. 

Grave of the Fireflies is a classic anime movie set during and after the events of the Pacific War. In it, we witness how the lives of siblings Seita and Setsuko change after an attack on Kobe. It is known for its stark depiction of people’s lives during tragic moments. As its a classic film from 1988, it often bounces between streaming services.

Meanwhile, The Boy and the Heron debuted in July 2023 in Japan and is the latest Hayao Miyazaki movie. Like Grave of the Fireflies, it takes place during the Pacific War. A young man named Mahito while dealing with the death of his mother and his father’s remarriage to her sister, finds himself caught up in a supernatural adventure involving another world. 

The restrictions for the Studio Ghibli movie in the US are due to a prior agreement. If you are in that country, you can catch The Boy and the Heron streaming via other methods. For example, it is on the Max service as of 1:30pm ET on September 9, 2024. Other Studio Ghibli anime movies, such as Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, and Kiki’s Delivery Service are also there. 

Grave of the FIreflies will be on Netflix on September 16, 2024, and The Boy in the Heron will stream on the service in select regions worldwide on October 7, 2024.

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Square Enix shared a new video of Naoki Yoshida and Hironobu Sakaguchi talking about Fantasian Neo Dimension, Sakaguchi’s Mistwalker game which Square Enix is publishing and Yoshida is producing with Creative Studio 3. However, in addition to discussing Fantasian, the two also bring up FFXIV. 

The brief clip begins by setting the stage with some introductions. Sakaguchi and Yoshida then note how this is the first time Sakaguchi worked with Square Enix in 25 years. He is one of the founders of Final Fantasy and worked on mainline up until FFXI, as well as spin-offs like FFX-2 and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. From there, Sakaguchi said one of the reasons he “entrusted” Fantasian Neo Dimension to Yoshida is because of the work he’s done as director and producer on the MMORPG. They also tease a release date announcement for the console and PC version of the former Apple Arcade exclusive.

Here is the full video, which ends with Sakaguchi stating, “FFXIV is the best.”

This is the second time we’ve seen commentary from Naoki Yoshida and Hironobu Sakaguchi about Fantasian Neo Dimension. Previously, a Famitsu interview with the two appeared. Among other things, they talked about how this version of the game has voice acting due to Yoshida’s influence and suggestions.

Fantasian Neo Dimension will come to the PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X, and PC in Winter 2024. Fantasian is on Apple devices via Apple Arcade. Final Fantasy XIV is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.

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Nexon announced collaboration event with the Demon Slayer anime will appear in the 2D side-scrolling MMORPG MapleStory on September 19, 2024. New information about the collaboration will appear ahead of the event on a livestream that will be held on September 16, 2024.

The new collaboration will be reportedly the biggest event for MapleStory. The livestream will offer new details, including a glimpse at the new limited collaboration class “Tanjiro,” named after the Demon Slayer protagonist. Additionally, Japanese online streamer Clutch_Fi will be featured as a guest during the livestream.

Furthermore, audience participation sections and exclusive giveaways will also appear during the broadcast. The livestream will be available from the MapleStory official YouTube channel. However, it will only be available in Japanese. Therea re 9 Demon Slayer characters featured in the upcoming MapleStory event, and they include Tanjiro and Nezuko Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma, Inosuke Hashibira, Kanao Tsuyuri, Giyu Tomioka, Shinobu Kocho, Kyojuro Rengoku, and Tengen Uzui.

As a reminder, MapleStory celebrated its 20th anniversary on December 2023. Nexon offered details about the anniversary celebration events, which included new merchandise, social media campaigns, and a collaboration with the KonoSuba anime series.

MapleStory is readily available for PCs, and the Demon Slayer anime collaboration will appear on September 19, 2024.

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Square Enix will run a Final Fantasy Record Keeper 10th Anniversary Cafe in Japan. The company will temporarily offer menu and merchandise based on the mobile game and its characters at Artnia starting in late September 2024, then running until early November 2024.

The merchandise lineup will feature Tetsuya Nomura's illustrations and pixel sprites of all mainline series protagonists from the first game in the series up until Final Fantasy XVI. Prices will range from 594 yen (~$4.15) for a random character's acrylic badge to 3,850 yen (~$26.95) for a tote bag decorated with pixel sprites of all key characters. Visitors can also receive a bonus coaster mat for every 3,000 yen spent on either the cafe menu or store merchandise.

Most of the menu will be available for the whole event duration, but Square Enix will change a few of them in the middle. The Chaos Afternoon Tea set that depicts Chaos and Golbez's dessert servings will only be available until October 16, 2024. Square Enix will afterward replace it with the Record Keeper Afternoon Tea set for the remainder of the event.

Final Fantasy Record Keeper appeared first in Japan in September 2014. While Square Enix also launched a global version of the mobile game in March 2015, it closed the latter in September 2022. The original Japanese release remained intact as it reached its tenth anniversary in September 2024.

The Final Fantasy Record Keeper 10th Anniversary Cafe will be available at Artnia Square Enix in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, from September 21, 2024, until November 12, 2024.

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