Tokyo International News Agency

The legendary game series .hack is making a grand return with a completely new title, .hack//Z.E.R.O. , igniting a wave of enthusiastic reactions from long-time fans across social media. This new installment, planned, developed, and published by CyberConnect2 (CC2) with permission from Bandai Namco Entertainment, is being highlighted as a "100% pure CyberConnect2 in-house production." According to reports from Japanese gaming news outlets Denfaminico Gamer and Famitsu.com, .hack//Z.E.R.O. is set 10 years in the future from the present day. Unlike previous entries in the series, it will place a greater emphasis on the real-world side and delve deeply into human drama, a detail revealed in an interview with CC2 President Hiroshi Matsuyama. It was also clarified that despite carrying "Z.E.R.O." in its title, this is an entirely new work unrelated to the existing novel .hack//ZERO . Following this surprise announcement, X (formerly Twitter) was flooded with expressions...

Riize Helesta, a member of the popular VTuber group Nijisanji, has achieved the remarkable milestone of 1 million YouTube channel subscribers, a widely celebrated event announced on the 16th. This historic moment unfolded in a uniquely “imperial princess”-like fashion: she reached the benchmark while she was away from her live stream, reportedly “out to buy something from a convenience store.” Nijisanji’s official account commemorated this impressive feat by releasing a handwritten comment and a special video from Riize Helesta herself. Fans showered her with congratulations, with many commenting “Congratulations!” and “This unfortunate timing is so characteristic of Riize-sama!” Related terms quickly trended on X (formerly Twitter). This achievement of 1 million subscribers was doubly joyous for the VTuber community, as Kaede Higuchi, also from Nijisanji, reached the same milestone on the very same day. Riize Helesta expressed her gratitude to her fans by hosting a commemorative strea...

Popular group M!LK premiered their new song "Bakuretsu Aishiteru" (Explosively I Love You) on TBS's "CDTV Live! Live!" on February 16th, and their performance swept social media. Even before the broadcast, fans were buzzing with the hashtag "#BakuretsuChijohaHatsuhirou" (Explosive First Terrestrial TV Performance), and a flood of rave reviews followed, such as "It was truly the best" and "It was so exhilarating, I recorded it and watched it at least three times." Posts expressing continued excitement poured in even after the performance concluded. On stage that day, each member's charm was fully showcased. In particular, during the song's climax, when Jinato Yoshida extended his hand towards the camera during his final solo part, the camera was seemingly drawn in, prompting exclamations of surprise and praise like "It's truly being pulled in!" Moreover, his adorable gesture during the "Yeah!" part in ...

Popular VTuber group Nijisanji's Kaede Higuchi has surpassed 1 million subscribers on her YouTube channel. Social media is flooded with messages of congratulations, and the official account has announced handwritten comments and the release of a commemorative video, creating immense excitement. Following Kaede Higuchi's achievement, fans poured in with celebratory comments such as "Deroon-san, congratulations on 1 million subscribers 👏👏" and "Kaede-san, congratulations on 1 million subscribers!" Furthermore, the creator responsible for the video production of her commemorative cover song, "Seishun no Matataki" (Fleeting Youth), also shared the news, indicating the widespread impact of this accomplishment. Adding to the excitement, on the very same day, Lize Helesta, also from Nijisanji, was rapidly approaching 1 million subscribers, with many fans eagerly watching for the moment. Comments like "Lize-sama is almost at 1 million subscribers...

Wakana Yamazaki, the voice actress who has long played the role of Ran Mouri in the popular anime Detective Conan , will be temporarily suspending her activities to undergo medical treatment, her agency announced. This announcement sent shockwaves through the fan community, with numerous messages wishing for Yamazaki's recovery flooding social media. According to the official Detective Conan website, Akemi Okamura, who also voices Nami in the popular anime ONE PIECE , is scheduled to take over the role until Yamazaki recovers. Okamura will begin voicing Ran Mouri in the TV series starting with the broadcast on the 14th of next month. However, it was confirmed that recording for this year's theatrical film, Detective Conan: The Highway's Fallen Angel , has already been completed by Yamazaki. In response to this news, fans have expressed an outpouring of concern and warm messages, saying things like "This is sad... but please focus on your recovery for now" and ...

On the 16th, the Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission (SESC) launched a forced investigation into Mizuho Securities' headquarters and related parties on suspicion of violating the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (insider trading). A male employee of the company is suspected of engaging in stock trading using undisclosed material information. According to reported information and mentions on social media, the employee in question belongs to the investment banking division, and there are allegations that information related to a Tender Offer Bid (TOB) was used for illicit trading. Specifically, attention is focused on the tender offer by Bain Capital for INFORICH (9338), given that Mizuho Securities is serving as the tender offer agent. Reports also indicate that Mizuho Securities has acknowledged its involvement in this matter and appears to be fully cooperating with the SESC's investigation. In response to this news, numerous critical voices have emerged on so...

In the spring of 2026, the ancient capital of Kyoto is set to experience a new wave of excitement. JR Tokai and the popular anime 'Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card Arc' have announced a collaboration for the 'Sakura and Kyoto Spring Trip' campaign, scheduled to run from Wednesday, March 18, to Sunday, May 17, 2026. This big news has generated a huge buzz on social media, raising the expectations of many fans and travel enthusiasts for a trip to Kyoto. This collaboration will feature an original voice drama and daily wallpapers available on the Tokaido Shinkansen, as well as 'ticket-style cards' as a boarding benefit. Furthermore, fans will be delighted with a full lineup of special events, including a hologram sticker reward for completing a stamp rally set up at four locations within Kyoto City. With prize exchanges also available at Animate Avanti Kyoto, the city is expected to be bustling with people enjoying a pilgrimage to sacred sites (seichi junrei) alongsid...