Japanese rock band Unison Square Garden announced on Monday that drummer Takao Suzuki will leave the band following their live performance titled Sentimental Period on July 15 at Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Hall in Chiba. Along with his departure, the band will also enter an indefinite hiatus.

According to the official statement from their agency Sony Music Artists, the decision comes after ongoing discussions about the future direction of the band. The members explained that differences in artistic direction and personal expression led to the conclusion that continuing as a three-member unit was no longer possible. As a result, Suzuki’s departure marks the end of the band’s current formation, leading to a suspension of all activities.

In a message to fans, the band members expressed sincere appreciation of loyalty and acknowledged that they had been able to stay together for 22 years due to fan support. They apologized for the sudden announcement and asked for continued warm support for Kousuke Saitou (vocals/guitar), Tomoya Tabuchi (bass), and Takao Suzuki.

Saito also commented on the decision, explaining that the band had spent years trying to maintain the group in its current form but they eventually realized that it was impossible to work with different artistic vision of members. He emphasized that the choice to enter a hiatus rather than disband came after consideration of many voices who wished for Unison Square Garden to continue in some form.

The Japanese rock band signed to Toy’s Factory formed in July 2004 and made their major debut in July 2008 with the single Sentimental Period. They gained steady popularity through albums such as Cider Road, Catcher in the Spy, Dr. Izzy, Mode Mood Mode, and Ninth Peel, which made it into the top spot of the Oricon charts. The band has also had milestone concert events, namely their 20th Anniversary Live “ROCK BAND is fun” in Nippon Budokan in 2024.

Unison Square Garden’s contributions to anime music include theme songs for Kekkai Sensen (Blood Blockade Battlefront), Blue Lock, 3-gatsu no Lion 2nd Season (March Comes In Like a Lion 2nd Season), Ballroom e Youkoso (Welcome to the Ballroom), and Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru (Run with the Wind), among others.

Source: Music Natalie

The official website of the Tongari Boushi no Atelier (Witch Hat Atelier) television anime revealed additional cast on Monday. The anime series adapting Kamome Shirahama‘s fantasy manga began airing on April 6 at 11:00 p.m. on Tokyo MX, BS11, followed by KBS Kyoto, Sun TV, and AT-X.

Voice actors Mutsumi Tamura (Ragna Crimson) and Yoshito Yasuhara (Teogonia) are joining the cast as Tartah and Nolnoa, respectively.

Ayumu Watanabe (Summertime Render) is directing the anime at BUG FILMS. Hiroshi Seko (Owari no Seraph) is handling the series composition and script. Kairi Unabara (Toumei Otoko to Ningen Onna: Sonouchi Fuufu ni Naru Futari) is designing the characters and also serving as chief animation director, while Yuka Kitamura is composing the music.

Shirahama began serializing the manga in Morning Two magazine in July 2016. Kodansha published the 15th volume in November 2025, with the 16th volume planned for an April 23 release. Tongari Boushi no Atelier has a cumulative 7.5 million copies of its volumes in circulation.

Kodansha USA licensed the manga in English in July 2018 and published the 14th volume on March 17.

Source: animate Times

Production company Kadokawa opened an official website for a television anime adaptation of Yasukiyo Kotobuki‘s Around 40 Kenja no Isekai Seikatsu Nikki (The Diary of a Middle-Aged Sage’s Carefree Life in Another World) light novel on Wednesday, revealing the main staff and a teaser visual (pictured).

Staff

Director: Takayuki Inagaki (Re:Monster)

Series Composition: Hiroko Kanesugi (Mahoutsukai ni Narenakatta Onnanoko no Hanashi)

Character Design: Mariko Fujita (Koi to Yobu ni wa Kimochi Warui)

Studio: YANCHESTER

Kotobuki began penning the adventure fantasy novel on the Shousetsuka ni Narou website in February 2016. Kadokawa began publishing the novel under its MF Books imprint in September 2016, featuring illustrations by Johndee. The 20th volume was published in February 2025, with the 21st volume scheduled for an April 24 release. Around 40 Kenja no Isekai Seikatsu Nikki has a cumulative 4.15 million copies of its volumes in circulation.

A spin-off light novel titled Around 40 Kenja no Isekai Seikatsu Nikki Zero: Sword and Sorcery World began publishing under the same imprint in August 2023. The third volume was released in August 2025.

888 began drawing a manga adaptation on the ComicWalker website in April 2018. Kadokawa published the eighth volume in February 2025.

Maneki began serializing a second manga adaptation, titled Around 40 Kenja no Isekai Seikatsu Nikki: Kimama na Isekai Kyoushi Life, on the Manga UP! platform in October 2018. Square Enix published the 17th volume on January 7.

J-Novel Club licensed the light novel for digital release in English in September 2023 and published the ninth volume on March 11, with the tenth volume scheduled for a June 17 release.

Synopsis

Forty-year-old Satoshi Osako is a farmer in the Japanese countryside—and a hardcore player of Swords & Sorceries, an online VRRPG. The day he finally manages to defeat the game’s final boss, it curses him with its dying breath and kills him in real life! With a little help from a carefree goddess, Satoshi finds himself reincarnated into a mysterious new world as his in-game character, the incredibly powerful Great Sage known as Zelos Merlin. He accordingly decides to use his newfound powers to…continue living a quiet life on another farm! But first, he’ll have to fight his way out of the vast, dangerous forest he woke up in—thanks a lot, goddess—and it won’t be long before he’s running into bandits, getting roped into teaching a young noble girl magic, and more. Will the almighty Great Sage be able to conquer the toughest quest of all: getting some peace and quiet? (Source: J-Novel Club)

Official site: https://arafo-kenja.com/

Source: Press Release

Around 40 Kenja no Isekai Seikatsu Nikki on MAL