Hours after the open-world, action role-playing, hack-and-slash video game NTE: Neverness to Everness launched on April 29, players reported spotting some familiar-looking homes and locations within the game. Players found homes and locations strikingly similar to the central Nobi home and frequently used open lot from Doraemon, the Nohara home from Crayon Shin-chan, and locations from Initial D and the Fate franchise.

An Inside Games article published on Friday identified four spots within NTE: Neverness to Everness apparently based on iconic locations: a Fuyuki Bridge lookalike from the Fate franchise, a camp site logo reminiscent of Laid-Back Camp, an apparent Exit 0 spoof of the breakout video game Exit 8, and spitting images of the (in)famous Fujiwara Tofu shop and Toyota Sprinter Trueno (AE86) from Initial D.

Japanese news aggregate site Hachima Kikō reposted online reactions to these lookalike locations on Friday. Hachima Kikō then reposted online reports of possible generative AI use within NTE: Neverness to Everness, specifically a poster for the in-game fictional film Summer Clear Sky (Natsubi no Aosora) apparently based on Makoto Shinkai‘s 2019 film Weathering With You.

ANN confirmed several of the lookalike locations (pictured above) in NTE but has not verified the Summer Clear Sky poster in the game. An Instagram user posted a video of the “film’s” trailer within NTE: Neverness to Everness. However, when ANN checked the location in the game, an apparent spoof of the Kamen Rider franchise was in its place.

Sources: Inside Games’ X/Twitter account, Inside Games via dr.jonyislive’s Instagram account, Hachima Kikō (link 2)

Hiroki Miyashita reported on Friday that the Me and the Alien MuMu (Uchūjin MūMū) manga will end in the next issue of Shōnengahōsha‘s Young King Ours magazine on May 30.

Kodama Tales publishes the series in English and describes the story:

An alien named Mumu is a survivor of a civil war that saw the destruction of his planet’s scientists, leaving only its fools alive. In an attempt to understand the advanced technology his people left behind, he’s infiltrated earth, a planet with a lower level of civilization, to study their so-called “home appliances,” which contain facets of all technological knowledge. So begins the adventures of Sakurako, a university freshman and Mumu’s new and unexpected accomplice, as she navigates a wild and exciting campus life.

Miyashita began the manga as a one-shot story in Shōnengahōsha‘s Young King Ours magazine in April 2019, before launching its serialization two months later. Shōnengahōsha published the manga’s ninth compiled book volume on September 30.

The manga and alien character’s name is an apparent homage to Mū, the unorthodox magazine on paranormal matters that the Weathering With You film, the Occultic;Nine series, and other anime, manga, and games have referenced.

Me and the Alien MuMu, the television anime adaptation of the manga, premiered in April 2025. The anime’s second cours (quarters of a year) premiered in July 2025.

Miyashita and writer Takeshi Natsuhara launched the Yakuza Reincarnation (Ninkyō Tensei: Isekai no Yakuza Hime) manga in Shogakukan‘s Sunday GX magazine in July 2019. Shogakukan published the manga’s 20th volume on April 17. Seven Seas Entertainment is releasing the manga in English. The company released the 15th volume on April 28. It will publish the 16th volume on October 20.

Kodama Tales began publishing the first volume of Mitei Hattori‘s Smile! (Smiley) manga in English in January and Keisuke Itagaki‘s Baki The Grappler manga worldwide in English in 24 volumes starting in October. The new manga publisher previously teased future titles from Asahi Shimbun Publications, Coamix, Daiwa Shobo, Hero’s Inc., Nihonbungeisha, Shodensha, and Shōnengahōsha.

Source: Hiroki Miyashita‘s X/Twitter account