Anime
Titan Manga Reveals Cover Spreads for The Five Star Stories Manga’s English Release – News
Titan Manga revealed the cover art and full jacket spreads on Thursday for it and Newtype magazine’s English release of Mamoru Nagano‘s The Five Star Stories manga.
Image courtesy of Titan Manga
Image courtesy of Titan Manga
Image courtesy of Titan Manga
Image courtesy of Titan Manga
Image courtesy of Titan Manga
Image courtesy of Titan Manga
Titan Manga and Newtype will release the first volume on September 1 (the volume was previously slated for July 7).
The first volume is available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million in North America, and Forbidden Planet in the United Kingdom and Europe.
Titan Manga describes the first volume:
Set in the vast and tumultuous Joker Star Cluster, this series brings together ancient empires, genetic engineering, and towering mechs known as Mortar Headds—piloted by elite warriors and their genetically engineered companions, the Fatimas.
In Vol. 1, we meet Amaterasu, the immortal emperor of the Grees Kingdom, and his destined bride, Lachesis, as they navigate a world of intrigue, warfare, and forbidden power. As interstellar conflict rages, the stage is set for a war that could determine the fate of the galaxy.
The second volume will ship on November 17, and is also available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million in North America, and Forbidden Planet in the United Kingdom and Europe.
Titan Manga describes the second volume:
The epic journey across the Joker Star Cluster continues in The Five Star Stories Vol. 2, presented in a premium English edition that closely mirrors the original Japanese release. Featuring colour illustrations and beautifully crafted French flaps, this volume is designed with collectors in mind, honoring Mamoru Nagano‘s original vision in both form and content.
As political intrigue deepens and interstellar conflict escalates, Volume 2 explores the histories of key nations and the evolving, often tragic bonds between Fatimas and their human partners. Rival factions clash, mercenary forces move in secrecy, and the consequences of past choices begin to reshape the balance of power across the galaxy.
Nagano launched his science fantasy manga series in Kadokawa‘s Newtype magazine in 1986, although the series has been running intermittently since then. To mark the 25th anniversary of the manga in 2011, Kadokawa reissued the existing manga volumes in a “Repeat” edition with previously unpublished art.
The manga went on hiatus in 2006 and relaunched in the magazine’s May 2013 issue. It went back on hiatus in spring 2014 as Nagano prepared the 13th compiled book volume for print. The manga resumed from its hiatus in February 2016. The 13th volume shipped in August 2016 after several delays. The 12th volume had shipped in 2006.
Kadokawa released the 19th and most recent volume on May 9.
Nagano’s own Toyspress, Inc. published most of the manga in English. ADV Films released the 1989 anime film adaptation in North America.
In 2006, Nagano worked on Hana no Utame Gothicmade, the film that he wrote, designed, storyboarded, and directed himself. The film opened in Japan in 2012.
Source: Email correspondence
Disclosure: Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc. (Sunrise) is a non-controlling, minority shareholder in Anime News Network Inc.
Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. One or more of the companies mentioned in this article are part of the Kadokawa Group of Companies.
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Anime
Inti Creates’ Azure Striker Gunvolt Trilogy Enhanced Game Collection Heads to Switch 2 This Year With New Story Mode – News
Paid upgrade pack will also be available for those who own Switch version
Inti Creates announced at the Bit Summit event on Friday it will release Azure Striker Gunvolt Trilogy Enhanced — a collection of polished and updated versions of its Azure Striker Gunvolt, Azure Striker Gunvolt 2, and Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 games — this year for Nintendo Switch 2. The new version will have a new story mode.
English version
Japanese version
Into Creates describes the Switch 2 edition:
The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition adds not only support for high framerate and resolution displays, but a new story mode called “Azure Striker Gunvolt GX.” Players will control a tag-team duo of Gunvolt and Copen with new weapons and abilities. It also features a new “Inspiration” system, encouraging players to swap between the two heroes at the right time to activate gameplay and score bonuses.
A paid upgrade pack will be available for those who have the Nintendo Switch edition, and the developer is looking into releasing the new story mode as paid DLC for other non-Switch platforms.
A demo of the new story mode is available at the Bit Summit event this weekend.
Inti Creates released the trilogy pack for the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch in July 2025.
The game collection features “Live Novel” dialog that plays during missions without interrupting gameplay. The collection also has 37 total tracks sung by the “Muses” and full voiceover. (Gunvolt 1 and 2 will have Japanese voices only.)
The original Azure Striker Gunvolt game debuted in North America in August 2014 for the Nintendo 3DS.
Inti Creates launched Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 for the Nintendo 3DS console in August 2016 in Japan, and in September 2016 in North America. An Azure Strker Gunvolt Striker Pack featuring the first game and the sequel launched in Japan in August 2016 and in North America in October 2016.
The two games have since launched for Switch in August 2017, and then for the PlayStation 4 console in April 2020. Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 debuted for PC via Steam in June 2020.
Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 launched for Nintendo Switch in July 2022 and for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S in August 2022. The third game released on PC via Steam in October 2022.
Inti Creates announced an anime adaptation of Azure Striker Gunvolt during a panel at Anime Expo in July 2016. The anime launched on the Nintendo eShop in February 2017.
Source: Bit Summit stage presentation
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Inti Creates announced at the Bit Summit event on Friday it is developing the Gunvolt Chronicles Luminous Avenger iX 3 game for Nintendo Switch 2 and PC via Steam with a planned release in 2027.
English version
Japanese version
Inti Creates describes the game:
The third entry in the high-flying 2D action series, Luminous Avenger iX 3 sees Copen back in his home world facing a new threat.
A mysterious girl appears before him, bringing warnings of otherworldly invaders known as “iX Bearers.” Featuring the same classic 2D action as the previous games, iX 3 ups the intensity with a new weapon: the twin energy swords, “Divide Edge.”
iX 3 also brings unprecedented levels of character customization with the “Code Customizer” system, allowing you to build up Copen’s strengths as you see fit, provided you can manipulate the system to your benefit!
Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 3 is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam in 2027!
A demo for the Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 1+2 Dual Collection game is available at Bit Summit this weekend.
Inti Creates‘ Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 1+2 Dual Collection, which includes the first two Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX (Shiroki Kōtetsu no X: The Out of Gunvolt) games, will launch for Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam on July 9. It includes all DLC and balance updates.
The original Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX game launched for Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam in September 2019. The Xbox One version was slated to launch on the same day, but it was delayed to December 2019 due to a game crashing bug.
The Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 sequel game launched for Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam in January 2022.
Inti Creates released Azure Striker Gunvolt Trilogy Enhanced — a collection of polished and updated versions of its Azure Striker Gunvolt, Azure Striker Gunvolt 2, and Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 games — in July 2025 for the PS5 and Switch. A Switch 2 version with a new story mode is slated for this year.
The original Azure Striker Gunvolt game debuted in North America in August 2014 for the Nintendo 3DS. Inti Creates launched Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 for 3DS in August 2016 in Japan, and in September 2016 in North America. Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 launched for Nintendo Switch in July 2022, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S in August 2022, and PC via Steam in October 2022.
Source: Bit Summit stage presentation
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© KADOKAWA Game Linkage Inc.
The May 14 issue of the Japanese game magazine Famitsu celebrated the popular game NieR:Automata with an interview with the game’s production staff. The interviewer asked the game’s director Yokō Tarō and producer Yōsuke Saitō about the cryptic message “NieR:Automata to be continued…” at the end of the February 20 video that commemorated 10 million copies of the game shipped or downloaded.
Saitō responded, “I was the one who asked for that to be included. I don’t know if there will be a sequel, but I felt including ‘to be continued…’ was an absolute must for the ninth anniversary video.”
Yokō added, perhaps tongue-in-cheek, “I suspect the message is something like, ‘We’re not done, we’re going to keep raking it in.’”
Saitō countered, “Ending on the ninth anniversary feels a little unsatisfying, so wouldn’t you want to keep going until the 10th anniversary?”
The interview then touched upon the game staff’s April Fool’s Day joke teasing a new NieR project. The joke post said, “New NieR Project Production Kettei”. However, rather than using the usual kanji characters for kettei, 決定 (Green-Lit), the post used the (meaningless) homonym kanji 血定 (literally, “Established Blood”). (Trust us, it’s a little bit funnier in Japanese. A little bit.)
【NieR 新プロジェクト 制作血定】
虚無に生まれるは、希望か。
それとも、救済という名の絶望か。━━━Coming Soon…… pic.twitter.com/nBdtqQEF12
— NieR公式PRアカウント (@NieR_JPN) March 31, 2026
【New NieR Project Production Kettei】
Is it hope born into nothingness?
Or is it despair masquerading as salvation?
━━━Coming Soon……
Saitō said the post was just an April Fool’s Day joke, but noted NieR fans were more excited than he expected. Yokō elaborated, “We debated about how to present the joke. Originally, it said ‘Release Green-Lit,’ but we changed it to ‘Release Not Green-Lit’ because we were worried people might misunderstand.”
However, Yokō said that the staff had second thoughts, realizing the “Release Not Green-Lit” wording could lead to even more confusion: “Saitō pointed out, ‘Since it’s April Fool’s Day, wouldn’t ‘Release Not Green-Lit’ mean this is a lie, and therefore it’s actually green-lit?’ He said some people might read too much into it.”
Saitō then explained they went with Yokō’s idea of using the kanji 血定 for the April Fool’s Day joke. “Looking back now, I don’t really get what ‘血定” means,” Yokō concluded.
NieR:Automata launched in spring 2017 for the PlayStation 4 and subsequently on PC, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch. The game is the sequel to 2010’s NieR. The game saw an anime adaptation, NieR:Automata Ver1.1a, in January 2023. As of press time, the staff has not announced any more new NeiR projects.
Sources: Famitsu May 14, 2026 issue, Famitsu’s website, Square Enix‘s YouTube channel, NieR’s X/Twitter account via Hachima Kikō
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