If you’ve watched any of Sasaki and Peeps, then you’re already familiar with its unique blend of flavors. What other series can boast a mix of fantasy kingdom politics, modern-day corporate espionage, assassins, psychics, angels, and demons, all centered around a middle-aged salaryman with a politically savvy talking bird?

Season one refused to pick just one item from the menu. Its magic was in picking everything offered. The debut episode of season two immediately demonstrates that it’s doubling down, as Sasaki and his companion Peeps find themselves in the middle of deepening political intrigue.

Episode one wastes no time throwing you back into the fray. Right off the bat, we’re in a conference room with Shizuka and her bureau colleagues. Then we jump straight to Sasaki coming home to his beloved Peeps, only to be joined in the next moment by Count Müller, whose daughter has been kidnapped by Duke Einhart.

Peeps, our adorable Java sparrow who’s also a brilliant and powerful magician (!), strategizes together with Sasaki how they can help Count Müller. This is the show’s bread and butter: calm, level-headed negotiation by adults amidst absurd circumstances.

Adonis appears to share the news that they plan to bestow on Sasaki some land and the title of Count. Peeps is pleased with the development, saying he’s got a plan to deal with the Ohgen Empire. The players are moving chess pieces into place.

One of the things that makes this show continue to work, despite its slightly deranged assortment of elements, is its full commitment to the bit. Nothing exemplifies this better than Peeps, and how, for the most part, being an adorable talking bird is simply accepted unquestioningly by the rest of the cast. By the end of Season 1, he’s rarely played for laughs, and watching him act like one of the adults in the room makes it easier to accept the rest of the show’s absurdities.

The episode’s willingness to dive straight back into factional politics suggests that the table-setting of season one is largely done, and our protagonists are starting to face some of the consequences of their choices. This isn’t about a salaryman bringing modern goods into a fantasy world anymore. People are making decisions that actually affect others.

There isn’t much action in this episode, but that hasn’t been the show’s selling point. I can’t fault their heavy use of limited animation when it’s never been about thrilling fight scenes. The show’s charm is in its improbable mix of modern and fantasy characters carefully moving chess pieces around the board, and this episode suggests that’s exactly what we’ll get in season two.

The show’s disparate elements sound ridiculous on paper, but somehow it all works. Just one episode in, this season feels content to assume the audience has already bought into its political factions and rules of magic. The way the characters all treat the world with complete sincerity makes it that much easier to accept it all yourself.

Sasaki and Peeps still isn’t trying to become a conventional fantasy show or a conventional isekai. If anything, the premiere suggests the show is even more comfortable with the unusual identity it established in season one.

The official website for DIGIMON BEATBREAK, the new television anime for the Digimon franchise, revealed on Sunday the anime’s “Kyō Arc,” which will begin in the anime’s 38th episode on July 12. The anime’s staff also revealed a new visual and cast member for the new arc.

Shinichirō Miki will join the anime’s cast as Sōji Kuroshio, a former member of the Five Elements Star who has lost all emotion and is obsessed with Kyo Sawashiro for some reason.

The anime premiered on Fuji TV and other channels on October 5. Crunchyroll is streaming the anime as it airs, and it is also streaming an English dub.

The show’s website describes the story:

“e-Pulse,” which is generated by human thoughts and emotions, was used as the energy source for the AI support device “Sapotama.” From the shadows of this remarkable development, terrifying monsters appear. Digimon are living beings that evolve by consuming e-Pulse. Tomoro Tenma is drawn into an extraordinary experience after meeting Gekkomon, who suddenly appears from his Sapotama. While living together with Kyo Sawashiro and other members of the bounty hunting team “Glowing Dawn,” Tomoro renews his resolve. What new future will be forged by humans and Digimon?

Miyu Irino stars in the series as Tomoro Tenma, along with Megumi Han as Gekkomon.

Hiroaki Miyamoto (One Piece director episodes 352-679, One Piece Film Gold, Star Twinkle Precure) is directing the anime at Toei Animation. Ryota Yamaguchi (Sailor Moon Stars, Medabots, Dokidoki! Precure) is in charge of series composition. Takahiro Kojima is the character designer, with Kenji Watanabe credited for Digimon design. Akihiro Asanuma is credited for animation Digimon design. Ayaka Kami is the art director, and Sayoko Yokoyama is the color designer. Yusuke Osone is the CG director. Tomoyuki Ishiyama is the compositing director, while Eiichi Nishimura is the editor. Arisa Okehazama is composing the music. Fuji TV, Yomiko Advertising, and Toei Animation are credited for production.

The first Digimon Adventure television anime series premiered in 1999. The Digimon Adventure 02 sequel anime series then aired in 2000-2001. The 50-episode Digimon Frontier anime aired in Japan from April 2002 to March 2003. The Digimon Ghost Game anime premiered in October 2021, and ended with its 68th episode in March 2023.

Sources: DIGIMON BEATBREAK anime’s website, Comic Natalie

Twin Engine revealed on Sunday in a promotional video that a new Mononoke project has started, and introduced the third Medicine Seller “Ken no Tsurugi.” Actor Hirofumi Araki, who starred as the Medicine Seller in the recent Mononoke stage plays will voice the new character. The announcement did not reveal whether the new project is an anime film or television series.

Mononoke film trilogy character designer Kitsuneko Nagata designed the new character:

The film trilogy’s director/general director Kenji Nakamura describes the new Medicine Seller “Ken no Tsurugi” as someone who has a dual personality, being nonchalant and talkative before a supernatural event begins, but then goes into a sharp, sudden change when an evil spirit appears.

Twin Engine also announced that Kadokawa will publish new novels featuring one of the three Medicine Sellers “Ri,” “Kon,” and “Ken” as the protagonist. More details will be announced at a later date.

Mononoke The Movie: Phantom in the Rain (Gekijōban Mononoke: Karakasa), the first film, premiered in Japan in July 2024. Mononoke the Movie Trilogy: Chapter 2: The Ashes of Rage (Gekijōban Mononoke Dai-Ni-Shō: Hinezumi) opened in Japan in March 2025. Netflix is streaming the first two films.

In February 2023, Twin Engine announced that the first film was delayed, and stated that voice actor Takahiro Sakurai would no longer reprise the role of the protagonist the Medicine Seller as originally planned. Hiroshi Kamiya replaced Sakurai in the role of the Medicine Seller in the trilogy. The character in the film trilogy is a different Medicine Seller from the one who appeared in the television series.

The Weekly Bunshun tabloid newspaper reported in October 2022 that Sakurai had been engaged in an extramarital affair for at least 10 years with a writer for his P.S. Genki Desu. Takahiro travel radio show. Sakurai’s talent management agency Intention published a statement the day after the report, which acknowledged the article’s report and apologized to the unnamed woman, Sakurai’s fans, and all involved.

Twin Engine had stated in the announcement of replacing Sakurai:

…the animated film “MONONOKE” sets in Ōoku (historically the women’s quarters of Edo Castle) and tries to depict the suffering and remedy of women. Judging from the standpoint of the story, we decided to change the cast of the Medicine Seller.

Mononoke The Movie: Chapter III – The Curse of the Serpent (Gekijōban Mononoke Dai-San-Shō: Hebigami), the third installment in the trilogy, opened in Japan on May 29. The staff did not announce before the film released that the original character would appear in the film, or that they had recast Sakurai to reprise the role. Theatergoers noticed the cameo in the film, and noted there was no previous announcement of Sakurai reprising the role, which caused controversy: some fans supported the decision and some were against it. Oricon confirmed that the third film had featured Sakurai as the original Medicine Seller character, who appeared in the film in a cameo role.

The film trilogy’s planning producer Kōji Yamamoto then posted an apology on his X (formerly Twitter) account on June 5, and also announced he was retiring from producing. Yamamoto confirmed in the statement that staff had recast Sakurai who had been previously replaced, apologizing for the way in which the information about this was handled.

The Mononoke franchise also inspired two previous stage plays in 2023 and 2024, and a prequel stage play with an original story, which ran from May 14-17. Jun Yoriko directed the three stage plays, which all starred Hirofumi Araki.

Sources: Mononoke film trilogy’s website, Comic Natalie