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Happy Tanabata 2026 From Around the Anime World, Part I – Interest

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5 hours ago

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July 7 marks Tanabata in Japan, where people celebrate the once-a-year meeting of the weaver princess Orihime and ox farmer Hikoboshi in the heavens, by making wishes to these star-crossed lovers. As usual, the anime and manga world is full of Tanabata wishes:

Bungo Stray Dogs


【Tanabata】
Today is Tanabata.🎋
The Detective Agency staff are discussing how to enjoy Tanabata in Yokohama.
Let’s take a peek starting a little after noon.



【Tanabata】
It looks like Atsushi-kun and Kyōka-chan are at a Tanabata festival somewhere in Yokohama.
There are lots of tanzaku wish slips tied to the bamboo.
We hope their wishes come true.



【Tanabata】
It looks like Dazai-san and Kenji-kun came to see the Tanabata streamers in Yokohama.
With all those different colors, it’s fun, isn’t it?
I wonder what the two of them are talking about?



【Tanabata】
Ranpo-san visited a park filled with bamboo leaves.
He couldn’t find any tanzaku wish strips or streamers. Just as he was starting to get hungry, Yosano-sensei came to pick him up.
Let’s go back to the Detective Agency and decorate it with tanzaku wish strips.



【Tanabata】
We took a little peek at the Detective Agency staff as they enjoyed Tanabata in Yokohama.
Thank you for joining us.
We have some exciting news coming up at 5:00 PM, so please stay tuned.
*The illustration was drawn specifically for Tanabata 2017.


Chickip Dancers


Today is Tanabata⭐️🎋
It’d be nice if everyone’s wishes came true🍗


Detective Conan


Today is Tanabata🎋
Even when they’re separated, their feelings for each other remain the same…
It’s a star festival for couples like that✨
Please write your wishes on a tanzaku wish strip, and have a wonderful day ☺🎋✨


Final Fantasy


☾⋆｡°✩🌠Today is Tanabata🌠✩°｡⋆☽
What is everyone wishing for🎋, kupo?


Goodbye, Lara


☀️Everyday Lara☀️
Good morning! Lisa is in charge of today’s greeting.
Today is Tanabata. Have you decided what to wish for?🎋
Have a great day!


I Want to Love You Till Your Dying Day


I Want to Love You Till Your Dying Day
Episode 1 airs today, on Tanabata🎋
Here’s an exclusive Tanabata illustration of Sheena & Mimi, drawn by Kyōko Yufu✨
Everyone, please look forward to the broadcast💐


Yūki Kaji


Good morning!
Tuesday! Today is Tanabata!
I hope everyone’s wishes come true🎋\
See you! I’m off!


Hideo Kojima

Makoto Kubota (Tentai Senshi Sunred)


Today is Tanabata
The image is a final draft of a Tanabata-themed story that will be part of my new collection.
Regarding the release date for Sunred N2.3
I’m updating everyone it will be delayed due to scheduling conflicts with the stage play.
For those who prefer a physical copy, and since I also want to preserve this as my own work in print, I plan to launch a crowdfunding campaign. However, I’d like to adjust the timing of the campaign so it doesn’t overlap with news about the stage play.
I’ll provide another update once a decision has been made.


Mega Man


【What’s Today’s Special Day?】
Mettaur! Ucchi here!
Since today is July 7th is Tanabata, this character from Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection comes to mind.
What are your wishes?
Mine is, “I hope my house’s circuit breaker gets fixed.” (Electrician, please hurry!)


Omi Minami


Good morning(๑ˊ꒳ˋ๑)
Today is Tanabata, and it’s also the day everyone wishes me, Hoshino Ruri, a “Happy Birthday” every year, on my birthday~☆ Thank you all so much, as always( ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)
I’ve written my wish on a tanzaku wish strip, hoping that everything will be safe and secure, and that we can all live with joyful hearts~(ㅅ ॑꒳ ॑*)
I hope we can all have a fun time together today, too~✨


Manabu Nii


Ponytail Day
Is Kumiko’s 🎋 Tanabata wish 🥇-like,
or is it that “C”-thing…


Nobuhiko Okamoto


Good morning!
Today is Tanabata🎋
What’s everyone wishing for?!


Televi-Kun


Today is Tanabata
It is famous for the custom of writing wishes on bamboo decorations and for the legend of the weaver (Orihime) and ox farmer (Hikoboshi).
Orihime World and Hikoboshi World appear in Zenkaiger and Kamen Rider Saber!
In Kamen Rider Den-O, Zeronos had the Vega (Orihime) and Altair (Hikoboshi) forms.
The kaiju Gavadon became a star in the Tanabata night sky…


Yoroi Shin Den Samurai Troopers


“>━━━━━━━━━━━━
Who will you meet on Tanabata?🌌
━━━━━━━━━━━━
July 7 is Tanabata🎋
And it’s also the premiere date for the second season of Yoroi Shin Den Samurai Troopers⚔
Who will you meet this Tanabata…?
Be sure to tap below and take the test!👇



◤Today is Tanabata🎋◢
We asked the cast to write down what you’d like to do with your characters on tanzaku wish strips!
Kentarō Kumagai, who voices Shion Ishida, wished…
🎋“I’d love to sit down and have a conversation over a delicious cup of coffee.”
The second season premieres tonight at 11:30 PM on TV and streaming platforms⚔️



“>◤Today is Tanabata🎋◢
We asked the cast to write down what you’d like to do with your characters on tanzaku wish strips!
Shunsuke Takeuchi, who voices Yamato Hōjō, wished…
🎋“Karaoke until morning!!!”
The second season premieres tonight at 11:30 PM on TV and streaming platforms⚔️



“>◤Today is Tanabata🎋◢
We asked the cast to write down what you’d like to do with your characters on tanzaku wish strips!
Ayumu Murase, who voices Musashi Hōjō, wished…
🎋“I want to watch an audition show while eating shaved ice with Musashi.”
The second season premieres tonight at 11:30 PM on TV and streaming platforms⚔️



“>◤Today is Tanabata🎋◢
We asked the cast to write down what you’d like to do with your characters on tanzaku wish strips!
Junya Enoki, who voices Kaito Uesugi, wished…
🎋“I want to create an oshi idol with Kaito. Please, Orihime and Hikoboshi…”
The second season premieres tonight at 11:30 PM on TV and streaming platforms⚔️



“>◤Today is Tanabata🎋◢
We asked the cast to write down what you’d like to do with your characters on tanzaku wish strips!
Hiiro Ishibashi, who voices Gai, wished…
🎋 “I want to eat Tanabata jelly with Gai.”
The second season premieres tonight at 11:30 PM on TV and streaming platforms⚔️


Did we miss any Tanabata 2026 greetings? Feel free to let us know in our forums or by email!

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Manga ‘Watashi wo Center ni Suru to Chikaimasu ka?’ Gets TV Anime

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1 hour ago

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July 8, 2026

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Production company Bandai Namco Filmworks opened an official website for a television anime adaptation of Jun Wakatsuki‘s Watashi wo Center ni Suru to Chikaimasu ka? (Promise Me the Spotlight) manga on Wednesday, revealing a teaser visual (pictured).

Wakatsuki began drawing the idol romance manga in Shounen Magazine Edge in November 2022. Following the magazine’s discontinuation in 2023, it was transferred to the Magazine pocket app in February 2024. Kodansha published the fifth volume in September 2025, with the sixth volume scheduled to be released on July 9. The series has a cumulative 200,000 copies of its volumes in print.

The series is published in English through the K Manga platform.

Synopsis

“If you can really make me the Center…then we can get married.” Meet Mizuki Natsuno, the least popular member of the nationally acclaimed idol group, Melty Strawberry. She has an eternal fan in Koichi Okuta, who is always pouring heart and soul into supporting her. Normally, a fan would never get to interact with their idol beyond the stage. But one thing led to another, and Koichi now finds himself living together with Mizuki in his own house. He vows to make her the new Center of Melty Strawberry, sparking an unconventional tag-team between a devoted fan and his idol. Together, they attempt to elevate Mizuki’s career from obscurity to stardom! (Source: K Manga)

Official site: https://www.watacen-anime.com/

Official X: @watacen_anime

Source: animate Times

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Jun Wakatsuki’s Promise Me the Spotlight Manga Gets TV Anime – News

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2 hours ago

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July 8, 2026

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Manga, about diehard fan’s goal to make his favorite idol the center of her group, launched in 2022

Bandai Namco Filmworks announced on Wednesday the television anime adaptation of Jun Wakatsuki‘s Promise Me the Spotlight (Watashi o Center ni Suru to Chikaimasuka?) manga, and presented a teaser visual.

center
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Filmworks

©若月ジュン・講談社/私セン製作委員会

Wakatsuki also drew an illustration to celebrate the anime announcement:

center1
Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Filmworks

©若月ジュン・講談社/私セン製作委員会

Kodansha‘s K MANGA service publishes the manga and describes the series:

“If you can really make me the Center…then we can get married.” Meet Mizuki Natsuno, the least popular member of the nationally acclaimed idol group, Melty Strawberry. She has an eternal fan in Koichi Okuta, who is always pouring heart and soul into supporting her. Normally, a fan would never get to interact with their idol beyond the stage. But one thing led to another, and Koichi now finds himself living together with Mizuki in his own house. He vows to make her the new Center of Melty Strawberry, sparking an unconventional tag-team between a devoted fan and his idol. Together, they attempt to elevate Mizuki’s career from obscurity to stardom!

Wakatsuki launched the manga in Kodansha‘s Shonen Magazine Edge magazine in 2022. The manga moved to Kodansha‘s Magazine Pocket app when Shonen Magazine Edge ended publication in 2023. Kodansha will publish the manga’s sixth compiled book volume on July 9. 

Source: Press release 

Disclosure: Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc. (Sunrise) is a non-controlling, minority shareholder in Anime News Network Inc.

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Red River Anime Casts Minami Takayama, Kazuhiko Inoue as Yuri’s Parents – News

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4 hours ago

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July 8, 2026

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Takayama, Inoue previously played main pair Yuri, Kail in drama CD for manga

The official website for the television anime of Chie Shinohara‘s Red River (Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori) shōjo manga announced on Wednesday that Minami Takayama and Kazuhiko Inoue have joined the anime’s cast as the protagonist Yuri’s mother and father, respectively. Takayama previously voiced Yuri, and Inoue previously voiced the co-lead character Kail, in a drama CD for the manga.

yuurisparents.png
Image via Red River anime’s website

© 篠原千絵／小学館／アニメ「天は赤い河のほとり」製作委員会

redriverkv2
Image via Red River anime’s X/Twitter account

© 篠原千絵／小学館／アニメ「天は赤い河のほとり」製作委員会

Viz Media describes the manga’s first volume:

Yuri, a pretty Japanese girl, is ecstatic after passing her college entrance exam and having her first kiss with her childhood friend-turned boyfriend. However, her luck soon changes. She starts to notice that water becomes agitated whenever she goes near it. One night, hands appear out of a puddle on the street and drag her into the water! Transported to an ancient village in the Middle East, she is then captured by armed troops and taken to the Queen’s palace for a human sacrifice.

The cast includes:

  • Mirai Tachibana as Yuri
  • Wataru Katō as Kail Muršili (later King Muršili II)
  • Aya Uchida as Queen Nakia, the queen of the Hittite Empire
  • Shōya Chiba as Zannanza Hattušili, the fourth-born prince of the Hittite Empire
  • Tomoaki Maeno as Ilbani, Prince Kail’s aide and advisor
  • Kōji Yusa as Urhi, Nakia’s servant
  • Kōsuke Toriumi as Prince Mattiwaza, the Prince of Darkness of the chariot-riding Mitanni kingdom
  • Tomohiro Ōno as Kikkuri, Prince Kail’s servant
  • Shiki Aoki as Hadi, a daughter of the Hatti clan, servant of Kail, and elder sister to Ryui and Shala
  • Natsumi Kawaida as Ryui and Misato Matsuoka as Shala, Hadi’s younger twin sisters
  • Haruki Ishiya as Kash, the leader of the Hittite chariot corps
  • Junya Enoki as Rusafa, the leader of the Hittite archer corps
  • Shinichirō Kamio as Mittannamuwa, the leader of the Hittite infantry corps
    • Red River anime key visual
    Image via Red River anime’s X/Twitter account

    © 篠原千絵／小学館／アニメ「天は赤い河のほとり」製作委員会

    Kōsuke Kobayashi (Waccha PriMagi!, Alice or Alice) is directing the anime at Tatsunoko Production. Yoriko Tomita (The Elusive Samurai, My Dress-Up Darling) is overseeing the series scripts, and Kenji Fujisaki (YU-NO: A girl who chants love at the bound of this world., Blood Lad) is designing the characters. Yoshihisa Hirano is composing the music, while Hiroto Morishita is the sound director. Team Kawadon is credited for sound production. Hiroki Nanami is performing the anime’s opening theme song “Akatsuki no Sora” (Dawn Sky).

    Historical researchers include Kimiyoshi Matsumura and Daisuke Yoshida, who are members of the Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology as part of the Middle Eastern Culture Center in Japan.

    The anime premiered in NTV ‘s “AnichU” programming block on July 7 at 25:35 (effectively, July 8 at 1:35 a.m.), and on BS NTV on July 8. Crunchyroll is streaming the anime as it airs in Japan.

    Viz Media started releasing the manga in English in 2004, and released all 28 volumes between 2004 to 2010. The company then started re-releasing the manga in 3-in-1 omnibus editions in October 2024, and released the seventh omnibus volume on April 21.

    Shinohara originally serialized the manga from 1995 to 2002 in Shogakukan‘s Shōjo Comic (Sho-Comi) magazine.

    The manga inspired a stage play by the famed all-female Takarazuka Revue troupe in 2018.

    Sources: Red River anime’s website, Comic Natalie

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