The D23 event’s “Deep Dive into Kingdom Hearts” panel presented an extended four-minute trailer for the Kingdom Hearts IV game on Saturday. This trailer expands upon the 90-second version shown at D23 on Friday evening, and it highlights the Coco world, as well as familiar and new faces:

The trailer introduces a new world in which a paper version of Mickey Mouse is playable. Franchise creator Tetsuya Nomura made a surprise appearance at the panel, and he and co-director Tai Yasue added that the staff is “100%” certain that they will meet the announced late 2027 release window.

Actor Benjamin Bratt confirmed on Friday that he will reprise his role as Ernesto de la Cruz in the game.

The game will launch simultaneously for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Microsoft Store, Steam, and Epic Games Store.

D23 announced on Friday that the franchise will have an “anime” series which will run on the Disney Channel and Disney Plus. Disney Games had stated on Thursday that the Kingdom Hearts game series is one of nine billion-dollar game franchises for the company.

Square Enix revealed the Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link and Kingdom Hearts IV games in April 2022, but had not revealed much information about Kingdom Hearts IV since then before releasing a new trailer in June. Square Enix canceled development on Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link in May 2025.

Square Enix had also announced in early June that it will release Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III] — a collection of Kingdom Hearts – HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, and Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind (DLC) — for Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Microsoft Store.

Square Enix released the Kingdom Hearts III game in January 2019 in Japan and the West for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game had shipped more than 5 million copies worldwide, including digital sales, as of February 2019, and is the fastest-selling title in the history of the franchise. The “Re Mind” DLC launched in January 2020.

Square Enix‘s Kingdom Hearts Union χ [Cross] and Kingdom Hearts Dark Road smartphone games were both originally supposed to end service in May 2021, but Kingdom Hearts Union χ [Cross] released its final story in June 2021 instead and both games switched to offline mode in the same month. Both games are available in one app.

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, the first rhythm action game in the franchise, launched for the Switch, PS4, and Xbox One in the West and in Japan in November 2020, and was previously the only title in the series available for Switch.

The franchise also includes manga and light novel adaptations of the games. Yen Press released some of these in English.

Source: D23 event’s “Deep Dive into Kingdom Hearts” panel, IGN’s YouTube channel

The official X account for author Hirokazu Yasuhara announced on Saturday that the Game Center Shoujo to Ibunka Kouryuu (Cultural Exchange With Game Center Girl) manga is ending with the 12th volume, following the publication of its 153rd and final chapter. The 12th volume is scheduled for an October 9 release, marking the end of the series’ over six-year run.

Yasuhara originally published the slice of life comedy manga as a one-shot in Jump GIGA under the title Game center Ibunka Kouryuu in february 2019. He began posting the series on his X and Pixiv accounts in December that year before beginning serialization on the Dra-Dra Sharp# web manga portal in may 2020. Kadokawa published the 11th volume in December 2025.

A 12-episode television anime adaptation produced by Nomad aired in Summer 2025. Crunchyroll simulcasted the anime with subtitles and an English dub.

Synopsis

Lily Baker, a young English girl, decides to go to an arcade on Valentine’s Day. She is determined to win a stuffed animal from a claw machine; but even after attempting it for hours, she is unable to get her hands on the prize. Just as she is about to give up, arcade employee Renji Kusakabe steps in and wins the prize for her as a present to celebrate the special day. Due to her cultural background, however, Lily mistakes his action as a declaration of love!

With Lily returning to the same arcade in the hopes of seeing Renji again, the two begin exchanging a notebook to learn more about each other and their respective cultures. This marks the start of a friendship filled with gaming, but that is not enough for Lily, as she swears to make Renji fall in love with her! [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Source: peace_maki02 on X

News submitted by NokkiMal

YouTube anime production and distribution company Plott announced on Saturday a new short anime Rakuraku Hanten will launch on YouTube in late September.

Masaru Yoshimura plays Sia.

Tsubasa Sasa plays Paoran.

Takuya Masamoto plays Gao.

Chikahiro Kobayashi plays Lay.

Ran Koba plays Chaomi.

Tomokazu Seki plays Mugoku.

The anime follows Tenma, who joins a Mafia family in search of his benefactor Mugoku. This catapults him into the world of battles fought between underground organizations and the bonds between Mafia members.

Mikiyasu Kamata (Nine Dragons’ Ball Parade) is the main scenario writer. Nigata Amon (Shanti, Mafia) is designing the characters and drew the key visual art, and the design agency TO2KYO2 designed key visual graphic and logo. 

Plott launched the first episode of Tengu Tōsen (Tengu Demon Sword Fight), a short anime project it is producing with Bandai Namco Entertainment, on YouTube on July 24.

The project started with side story shorts, but the project’s main story is depicted in the anime
. Sōno is responsible for the project’s original character designs.

The company previously produced the Anti-Hero Generations short anime adaptation based on Keita Uehara‘s “Anti-Hero Generations” manga submission in 2022, which won the company’s first “New Generation YouTube Manga Award” in 2021.

Plott is known for producing web anime shorts such as Teikō Penguin. Digital animator Ryo-timo became creative adviser of Plott in April 2020.

Sources: Rakuraku Hanten anime’s X/twitter account, Comic Natalie