Band will continue to work on new music, projects during that year

Japanese female heavy metal band Lovebites announced on Friday that they are suspending live performances in 2027. They are not taking a break, and they will continue work on new music, as well as do individual projects and activities. They are also planning future releases and other projects.

The band plan to return with live performances in 2028.

Lovebites consist of five members (pictured right from left to right): guitarist Midori, bassist Fami, vocalist Asami, drummer Haruna, and guitarist/keyboardist Miyako. The band started in 2016.

Lovebites’ first performed an opening theme song for an anime for Vladlove.

Sources: Lovebites’ X/Twitter account, Music Natalie

Osamu Tezuka‘s Phoenix (Hi no Tori) manga is inspiring another stage play that will run at Sakura Hall in Shibuya Cultural Centre Owada in Tokyo from February 6-8. The play Hi no Tori Mirai-hen ZEROMDISTANCE (Phoenix Future Arc ZEROMDISTANCE) adapts the manga’s “Future” arc.

The play stars Jutta Yuki as Masato, Narumi Yasuda as the voice of the Phoenix, Moro Morooka as Dr. Saruta, Adone Kudō and Shiina Yuzuki as Tamami, and Kaiki Ohara as Rock.

Ryusei Kudoh is directing and writing the play. He is also serving as executive producer. Ryo Oguri is producing. Nao’ymt is handling the music.

Tezuka wrote Phoenix‘s “Future” arc between December 1967 and September 1968. The official Osamu Tezuka website describes the second part:

Set in A.D. 3404, the earth is dying, and human beings inhabit a city-state built deep under the ground. The authorities search for Yamanobe Masato, Class 2 space warrior of Megalopolis Yamato. They suspect him of hiding Tamami, a girl transformed into a human from her original form as the outer space creature Moopie.
Masato and Tamami escape over deserted land to flee from their country. Guided by the Phoenix, they arrive at Dr. Saruta’s dome. Here, Dr. Saruta conducts research on artificial life with the aim of bringing extinct creatures back.
Meanwhile, the final war of the human race begins in the underground city, and humans become extinct.

The manga recently inspired a stage play that ran at Theatre West at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theater in July 2024. The play was based on the manga’s “Karma” arc (“Hō-ō-hen,” or literally “Firebird Arc”)

Phoenix inspired a live manga performance Mangalogue: Hi no Tori that ran from April 22-May 16 at MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives’ Box1000 theaters.

Tezuka began the original Phoenix “Dawn” arc in Manga Shonen from 1954-55, but it remains unfinished due to the magazine’s suspension of publication. Three more chapters (Egypt, Greece, and Rome) appeared in the Shōjo Club magazine in 1956, but also left the story unfinished. Tezuka later restarted “Dawn” with some changes in the debut issue of COM magazine in 1967. This manga served as a prologue for the long-running multi-part series.

Tezuka continued to serialize new arcs for the manga until the 12th part, “Sun,” which ended in 1988, the year before his death. The stories presented in the Phoenix manga span multiple eras, past and future.

Kodansha USA Publishing licensed the manga. The first Deluxe Edition print volume includes the “Dawn” and “Future” arcs.

Viz Media previously published the manga in North America.

The four-episode Phoenix: Eden17 anime based on the manga debuted worldwide on Disney+ in September 2023. The anime’s Japanese title is Hi no Tori: Eden no Sora (literally, Phoenix: Eden’s Space). The anime also got a film version in November 2023 titled Phoenix: Reminiscence of Flower (Hi no Tori: Eden no Hana, literally “Eden’s Flower”). The film features a different ending from the Phoenix: Eden17 anime. The anime is based on the “Nostalgia” arc of the original manga.

The manga also inspired a series of anime film and OVA adaptations from 1978 to 1987, each adapting a different story in the manga. The manga inspired a 2004 television anime.

Sources: Phoenix Future Arc ZEROMDISTANCE play’s website, Comic Natalie

Last Kawacon took place on July 3-5 at Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, TX

The Facebook page and Instagram account for the Kawacon anime and gaming convention announced on Saturday that the convention will cease operations for the foreseeable future. The fifth and last Kawacon was held on July 3-5 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, TX.

The staff of the convention did not announce a reason but did make a statement:

To our Kawacon family,

After much consideration and with heavy hearts, we have made the difficult decision to cease Kawacon operations for the foreseeable future.

Over the past five years, Kawacon has grown into something far beyond what we originally imagined. What started as a vision became a thriving community that brought thousands of people together through their shared love of fandom, creativity, and connection.

From our very first event to Kawacon 5, every year brought unforgettable memories, lasting friendships, and experiences we will always cherish. We are incredibly proud of everything we accomplished together.

To our attendees, artists, exhibitors, guests, volunteers, staff, sponsors, and everyone who supported us along the way: Thank you. Your passion and dedication made Kawacon what it became, and we couldn’t have done it without you.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for believing in our vision, growing alongside us, and making these past five years so special.

Until we meet again.

– The Kawacon Team

The first Kawacon event took place in February 2026.

Source: Kawacon’s Facebook page and Instagram account