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The first volume of the Tokyo Babylon manga involved CLAMP setting the stage with shorter stories involving Subaru and Hokuto Sumeragi and Seishiro Sakurazuka. However, it’s in the second installment of Yen Press’ CLAMP Premium Collection edition that even more serious situations are addressed when each of the twins deals with their own, sometimes longer than usual, tales of how they deal with violence against women.

Editor’s Note: There are no spoilers for the events of the two stories in Tokyo Babylon volume 2, but it does discuss some of the nature of the violent acts against two women in the manga.

Perhaps it’s because I grew up during a time before higher-end fan merchandise and companies like Loungefly capitalizing on fandom, but I sometimes end up surprised when I’m using something tied to a series and it’s genuinely good and useful. The official Atlus Persona 3 Portable Theodore and Persona 5 Morgana beanies both fall into that sort of category, as each one is well made and definitely references the games well, but they’re also great go-to hats.

Both of the hats are one-size fits most items, and they’re both made of acrylic. The Morgana one has a little more “to” it, due to the embroidered facial features and multiple colors stitched together. However, both are basically durable, warm beanies designed to throw on before you leave the house. The colors are right, the designs are accurate, and they’re everything you’d expect from Atlus merchandise.

What I like most about these two options is how they cater to different sorts of needs. The Persona 3 Portable Theodore beanie is a more subtle way to show affinity for the series. People unfamiliar with the series and character might think it is just a blue hat with a patch. Even people who know the series might not recognize the patch, since the emblem on the character’s hat in his in-game portrait is so small. 

Sun Star Stationery in Japan will release Persona 3 Reload merchandise. You’ll be able to find them from late January 2024 in anime shops across Japan.

Here is the list of Persona 3 Reload stationery items you’ll be able to purchase:

• Chidori’s sketchbook: 1320 JPY
• Clear folders: 440 JPY
• Deskmat: 3300 JPY
• Flat case: 1870 JPY
• Square memo pad: 660 JPY each

The Paldean Fates expansion of the Pokemon Trading Card Game is a bit of a confusing one to approach. It’s got shiny Pokemon! There’s a bunch of reprints! It’s a landing place for cards that didn’t have another international home! So figuring out the best Paldean Fates cards is a bit tricky. We’re going to try, though!

The coolest Pokemon TCG Paldean Fates cards

You’re probably expecting us to say the shiny cards. You probably are buying any of this set in the first place because of the shiny cards! But we just can’t get that excited about cards that are simple, sometimes-recycled character-only art in different colors. So even though there aren’t as many in the mix, it’s the illustration rares again. The Trainer selection is particularly nice, with a Nemona action pose and a fun isometric scene featuring Clive.

If you’re really lucky, though, you may pull the incredibly rare gold prints of the Paldea legendaries. Cards like Chien-Pao ex have seen common play in competitive decks, and if you’re using them often, having a cool variant to show off while you do is nice.

So, you’re new to Tekken 8 and you’ve got thirty-two possible characters to choose from. Who should you pick to start out with? With many of these characters having over a hundred attacks each, it can be difficult to decide who might be a good fighter to pick up as you try to learn about the game. I know I’m still having trouble settling on who I want to play in the long run.

While figuring out who I like the most, I’ve dabbled with each character, and in my experience as a newcomer, I’ve come up with a list of five characters I think you can pick up and have a lot of fun with right out of the gate.

Alisa

I thoroughly enjoyed what I played of Diablo 4 during its review period, and I even created a Hardcore character on release to join friends in a self-imposed challenge run to beat the game without dying. But once the first Season of Diablo 4 hit, I had exhausted myself with what I felt was a fairly lackluster end game.

So when I dipped my toes into Season of the Malignant I did just enough to grind out the first series of cosmetic unlocks in the Battle Pass and shelved the game. It wasn't until after a positive experience at BlizzCon that I ended up leaping back into Diablo 4 to give Season 2 - Season of Blood a shot. I'm a sucker for vampires and anything vampire-related, so I just had to give it a chance!

Plushes of Captain Pikachu and Black Rayquaza will appear from January 27, 2024. The Captain Pikachu plush will cost 3300 JPY ($22.30), and the Black Rayquaza plush will cost 5500 JPY ($37.10). [Thanks, Hobby Watch!]

These plushes are based on the Pokemon Horizons anime rather than the games, as Captain Pikachu and Black Rayquaza were only in that show. Captain Pikachu is the captain of the Brave Olivine. He’s got his hat on, though you can remove it if you so please.

He’s also got his arms on his hips and a sharp expression on his face, giving him a very smart look. Like Ash’s Pikachu from the original Pokemon anime series, Captain Pikachu is usually outside of his Poke Ball. This makes sense, as he can’t steer a ship very well from inside of one.

Ryushen of Nijisanji has posted on their Twitter account that they will take a brief hiatus. However, they’ll return in April 2024.

The reasons behind the hiatus are unknown. Ryushen simply Tweeted that they will take a short break from streaming and that they will see everyone when they return. In the Tweet, they did say “I can’t do it anymore!” so they may be going on hiatus due to burnout.

Ryushen also mentioned something similar to this on their stream announcing their hiatus. For instance, they’ve been feeling oddly down lately and even eating good food was unable to get them out of the funk. All of the comments replying to their Tweet have been very supportive, telling them to take care.

Square Enix announced that a new live developer broadcast focused on FFVII Rebirth will appear at the Taipei Game Show 2024. The broadcast will be held on January 27, 2024, at 2 pm JST. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

It is unclear what type of content will be showcased during the broadcast. Still, the company announced that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth co-director Motomu Toriyama and battle director Kouki Endo will appear on stage. It was also announced that the FFVII Rebirth broadcast will last 50 minutes and appear during the Bandai Namco Program slot of the Taipei Game Show event.

To help people prepare for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Square Enix shared a FFVII Remake story recap. The video is three minutes long and covers the major events and characters from the first entry in this new trilogy.

Things begin by showing Midgar, the setting of the first game. It shows how Mako is used to power the metropolis. Then, it shifts to show Avalanche, with Barret, Cloud, and Tifa working with them, to take down the Mako Reactors and fight back during the environmental crisis. Cloud meets Aerith as a result of this, as well as gets a Shinra target on his back. It then fast forwards to the dropping of the Sector 7 Pillar, destruction of a part of the city, Aerith’s abduction, and return of Sephiroth.

Here's the Final Fantasy VII Remake story recap video preparing us for FFVII Rebirth.

I have never claimed to be good at Tekken. My first brush with the series was when I was in middle school and came upon a Tekken 3 arcade cabinet at a local amusement park. I converted the small amount of money my parents gave me for souvenirs and lunch into rolls of quarters to continue playing against other people who congregated at that single machine. And despite losing almost every bout, I loved playing Tekken.

Having had the opportunity to play Tekken 8 ahead of launch, I got a sample of what the game would offer. This included its Arcade Quest mode, which featured Ghost AI battles. Already fascinated by this and what it could mean to help players spot their own weaknesses and strengths, I immediately went to unlock this mode.

There’s a new update on Stardew Valley 1.6 from Eric “Concerned Ape” Barone. It is both going to be bigger than expected and it is now in the bug testing phase ahead of a 2024 release. 

There’s no release window for this Stardew Valley update yet. However, this announcement does mean it is closer to release. Barone noted that from now all that’s left is this “polishing” portion. 

Here’s the official announcement going over the 1.6 patch’s progress. 

In follow-up replies, Barone offered more details. The first was saying, “yes absolutely” when asked if it would appear in 2024. When clarifying things later, the developer noted it will be on PC first, but there will be hopefully a smaller gap between releases on other platforms. 

KLab announced it is working on a “hybrid-casual” mobile game with the Palworld developer Pocketpair. There’s no release date yet.

All details about this new project are quite scarce. It is going to be a mobile title. The official announcement specifically referenced smartphones. Another part of the announcement noted the goal will be to “generate revenue from both in-game purchases and advertisements.” It’s unknown if this will be based on an original IP or one of Pocketpair’s other titles.

However, KLab did confirm this collaboration has been in the works for a while. During its reveal, it noted that things kicked off in 2020. As a reminder, some of KLab’s games include Bleach: Brave Souls, Captain Tsubasa: Dream Team, and Lapis RE:LiGHTs. As for Pocketpair, it is also known for AI: Art Imposter and Craftopia. In addition, it also has Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse entering early access in 2024.

There’s no social media update on Palworld sales for today yet. The last one arrived on January 25, 2024 and confirmed it hit eight million. 

When HoYoVerse adds new characters to Genshin Impact like Xianyun, it will also add a web event to introduce them and offer rewards. The latest is the Adeptus Mechanical Marvel, which is live now at the official site.

As is usual, you need an account and to be at Adventure Rank 10 to take part in the event. People playing on a PC or mobile device can log in, while PS4 and PS5 players need to go through their game if they haven’t linked their account. 

The goal is to help Xianyun, aka Cloud Retainer, create a Supreme Cuisine Machine. This involves first drawing it, then sharing the event to get materials, and finally using a mouse or finger to move the four parts of the machine from the right side of the screen to the correct places on the left. Once finished, you get two Mystic Enhancement Ores, three Vayuda Turquoise Fragments, 40 Primogems and 20,000 Mora. 

Genshin Impact is available for the PS4, PS5, PC, and mobile devices. Xianyun will join the game as a playable character on January 31, 2024 as one of the first two 4.4 update banners. The Genshin Impact Xianyun Adeptus Mechanical Marvel web event runs until January 31, 2024.

Square Enix announced that a FFXIV HORI Tactical Assault Commander F14 keypad controller will appear April 2024. It will work with the PS4, PS5, and PC versions of the game. 

Pre-orders already went live on the official Square Enix Store for the $139.99 device and sold out. However, people can still wishlist there. It is also still available on Amazon. The peripheral only has a “mid-April 2024” release window and no exact release date yet.

There are 21 keys on the FFXIV HORI Tactical Assault Commander F14 keypad controller. Each one of those can be programmed to someone’s liking. People also have dedicated Esc and Profile buttons, as well as a joystick. Backlight functionality is present to help make things clearer to see. There is a companion app for PCs to work with it, which allows people to set up different profiles and customize the controller. 

Square Enix and Hori also shared a gallery of images with us that show how someone’s hand could rest on the keypad and included screenshots of the companion app to show some of the user customization options.

Prime 1 Studio will hold a special exhibit at its Shinjuku Gallery Shop from February 2024 to early March 2024. Statues from Capcom's Devil May Cry series will appear as one of the main highlights in the exhibit. It will also feature statues from FromSoftware's Demon's Souls and Bloodborne, as well as the Prisma Wing line of anime character statues.

The studio will showcase the Devil May Cry 3 statues of Dante and Vergil. It will also include the Devil May Cry 5 versions of the characters, in addition to Nero and V. It encourages fans of the game series to compare Dante and Vergil's looks between the third and fifth mainline entries.

In addition to Devil May Cry, Prime 1 Studio will showcase statues of the Penetrator from Demon's Souls, as well as The Doll, The Hunter, Eileen the Crow, and Lady Maria from Bloodborne.

The studio will also feature over twenty anime character statues from its Prisma Wing lineup. The latter will include the titular character of Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie and Asuna from Sword Art Online.

Hololive Vtuber Nanashi Mumei reached one million subscribers on her YouTube channel. A member of Hololive's Promise group (formerly Hololive Council), she is the first of her generation to achieve the milestone.

Mumei has been on break since December, 2023, but still took to YouTube with an unarchived karaoke stream in anticipation of reaching a million. She was singing "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver when she finally passed one million, after which she thanked her fans and said she was glad she could be streaming when it finally happened.

Traditionally, Hololive talents are able to make a special request from Cover CEO Motoaki "Yagoo" Tanigo when they reach one million subscribers, but it is currently unknown what Mumei will ask for. Previous wishes have included new outfits for Vtuber models and live concert events.

You can find her announcement tweet below:

Bandai Namco announced that the Young Gaara Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker DLC is now live. It is part of the $9.99 Season Pass 7 or can be purchased alone for $3.99.

As usual, the add-on gives people the new Defense-type master. People also get the Sand Tsunami and Sand Coffin Ninjutsu, the Playing Possum Secret Technique, his outfit, a Shukaku mask, a Sand Shuriken tool, and the Self-Loving Carnage title.

Here’s the official trailer showing Gaara gameplay. It begins by showing some official art, then shows him using Sad Tsunami, Sand Coffin, and Secret Technique: Playing Possum Jutsu. After that, it shows avatar customization items. 

Bandai Namco published a new Customization Trailer for Synduality: Echo of Ada. It reveals that the upcoming mech shooter game will let players customize not only their Cradle Coffin mechs but also the AI companion Magus.

The trailer newly reveals a robust Magus customization menu that players will be able to access in the upcoming Synduality video game. The menu will first offer several default presets based on four personality choices. Players can then opt to manually adjust the Magus' body details, as well as the colors of their hair, eyes, skin, outfit, and any additional accessories.

Players will also be able to customize their Cradle Coffin mechs by assembling parts available for the Body, Arms, and Legs. They can also choose up to two weapons from the six available types: Shotgun, Submachine Gun, Assault Rifle, Light Machine Gun, Railgun, and Grenade Launcher.

The new trailer is available to watch via Bandai Namco's Japanese YouTube channel:

The Humble Store took to its social media account to note that it doesn’t have any Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth PC keys for Steam. However, it does still allow people to add the game to a cart and buy it at the official site.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth launched on Steam for the PC on January 25, 2024. At 1pm ET on that day, support noted online that it doesn’t have any codes and doesn’t know when they will be available. It then updated close to 6pm ET to say there was no official update. It did note that people who placed pre-orders with the outlet will still get the pre-order bonus items from the store.

Here’s the official announcement:

Square Enix has announced the release date for the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Original Soundtrack. The album will be available on April 10, 2024.

The physical soundtrack album will be available in two versions. The regular edition will come with seven CDs with a tax-inclusive price tag of ¥7,480 (~$50.65) in Japan. There will also be a Special Edit Version that adds a bonus disc containing tracks from the mini-games. Square Enix will only release the latter in limited numbers at first print for ¥8,800 (~$59.60). People who purchase the soundtrack early will also be able to obtain a bonus memo pad.

Good Smile Company has revealed and opened pre-orders for its upcoming Pop Up Parade figure of Mai Shiranui. It will use her appearance in The King of Fighters 97 as the primary reference for this figure. The non-scale static figure will have an approximate height of 170mm (6.69in).

People who reside in the U.S. and Canada can order the figure on Good Smile Online Shop U.S. at $31.99. Those living elsewhere worldwide can instead place orders on the company's international web store at ¥4,800 / €33.90.

Some of the sample images for the figure are available to view right below:

During the Honkai: Star Rail 2.0 special program, HoYoverse detailed some of the in-game events set to play out during the game's next update period. While the events have not received individual dates yet, they will all launch after the 2.0 update arrives on February 6, 2024.

The main event teased in the showcase was called Hanu's Prison Break. Taking place within a specific dreamscape bubble, players will take part in a prison break after a tyrranical warden bans Penacony's favorite drink: SoulGlad. This event will feature new minigames, including one that involves aligning pinball bumpers to create a path, as well as the puzzle-platforming Mirror Maze. There will also be a section where players transform into Hanu, which looks like it may involve some kind of stealth mechanics. On top of Self-modelling Resin, Tracks of Dreams, and Stellar Jades, it appears that players will be able to pick a four-star character to keep upon completing the event. The characters shown include Guinafen, Sampo, Asta and Yukong.

The other events include:

• The Dreamchaser Bulletin - A limited time event rewarding Stellar Jades, experience materials and trailblaze energy consumables. This event appears to be a simple list of missions with set rewards for players to earn.

New to the world of Tekken, but curious on where to start with Tekken 8? Like I said in my review, it’s pretty daunting walking into this game with little experience with the series. Even if you’re decent at fighting games, this title is definitely a unique beast that will take some time to figure out. While I’ve still got a lot to learn, I do have eight tips to help you get a foothold in this complex game.

Start with Arcade Quest

Play through Arcade Quest at least a little bit. The Arcade Quest is a playful mode where you’ll battle different CPU players across a variety of themed arcades. It’s different from the regular Story Mode that throws you right into a deadly clash between some long-standing characters. This is much lighter fare where you’ll have a few rounds against foes that won’t go too hard on you.

During the special program for Honkai: Star Rail Version 2.0, HoYoVerse revealed more information on what to expect and a release date. There will be new enemies, events, and Relics, along with the new world to explore and characters to pull.

New characters in Version 2.0 of Honkai: Star Rail will be Black Swan, Sparkle, and Misha. Black Swan will be a five-star Wind Nihility and Sparkle will be a five-star Quantum Harmony. Misha will be a four-star Destruction character. Black Swan and Sparkle will have Companion Missions to let you know them better.

New enemies you’ll face off include Sam of the Stellaron Hunters and the Lordly Trashcan. The Lordly Trashcans are giant and buff trash cans who yearn to fight powerful opponents. They do not have any weaknesses by default. However, you can plant a weakness on it after attacking it. There will be new Relic Sets as well. Pioneer Diver of Dead Waters can deal more damage to enemies with debuffs. Watchmaker, Master of Dream Machinations can increase Break Effect.

We're all here because it is that time again. HoYoVerse shared three Honkai: Star Rail Stellar Jade codes during the Special Program for the 2.0 update arriving in February 2024, so let's get them and claim them.

As the showcase aired, HoYoVerse took breaks to reveal three codes. Each one gives someone 100 Stellar Jades while used. They're good on January 26, 2024 early or until they run out, whichever comes first. You also get another kind of consumable with each use used. In total, we get 300 Stellar Jades out of this, which is enough for one 160 pull on the gacha. If you complete tasks or quests, you can get another 20 Stellar Jades to bring that up to two pulls.

Here are the Honkai: Star Rail Stellar Jade codes for Special Program 2.0

Claiming the three codes will net you in-game Credits, characters and Light Cone experience items, and the Stellar Jades. After redeeming them, they'll be in your in-game mailbox. You can then claim them to use them.

Here's the full list of three codes and what each one provides:

During the Version 2.0 special program of Honkai: Star Rail, HoYoVerse revealed some more information on the new characters who’ll debut in this update. We previously learned that Black Swan, Sparkle, and Misha will be the new units, and Dan Heng Imbibitor Lunae and Jing Yuan will return.

Black Swan will be a five-star Wind Nihility character who specializes in DoT. She is the first character from the Garden of Recollection faction. She can inflict the Arcana debuff on enemies, which can stack. It will deal damage over time, meaning her gameplay will focus on inflicting as many Arcana stacks as possible. 

Sparkle will be a five-star Quantum Harmony character. She is a follower of Aha and she is a hedonist. Her Ultimate can restore Skill Points to the whole party. As well, she can let them deal more damage when they use Skill Points. The special program hinted that this kit will make her a very good support for Dan Heng Imbibitor Lunae and Qingque, since both characters tend to eat through your SP.

SuperGroupies announced their latest merchandise collaboration with Fullmetal Alchemist which includes watches, jackets, and backpacks inspired by Edward Elric and Roy Mustang. The new merchandise line based on Hiromu Arakawa's hit anime and manga series will be up for pre-order until February 12, 2024.

The SuperGroupies line of Fullmetal Alchemist merchandise is made to order, limiting them to those who order during the pre-order period. The watches are slated to ship out in October 2024, and the jackets and backpacks will ship in early August 2024.

The Edward Elric Model Watch features a transmutation circle on the face, the Flamel symbol at the 12 o'clock position, a metallic design based on Edward's automail arm at the 9 o'clock position, and the Amestris State Military crest inside the 3 o'clock sundial. The back of the watch features the Fullmetal Alchemist logo, and the red leather strap has studs that replicate the look of the bolts on Edward's automail.

Square Enix announced a new Final Fantasy XIV planetarium show in collaboration with Konica Minolta Planetariums, starting on February 2, 2024. Exclusive merchandise items like FFXIV tea and a food menu will be part of the collaboration.

Titled Eorzea's Gods and The Tale of the Stars (Eoruzea no Kamigami to Hoshi no Monogatari,) the new FFXIV planetarium show features G'raha Tia’s Japanese voice actor Yuma Uchida introducing and explaining the constellations of Eorzea, as well as the mythology behind the world’s night sky and stars.

The merchandise items sold in the Konica Minolta Planetarium collaboration include Final Fantasy XIV-themed tea, which costs 648 yen (~$4) and is available in berry, orange, and chocolate flavors. Additionally, a clear file folder featuring the main key visual of the show is available for 550 yen (~$3.70.)

VR rhythm game developer Kluge Interactive announced that Synth Riders now has new free and paid DLC Electro Swing 2 songs. All players can update to get them, while it is also possible to pay $7.99 for a bundle of five additional tracks.

The four songs every gets are as follows:

• Jamie Berry and Cissie’s “Keep You in Line”
• Little Violet’s “Silent Movie”
• Little Violet and PiSk’s “Watch Your Tongue”
• Wolfgang Lohr, Emma Lea, and Ashley Slater’s “Keep on Smiling”

If someone gets the paid Electro Swing Essentials 2 Music Pack DLC, they also get the following five Synth Riders songs:

• Balduin, Wolfgang Lohr, and J Fitz’s “Magic Man”
• Cut Capers’ “Let’s Start Again (Odd Chap Remix)”
• Jamie Berry and Little Violet’s “Guilty Pleasure”
• Singrowers’ “Rose”

Koei Tecmo detailed the contents of the upcoming Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty complete edition, which is set to become available on February 7, 2024. The package will include all 3 DLC packs as well a collection of extras including armor sets and consumables.

The complete edition will include all three DLC packs, Battle of Zhongyuan, Conqueror of Jiangdong, and Upheaval in Jingxiang, which add the whip, cestus and long sword weapon types to the game. Also included are the items released as part of crossovers with Naraka: Bladepoint, Lies of P, and Nioh 2, as well as the armor sets themed after three of the Chinese four symbols Qinglong, Baihu, and Zhu Que. Complete edition owners will be able to claim the fourth and final four symbols armor set, themed after Xuanwu, in-game until February 29, 2024.

Koei Tecmo reported strong sales numbers for Wo Long when it initially released back in March 2023. The game has received multiple paid and free DLC packs, including a crossover with Team Ninja's Nioh 2 which was teased back in November, 2023.

Bandai Spirits revealed new SH Figuarts action figures modeled after the Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom versions of Kira Yamato and Lacus Clyne. It will open pre-orders for both figures in the U.S. and Asia including Japan on January 26, 2024. Each figure will be available separately at 9,900 yen (~$67).

Kira Yamato's SH Figuarts will appear first in July 2024. The figure will depict him in his new pilot suit when he is piloting the Rising Freedom Gundam. The set will include a helmet, a gun, and two regular facial expression parts. It will also include Kira's pet robot bird Torii / Birdy.

In preparation for the release of Dragon’s Dogma 2 on March 22, 2024, Capcom is asking fans to share their stories and experiences playing the first Dragon’s Dogma title.

People can now go to X (formerly Twitter) and use the Japanese hashtag #DDあるある to submit stories of their own adventures on Dragon’s Dogma. The hashtag spells #DDaruaru, which roughly translates to “common Dragon’s Dogma occurrences.” Capcom will be accepting submissions for the stories between January 25 and February 14, 2024.

The original Dragon’s Dogma and its Dark Arisen expansion are well known among fans for their in-depth action-RPG combat and character creator, as well as for the fights against large-scale monsters and the elaborate physics system that sometimes resulted in monsters flinging characters around when grappling onto them.

In addition, the Dragon’s Dogma fan community is very fond of the relationship system present in the game, which can lead to some hilarious stories like finding out that your one true love is none other than the court jester.

Bauhutte and Capcom have teamed up to release a onesie based on the Palico from Monster Hunter World. The onesie will come in three sizes and will cost 19,910 JPY ($134.75). [Thanks, Inside Games!]

The onesie will come with mittens and slippers so that you can be completely bundled up. You can also cover up your head with a hood that has ears on it. If you truly want to, you can wear the hood and pull the zipper up all the way so that it completely covers your face. There is a paw print on the front of the onesie, as well as a tail. There’s a zipper on the back above the tail that you can unzip to use the bathroom without needing to completely remove the onesie.

Bandai has revealed new acrylic stands and plates based on faction and character emblems from the Gundam series. The new items will have a special perk where they can glow in the darkness. Pre-orders for these items are immediately available on the Japanese Premium Bandai website, which is normally only accessible with a Japanese IP address.

The acrylic items will be available in two variants which are sold separately. The triangular acrylic stands will be available at ¥2,750 (~$18.67), while the circular acrylic plates will cost a bit more at ¥2,970 (~$20.16). Each purchase will also come with a non-glowing acrylic stand of a related character.

The lineup will mostly feature factions and characters from the inaugural 1979 anime show Mobile Suit Gundam. However, Bandai will also include an entry from the 1988 movie Char's Counterattack.

The full roster list is as follows:

1. Earth Federation Space Force - with One Year War-era Amuro Ray

CASETiFY will start selling Jujutsu Kaisen merchandise for tech starting on January 31, 2024. You’ll be able to get an Airpods case that looks like the Prison Realm, as well as an Apple Pencil holder that looks like one of Sukuna’s fingers. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

The case and the holder are both part of CASETiFY’s collaboration with Jujutsu Kaisen. Considering their motifs, it’s not a surprise that the Sukuna’s finger Apple Pencil holder and the Prison Realm Airpods case look kind of grotesque. If you want something a little less eye-catching but still proclaim your love for Jujutsu Kaisen, CASETiFY does offer other products. You can get a cursed energy thermal case that’ll change pattern when it detects your body warmth. There will also be collectible cards in blind boxes.

Atlus already announced there would be Persona 5 Royal Phantom Thieves costumes for Persona 3 Reload characters as DLC. Now there’s a new trailer showing exactly how all of them look in action.

The video begins by showing the protagonist accompanied by various party members as they just enter Tartarus. Makoto is dressed as the Joker protagonist Ren. Yukari is wearing Ann’s Panther costume. Junpei is dressed in Ryuji’s Skull outfit. Akihiko dons Goro’s Crow one. After that, we get to see Mitsuru as Makoto/Queen, Aigis as Haru/Noir, and Ken as Yusuke/Fox. The last quick shot also shows Koromaru in Morgana attire and Shinjiro in the black Crow costume. 

From there, we get closer looks at all of these designs in-battle. It shows how the masks, costumes, and designs for characters shift when a Persona 3 Reload player uses the Persona 5 Royal Phantom Thieves DLC. At the end, we get to see Mitsuru use her Theurgy ability and after-battle scenes with party members walking toward the camera.

Here’s the full Persona 3 Reload DLC trailer:

Hololive Vtubers Houshou Marine and Shirakami Fubuki will end their radio show SKDW after March 2024. It lasted for almost four years.

The announcement post for this did not mention anything about why the show will end. However, it thanks all the listeners for their support, as they were the reason why the show was able to go on for so long. SKDW, which is short for “V no Sukonna Otakatsu Nandawa,” was highly popular and even received nominations in multiple categories in the 7th Aniradi Award.

The Hololive Production social media account retweeted the announcement to add its own message of gratitude to fans. It also stated that it looks forward to fans who may want to send in letters for the show at Hololive Super Expo 2024. As a reminder, the Hololive Super Expo 2024 will take place in Makuhari Messe on March 16 and 17, 2024.

Good Smile Company, which has a racing division, announced the Racing Hatsune Miku design for 2024. It is drawn by Mogumo, the artist who was the character designer for Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, and happens to look like a witch.

Here is the official image for the new Hatsune Miku design. The “Good Smile Racing” logo is on her left arm’s glove, and she has the Crypton logo on her left leg. She’s riding on an electric broom with a crown-shaped design where bristles would be. She also has a witch’s hat on. Her outfit is primarily white, with magenta accents. 

Google is teaming up with Sanrio to release special Hangyodon merchandise for the release of the new Google Pixel 8 Mint phone. There will only be a limited supply of the phone, as well as the Hangyodon case and strap.

The mint version of the Google Pixel 8 will be a new color that you can get. Even if you don’t get this particular model, you’ll be able to access the Google Store to download free wallpapers of Hangyodon. This does not look like it’s available outside of Japan though.

For those who purchase the Google Pixel 8 Mint from Google Stores in Japan during the campaign, you'll be able to get a Hangyodon case and strap. This campaign will end on March 31, 2024.

Hangyodon is a Sanrio mascot that debuted in 1985. He is a fish-like creature from China who wants to be a hero and has a soft spot. Sanrio also made him into a Fragaria in its multimedia franchise Fragaria Memories. His name is Hangyon and he has something like Kingyochan on his shoulder. Other merchandise that you can get of Hangyodon from the Sanrio website includes a plush, a blanket, and socks.