While we could tell from the very start that The Emperor’s Caretaker manga would eventually involve a romance between Linhua, one of the caretakers for the series’ child emperor and his regent Souren. However, Ichiha Hiiragi and Aya Shouoto’s story initially prioritized establishing life in the palace, Linhua’s role, and professional relationships. It’s only in the third volume that things start to actually get into different types of obligations that come from the jobs people have or their positions in families. As a result, we’re finally getting the lovey-dovey moments suggested and teased as these other elements play out.

Editor’s Note: There will be spoilers for volume 3 of The Emperor’s Caretaker manga below.

What I love about The Emperor’s Caretaker volume 3 is that, while this is the point in the manga when it gets to the romance elements, it still is focusing on folks’ personal, professional, and familial obligations. Linhua and Souren are getting their moment toward the end. However, in the lead-up we are seeing how even though he’s a child, Emperor Zhiyou can be called upon to rule a kingdom and see what happens with the Li family chancellor. We also get another glimpse at what life is like for Linhua as a daughter of the Liu family and how that familiar obligation influences her life and future.

In the case of Emperor Zhiyou, the example is an especially trying and pivotal moment. Throughout the volumes, we’ve seen him start to connect to his brother Souren finally, thanks to Linhua’s influence. They’ve build up a real relationship, and that’s highlighted as this volume begins. But because of Chancellor Li’s actions throughout the three volumes, it hit a point where there need to be repercussions for his actions. And while the man is clearly a villain, he’s always been kind to Zhiyou and acted like something of a grandfather to him. So we witness a small child going through more of his royal training, then being forced to act against someone he likely loves. It’s striking. Especially since we also see Rui, said chancellor’s son and a person Linhua’s father considered as a politically advantageous marriage candidate for the her for the Liu, debate against doing what’s right and filial piety. 

Obligations to family and expected roles in society play a big part in Linhua’s storyline. From the start of her series, Linhua’s father has been trying to get her married off. It’s how she even ended up as Emperor Zhiyou’s caretaker in the first place. With what happened to the Li family and Rui possibly jumping in power, we’re seeing him see an opportunity. Which means she’s concerned about leaving a job she loves for a marriage she’s forced into. It’s especially interesting to see how, at this point in the story, we’re getting to see her on the verge of possibly taking steps toward everything she could want.

Things are really in motion in The Emperor’s Caretaker volume 3, as the manga is establishing a challenge to the comfortable position Linhua holds, a possible future with Souren, and an emperor who is gradually growing up and developing as a ruler. While I don’t think we’ll see Zhiyou become a major force by the end of the series, seeing him preside over a ruling her feels like foreshadowing. So does Linhua and Souren making a commitment and hints that, while the two probably have a future together, other obligations might pose challenges along the way.

Volume 3 of The Emperor’s Caretaker is available now, and Square Enix will release volume 4 of the manga on September 9, 2025.

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With this latest survey, we hope to get your insights about the site and things you like to check out online. That means answering a handful of questions about topics that matter to you. If you could please spare 5-10 minutes of your time, we’d really appreciate it! And in the end, your responses could really make a difference!

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Good Smile Company shared an update on the Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Nendoroid of Sam Porter Bridges, and the prototype included a tiny Dollman figure on his waist. There’s no release window for him yet. However, since it is in a painted state, it is possible we could see pre-orders open in the next few weeks.

The Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Nendoroid of Sam involves a number of elements based on his appearance from the latest game, including the little Dollman figure. He’s wearing his typical porter outfit. Lou’s BB pod is attached to his chest, with the surface darkened. He’s carrying some cargo in his right hand. Dollman is attached to his waist. An Odradek is attached to his back. 

Here’s the photo of the current version of the prototype. It seems like the Dollman figure attached to Sam might not be completely finished yet, as the Death Stranding 2: On the Beach character doesn’t have any facial features painted on in this example.

Good Smile Company also made a Nendoroid of Sam Porter Bridges based on his original Death Stranding appearance. Two versions appeared. It dubbed the more expensive one the Great Deliverer Version, due to the fact it came with additional packages to load up on his back, a hood, and sunglasses. As both are out of print, it will likely be quite expensive if you find it somewhere online like Amazon or eBay.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is available now. There’s no word yet on when the Nendoroid based on Sam will appear.

The post Death Stranding 2 Sam Nendoroid Comes With Dollman appeared first on Siliconera.

VShojo Director of Talent Panini left the Vtuber company in July 2025. On July 10, 2025, a statement appeared on the former staffer’s official social media account. No specific reasons were mentioned as a cause for the departure.

The statement from Panini noted this move happened after starting at VShojo in 2022 and spending three years with the Vtuber organization working with talent and eventually being director of talent. It also noted an intention to keep working in this sphere as a consultant or as management on individual projects. However, Panini did note anyone interested in her services would need to wait for a response and services for a "couple of weeks."

Here is the full message from Panini going over the move and what will happen next:

Multiple current and past members of VShojo responded to Panini’s statement, as did other Vtubers and individuals in the sphere. Among the performers sharing well wishes were Ironmouse, Henya, Geega, Shylily, AmaLee, CyYu, Buffpup, and Sayu Sincronisity. 

This is one of multiple notable VShojo departures to come up in 2025, as both Vtubers and individuals in executive and management positions left. Chief Marketing Officer and Co-Founder Phillip "MowtenDoo" Fortunat left in May 2025. That month is also when Matara Kan parted ways with the company. Two other performers who left within the last few weeks are Geega and Zentreya. 

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Back in March 2025, MegaHouse confirmed a Lucrea Hatsune Miku Gundam figure that would pair her with a 00 Gundam Haro. Only concept art by Ixy appeared at that time. Now the company took to social media to reveal the prototype for the upcoming item.

The current design resembles the Ixy art almost exactly. Hatsune Miku is hugging a Haro that has accessories on its head that resemble hers while looking at whoever is watching the two of them. A keyboard is imbedded in the ground by her right foot, and a sword is forced into the stand near her left foot. She sits on top of a number of CRT style monitors. The flowers from the original art aren’t shown on the stand in this prototype.

Here’s a close-up look at the unpainted prototype of this figure side-by-side with the original Ixy concept art used for its creation.

In another photo MegaHouse shared, it is shown on display with the other Lucrea figure in this collaboration. That features the Vocaloid with a Wing Gundam Zero-inspired look.

There are multiple figures and elements to this Gundam x Hatsune Miku Anniversary Special Project. Another will be a Banpresto Evolve figure of the Vocaloid with the RX-78-02 Gundam. That one will debut in Japan in December 2025. However, the prototype of it is on display at the Ikebukuro GiGO in Japan now.

There is no release window for the Gundam x Hatsune Miku Lucrea figure of her with a Haro yet. Pre-orders are expected to appear in 2025, according to initial announcements.

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Nintendo Japan shared the Switch game download rankings for the first half of 2025, and the most popular title ended up being Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time. The list consisted of the top 30 most popular games in the region. It only took into account sales made between January 1, 2025 and June 30, 2025.  [Thanks, Game Watch!]

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time debuted worldwide in May 2025. The ranking here only applied to the Switch version of the game. It didn’t include the Switch 2 sales figures. It is one of 10 2025 releases in the top 30. 

Here are all of the top 10 Switch games that topped the 2025 download rankings list in Japan for the first half of the year. All of them are titles that are available worldwide.

1. Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
2. Super Mario Party Jamboree
3. Tamagotchi Plaza
4. Minecraft
5. Urban Myth Dissolution Center
6. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
7. Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition
8. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
9. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD
10. Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics

As for the other new 2025 releases that made it into the top 30 Switch games downloaded, all of them also appeared in every region. Deltarune Chapters 1-4 appeared in 12th place. Saga Frontier 2 Remaster took the 19th spot. Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is ranked 22nd. The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy ended up being 26th. Finally, the Suikoden 1 and 2 HD Remaster found its way into 28th place.

As a reminder, Suika Game topped the 2024 Switch Download Ranking.

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is available on the Switch, Switch 2, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC worldwide.

The post Fantasy Life i Tops Switch Game 2025 Download Rankings so Far appeared first on Siliconera.

As part of the promotions for the Umamusume: Pretty Derby game, anime, and other projects in Japan, Cygames updates its official YouTube with shorts and videos starring characters and hosts Gold Ship’s PakaTube site and social media. This can also involve featured clips of other characters. Following the global launch of the Umamusume game, Cygames updated with a video of underdog racer Haru Urara singing “If You’re Happy and You Know It.”

In the Umamusume new video, Haru Urara sings “If you’re Happy and You Know It” in Japanese. She starts by humming the tune. Then, she breaks into the first verse. This is performed complete with clapping at the designated parts.

Haru Urara is a one-star unit in Umamusume. Everyone gets her after starting the game. She’s one of five free characters given out to new players and one of the best early options for Dirt track racers. Aside from her appearance singing "If You're Happy and You Know It," there are no other YouTube Shorts starring Haru Urara on the official Japanese channel. (You can check in the future for more of her videos there by searching for "ウララ" or "ハルウララ."

It isn’t uncommon for brief clips of Umamusume characters singing popular songs to come up. When the movie Top Gun: Maverick released, Mayano Top Gun was used in part of the promotional material. While the official video is privated, that character performed part of “Danger Zone” with Gold Ship as part of PakaTube. 

You can watch a copy of that video from ウマウマ動画制作局 on YouTube below:

Kenny Loggins, the artist behind “Danger Zone,” also responded to that performance, but that video has been made private as well. Copies of it have appeared online, one of which you can see on Precious Grain’s channel:

Umamusume: Pretty Derby is available on PCs and mobile devices. The original anime is on Crunchyroll, and Cinderella Gray is on Amazon.

The post See the Haru Urara ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It’ Umamusume Video appeared first on Siliconera.

Now that the Fate series crossover is live in Honkai: Star Rail, a message in-game reminded people that there are no English voice actors for Archer or Saber. At the moment, there is no voice acting for them at all if someone selected that language option. The option to hear Japanese voice actors will come in 3.5. This also comes alongside a confirmation that Archer performs his full, 40-second long Unlimited Blade Works Incantation when performing his Ultimate.

The reminder about the absence of English voice acting for Archer and Saber comes up as a notification in Honkai: Star Rail. That noted that the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean localizations are all present instead. If you go into the News and Notices section or check HoYoLab, it also brings up the audio absences and noted the 3.5 version will let you choose their Japanese voice overs under Voice in the Profile section of Character Details. 

As for the Archer Incantation, it’s now one of the longer speeches that happens before a character Ultimate in Honkai: Star Rail, and it can be about a 40-second long speech. Here’s a video from Xafrel that showed it in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese.

Honkai: Star Rail is available for the PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and the Fate series crossover based on Fate/stay Night Unlimited Blade Works runs until the end of 3.6.

The post Archer and Saber Have No English Voice Acting in Honkai: Star Rail appeared first on Siliconera.

Koei Tecmo announced the Atelier Ryza series is returning with a Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack that will bring the three games to platforms it previously appeared on and the Switch 2 for the first time. It will launch in 2025. There will be new and old content, and Gust will go over details in a livestream at 5am PT/8am ET/9pm JST on August 4, 2025.

The announcement confirmed this Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy collection will include the games Ever Darkness and the Secret Hideout, Lost Legends and the Secret Fairy, and Alchemist of the End and the Secret Key. The initial reveal teased new allies will be present. The first trailer for this collection started with Ryza acting as a teacher in front of a group of kids, then acting as a narrator as footage from all three games played. It also seemed to perhaps include a Serri tease.

We do know some details about this release, though! All DLC will be included, which happened with past pack releases in the series. The official website also addressed the issues of physical copies. In Japan, Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack will be digital-only for the Switch 2 and PC versions. The US and UK English sites says it will only be sold digitally for all platforms.

Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack will bring all three games to the Switch, Switch 2, PS4, PS5, and PC in 2025, and the showcase discussing it will air worldwide at 5am PT/8am ET/9pm JST on August 4, 2025.

The post Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack Includes Switch 2 Debut appeared first on Siliconera.

Good Smile Company announced and shared updates on seven Honkai: Star Rail Nendoroids and two Zenless Zone Zero figures. In the case of the Zenless Zone Zero characters, both are in the unpainted prototype phase. Progress on the Honkai: Star Rail Nendoroids is more mixed and includes both older characters and members of the Chrysos Heirs.  

Both of the Zenless Zone Zero Nendoroids are of characters who are part of factions tied to government organizations. Hoshimi Miyabi is a Hollow Special Operations member who is part of Section 6. She’ll come with her weapon. Seth Lowell is a Criminal Investigation Special Response Team Member, and his figure will come with his shield.  

Here’s how both of those look so far:

In the case of the seven Honkai: Star Rail Nendoroids, only four unpainted prototypes appeared. The only older character in the bunch is Kafka. The Herta, the five-star version of Herta, Hyacinthia (Hyacine), and Phainon are the others. The Herta, Hyacine, and Phainon are all shown with their respective weapons, and Hyacine will also include her Memosprite Little Ica. 

The initial prototype photos for all four appeared:

Some of the Honkai: Star Rail Chrysos Heirs figures are so early in development that there are no pieces of concept art or prototypes yet. These are Anaxagoras (Anaxa), Castorice, and Mydeimos (Mydei).

This comes after pre-orders for other HoYoVerse series characters appeared. Earlier in July 2025, Good Smile Company started selling the Koleda Belobog and Grace Howard Pop Up Parade SP figures and a Harumasa Asaba Nendoroid. 

Honkai: Star Rail is available for the PS5, PC, and mobile devices. Zenless Zone Zero is out on the PS5, Xbox Series X, PC, and mobile devices.

The post New Honkai: Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero Nendoroids Teased appeared first on Siliconera.

If you’ve ever played one of Bandai Namco’s Dragon Ball games, you know the company consistently supports them. Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 came out almost 10 years ago. It got an add-on based on the Dragon Ball Daima new spin-off anime back in May 2025 and Future Saga updates in 2024. It’s totally plausible and even expected for Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot to get its own Daima DLC five years after that installment’s debut and, after some initial time spent with it, it seems 

For those familiar with Dragon Ball Daima, I feel like the add-on starts off by quickly getting us introduced to the spin-off’s new characters and shuttled off to the Demon Realm where the story takes place. If you didn’t watch that show, it’s pretty good at quickly and concisely getting you started. As a quick summary, new Supreme Demon King Gomah got the Dragon Balls. He wished Goku and his allies would become kids. He took Earth’s Guardian Dende. The bad news for Gomah is that Goku was still super powerful as a kid. He and Supreme Kai Shin (also turned into a child) end up going into the Demon Realm with new allies Panzy (was a child even before the wish) and Glorio (the only “adult”) to save Dende and show Gomah what for. 

I really appreciated how quickly things get going. Which is a necessity here, since the whole point of the add-on is to get access to this new space, its original quests and characters, and the adventure tied to it. I experienced only the first parts. It’s a pretty solid introduction to this new story. I think that will bode especially well for newcomers, since the banter between existing characters like Goku and Shin works well, and this add-on maintains the same relationship I enjoyed between him and Glorio and Panzy for the parts I went through. I don’t feel like someone new to this story would feel left out. 

There are also marked design decisions present to make the Daima Demon Realm feel different than other places we’ve been in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. CyberConnect 2 made it look different, naturally. We’re also forced to explore it all on foot. This makes it feel like a more traditional type of open-world experience, and I also felt it encouraged me to do a little more exploring and investigating since I couldn’t just fly up and check out everything from above. Also, seeing his crew around him, running alongside as you explore areas, is just a nice touch and makes it feel a bit more like the newest anime.

This decision also changes combat. Since this is a child version of Goku, our moveset is a bit different. He’s still going to use ki, but I appreciated the enhanced focus on using his Power Pole. It genuinely reminded me of watching the original Dragon Ball anime after school as a kid. The inability to fly comes up in fights as well. This means different types of evasive maneuvers or pursual tactics need to be employed to dodge or get in close for attacks. 

The first part of the Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Daima DLC seems like it could be a really worthwhile adventure. The brief segment I sampled seemed surprisingly large. It added a new type of gameplay experience that remained true to the source material. It could also serve as a good introduction to that storyline for folks who didn’t catch the series yet. I’m excited to see more. Especially since CyberConnect 2 made sure we get introduced to and comfortable with the new world so swiftly.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is available on the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC, and the first part of the Daima DLC debuts on July 17, 2025. The second part of the add-on’s story will arrive in 2026. The Dragon Ball Daima anime is streaming on Crunchyroll.

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Sanrio announced seven new pieces of Chococat merchandise will show up in Japan. Everything will appear on July 18, 2025. It’s all only confirmed for one region right now. However, these will appear on the company’s Amazon storefront, which does ship worldwide.

The new Chococat merchandise essentially appears in two types of designs, and there are many bags, pouches, and purses in the collection. The standard items of the character featured a keychain coin purse of the character’s face, as well as a larger version of it. A pencil case also appears in that line. The other features tartan designs, with one being a plaid tote bag and another a plaid heart-shaped purse. Both of those have plush Chococat faces sewn onto them. Finally, there are two types of plush Chococat keychains, with the more expensive of the two wearing a tartan bow.

We already know the Japanese prices for the products. Here’s the full list:

• Heart-shaped tartan purse with Chococat’s face on it - 3,300円 (~$20)
• Mini coin purse of Chococat’s face - 990円 (~$7)
• Plush Chococat mascot keychain - 1,078円 (~$8)
• Plush Chococat mascot with tartan bow keychain - 1,210円 (~$9)
• Plush pen and pencil case - 2,530円 (~$17)
• Pouch of Chococat’s face - 1,760円 (~$12)
• Tartan tote bag with Chococat’s face on it - 2,970円 (~$20)

Here’s a closer look at all of the new items featuring Chococat. 

The new Chococat merchandise will debut in Japan on July 18, 2025. Most recently, the character ended up prominently featured in Hello Kitty Island Adventureon the Switch, PC, and Apple Arcade devices. 

The post Sanrio Reveals New Chococat Merchandise for Japan appeared first on Siliconera.

Now that the Fields of Mistria July update launch is drawing nearer, NPC Studio shared trailers highlighting things like the new March romance event. We can see how the window and lighting options in a house change throughout a day. The third video also showed how storage options will improve after the patch.

First, here’s a trailer highlighting the March romance eight-heart event in Fields of Mistria. It suggests our player characters and March will fall down a spot in the mines together. 

While this event scene does seem to be leaning toward being more romantic, this update will feature both love and best friend route options.

Another video highlighted how the large and extra large chests will work when they’re dded in the update. The video compares the two sizes. It also shows how you can set icons for a chest to make its contents more immediately recognizable. 

The most recent trailer highlighted a cosmetic lighting option. If you put windows in your house, they will show show what time of day it is outside at a glance. Your rooms will also get brighter in the morning and during the day and darker at night.

Fields of Mistria is in early access on the PC, and the third major update arrives on July 21, 2025. 

The post Fields of Mistria July Update Videos Show March Romance, New Features appeared first on Siliconera.

Good Smile Company announced three new Zenless Zone Zero figures, with one being a Harumasa Asaba Nendoroid and the other being Pop Up Parade SP ones of Koleda Belobog and Grace Howard. All three are expected to ship in May 2026 in Japan and Q4 2026 in the US. Asaba costs ￥7,700/$60.99, while Koleda and Grace are ￥8,800/$57.99. 

Both the Koleda and Grace Zenless Zone Zero figures are part of the more expensive Pop Up Parade SP line, which means they are a little more detailed than typical ones. It also means their heights are accurately rendered. So Koleda will be just about six and a half inches tall (165mm), while Grace is almost eight inches (200mm). There are no additional parts or posing options. 

Here’s how they look:

Since Asaba is a Nendoroid, there will be a number of additional accessories and options. He comes with one face that shows him smiling, one in which he looks exhausted, and a third in which he’s desperately in need of his medicine after over-exerting himself and Hollow exposure. He comes with his bow, an arrow, and a quiver as accessories. You can also pose him holding a cup of coffee or a vial of medicine. As a bonus, orders from Good Smile Company come with a bottle of medicine and another hand part to hold it.

This is how he looks:

Some of the past Nendoroid figures of Zenless Zone Zero characters included Belle, Wise, and Von Lycaon. 

The Zenless Zone Zero Harumasa Asaba Nendoroid and Koleda Belobog and Grace Howard Pop Up Parade SP figures will launch in Japan in May 2026 and the US in Q4 2026. The game is available on the PS5, Xbox Series X, PC, and mobile devices. 

The post More Zenless Zone Zero Nendoroid and Figures Appear appeared first on Siliconera.

Akatsuki Games announced it opened the Tribe Nine applications for players to apply for a paid item refund and shared unimplemented story segments in Japanese for some chapters. The refund process takes place within the game app itself. The story chapters appear on a page on the official site that also included art of characters and locations that didn’t get to appear.

Getting a refund for making Tribe Nine paid item purchases is an involved process, and it applies to anything bought after April 10, 2025. You need to launch the game and select “Refunds Regarding End of Service” when you’re on the title screen. When you go to that screen, you can opt to apply on a Refund Application for Paid Item Purchases Made After the Publication of the Roadmap. You need to supply your email first, then the verification code for it to choose your refund method. As part of this process, you’ll get a Refund ID. Akatsuki didn’t state when to expect money back, but did say to directly contact the company about any issues. 

As for the unimplemented story scripts, descriptions, character art, and location art in Tribe Nine, the official directory page offered links to story chapters for three, four, and five. These are largely presented as scripts. However, there are Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 pages that show the official art and images for characters we would have met and places we’d have gone.

Here’s a gallery of the Chapter 4 character Akatsuki shared.

And here are the folks from Chapter 5. 

Tribe Nine is available on the PC and mobile devices, and it will shut down on November 27, 2025. The anime is available on Crunchyroll.

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