Hey, everyone!

Here’s what’s going in the world of Anime today:

• Shangri-La Frontier gets 2nd Season.

• Japan's "Most Anticipated" Spring anime release might surprise you.

• The term Isekai was added to the Oxford Dictionary.

• Kaiji manga's next arc will be its last.

• Naruto Shippuden fans can now purchase custom Hanko stamps.

Meme of the Day

Shangri-La Frontier Gets 2nd Season

The official website for the Shangri-La Frontier anime revealed that the series is getting a second season, which will premiere in October and air for another two quarters of a year. Crunchyroll has confirmed it will continue to stream the new season.

For those unfamiliar with the series, this video game-themed anime follows second-year high school student Rakurō Hizutome who is interested in only one thing: finding "shitty games" and beating the crap out of them. His gaming skills are second to none, and no game is too bad for him to enjoy. So when he's introduced to the new VR game Shangri-La Frontier, he does what he does best—skips the prologue and jumps straight into the action. But can Rakurō discover all the secrets that Shangri-La Frontier hides...?

You can watch the announcement video here.

Japan's "Most Anticipated" Spring Anime Release Might Surprise You

The Japanese website Animate Times released its viewer interest poll last week, revealing that KONOSUBA -God's blessing on this wonderful world! Season 3 was the most anticipated anime of Spring 2024, over other massively popular mainstream titles like Demon Slayer, My Hero Academia, and more. The complete list of results can be seen below.

The results align with the fellow anime outlet ABEMA Times' version of their viewer interest poll. Demon Slayer tops the latter, but both share the remainder of their top 5 with That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 3, Yuru Camp, and My Hero Academia listed.

Isekai Added to the Oxford Dictionary

The Oxford English Dictionary has added 23 Japanese words in its latest update, and isekai is one of them. The dictionary defines the term as "a Japanese genre of science or fantasy fiction featuring a protagonist who is transported to or reincarnated in a different, strange, or unfamiliar world."

Despite the isekai genre's popularity among anime fans, it's still surprising to see it included in the Oxford English Dictionary's official lexicon. However, this news speaks to the immense growth and influence that the genre has received globally over the past decade. You can read more about the Oxford English Dictionary updates here.

Kaiji manga's next arc will be its last

Author Nobuyuki Fukumoto revealed in an interview that he will end the long-running Kaiji series with its next arc. Fukumoto also stated that the manga's current arc, "24-oku Dasshutsu-hen" (The 2.4 Billion Escape Arc), will end soon.

The series debuted in 1996 and is currently on hiatus since June 2023 due to Fukumoto conducting research. It was then slated to return in September but remained on hiatus and was again slated to return in November. The series has not resumed serialization since then. The manga last appeared in June in Kodansha's Weekly Young Magazine's 2023 27th issue.

Fukumoto did not reveal further details regarding the manga's next arc or the latest arc's end. You can read the manga here.

New Customizable Naruto Shippuden Hanko Seals Released

FANCO, a Japanese company specializing in hanko stamps, has unveiled a fresh collection of customizable stamps inspired by the popular anime series Naruto Shippuden. This new line showcases a variety of beloved characters from the series.

Enthusiasts can select from iconic characters such as Naruto, Minato, Itachi, Sakura, Hinata, Rock Lee, etc. Each hanko stamp prominently features the chosen character's likeness and name. However, customization options allow for substituting personal text, such as the purchaser's name. In addition to character designs, the stamps offer iconic symbols representing the Uzumaki Clan, the Uchiha Clan, and the Mangekyo Sharingan of Sasuke, Itachi, and Kakashi.

These hanko stamps are offered in two formats: the traditional wooden style, necessitating manual inking, and the contemporary plastic self-inking variant. The self-inking stamps are priced at $30 each, including the chosen character, personalized text, and the option of blue, red, or black ink. Conversely, the wooden hanko stamps are priced at $50 a piece, which covers the wooden seal, character selection, and personalized text.

However, ink is sold separately, allowing users to select their preferred color. FANCO also offers a range of ink colors in reusable wells for $13.98 each, including red, blue, black, white, purple, emerald green, and orange. You can order the stamps here.

Did you know?

Naruto was supposed to be a chef! When Masashi Kishimoto initially conceived Naruto as a character, he was pursuing a culinary arts career, aiming to become a chef. However, he eventually abandoned this concept, retaining only the character's name. Instead, he transformed Naruto into the beloved character we are familiar with today: a young ninja who can transform into a fox.

Just imagine the alternate universe where Naruto, instead of donning his iconic hitaiate headband, swaps it for a Teflon pan and indulges in sharing delicious recipes! What if his adventures centered around mastering the art of cooking (tsukurikata) and showcasing his culinary skills while navigating the challenges of the ninja world? It's an intriguing thought, envisioning Naruto's journey taking a savory twist as he whips up dishes instead of battling foes.

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