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Maaya Sakamoto, Fate/Grand Order Top Hits and 30 Years in the Business….

Celebrations continue for Jpop fans who adore Maaya Sakamoto’s music. Not only is there a new release for Fate/Grand Order fans but also they can hear her unplugged.

Maaya Sakamoto Fate_Grand Order Currently in the midst of her 30th anniversary as an artist, Maaya Sakamoto continues to shine. The concert held April 18 and 19 at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena ended to great acclaim. And for those who missed the show or want a greatest hits, this artist is releasing a greatest hits album of sorts, titled Yoin. This album collects all six theme songs she performed for the smartphone JRPG and there’s a lot more to be included!

From The Press Release

Disc one features all six theme songs from the smartphone role-playing game Fate/Grand Order, from “Shikisai,” which was released alongside the official game launch in 2015, to “Tokei,” the theme song for the final chapter released in 2025.

“Tokei” was released digitally last year and will be recorded on CD for the first time.

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More Disney Gargoyles Than Meets The Eye! A Long-Awaited Ongoing Series Begins This Summer!

And we got a list on what’s been published in comicdom so far! After years of loose ends and unanswered threads, Disney Gargoyles returns with a new ongoing series that finally taps into Greg Weisman’s long-promised vision, picking up where the story truly left off.

Disney Gargoyles Dynamite Entertainment is fully invested in continuing the adventure of Disney Gargoyles, self-proclaimed protectors of Manhattan City and the new guardians of Avalon. After watching the animated series for the upteenth time, that’s one of Oberon’s decrees that still lingers. As for the fate of the robot clan, where the spirits of Othello, Desdemona, and Iago were finally separated from the Coldstone body and given their own robotic forms, we never got a proper continuation.

There’s also the Canmore clan, who have a deeper history with Demona than most, though the series never played favourites. That arc began with the City of Stone story arc, and every once in a while, surfaces in a future narrative. That’s where things were left (and yes, we’re ignoring the third season, since not many fans liked the direction when creator Greg Weisman wasn’t involved).

Followers of Gargoyles will be excited to learn that this comic book company will publish the story this creator has always wanted to tell. Whether that means exploring events before the previous comic runs or pushing beyond the cartoon’s timeline, those long-promised ideas are finally taking shape. He’s been sharing his ideas with fans for years, and now it seems this publisher is ready to go the extra mile.

From the Press Release:

“For me, this is a story thirty years in the making. One I’ve been longing to tell,” said Weisman. “So longtime fans are seriously not going to want to miss this. At the same time, it’s also a great place for new readers who know nothing about Gargoyles to jump aboard. We’re making sure that everything you need to know is right there on the page. Your Gargoyles addiction begins here and now!”

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Nobu Needs a Little Wasabi

A thoughtful look at Nobuyuki Matsuhisa reveals more than a culinary journey, it questions whether the global Nobu brand can still reflect the man behind it.

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Anyone heading into the documentary Nobu should eat first. This intimate look at Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, his restaurant empire, and his rise as a celebrity chef is filled with mouth-watering food cinematography. The visuals alone can make anyone hungry for Japanese food. For viewers unfamiliar with his past, the film offers a solid overview of how he navigated life in post-war Japan. He was born in 1949, a time when certain cultural sentiments still lingered beneath the surface. The film touches on this, though digging deeper might have distracted from its main focus, his life, both the highs and the hardships.

I won’t go into every detail, but one of the most important threads is who shaped him. Running alongside that is a quieter subplot involving his close friend Sakai. I’ll leave most of that unspoiled, but what matters is the unwavering support Sakai gave him, up until a tragedy changed everything.

The film also brushes against the philosophy behind the food. Precision matters. If the cut isn’t right or the aroma doesn’t draw you in, the dish falls flat. Sometimes it’s about freshness, other times restraint, like how much wasabi is used, if any at all. Even nigiri depends on balance; the exact mix of vinegar, salt, and sugar in the rice, and how long it’s been sitting after being cooked, can make or break the experience. Even the crispiness of the nori matters. I’ve experimented with recrisping it in a smoker, and it changes the texture. Continue reading “Nobu Needs a Little Wasabi”

When Steampunk Rules Applies No More, Can Sparks of Tomorrow Be The Next Coming Thing?

Netflix promises to bring some of that Full Metal Alchemy with the release of Sparks of Tomorrow. It may well be one of 2026’s most fascinating anime projects.

Sparks of Tomorrow (aka 20 Seiki Denki Mokuroku, 二十世紀電氣目録) looks like a promising animated series where steampunk rules the skies, and thankfully, the setting isn’t another Victorian London retread. Instead, this alternate-history version of Kyoto brims with strange machinery, airships, and the lure of adventure.

Based on the light novel 20 Seiki Denki Mokuroku by Hiro Yūki and illustrated by Kazumi Ikeda, the adaptation already carries a sense of wonder. July isn’t far off for viewers eager to see where Kihachi Sakamoto’s search for his missing brother will lead. With Netflix handling international distribution, audiences both local and abroad will be able to follow the mystery beginning July 5, 2026.

At the centre of the story is a young inventor determined to obtain the mysterious “20th Century Electrical Catalog,” a book said to contain knowledge to deliver a future beyond this world’s steam-powered age. The title alone hints at upheaval.

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Top Picks from Discotek Deep Dive July Schedule

Discotek’s July lineup brings classic anime fans plenty to celebrate, from Go Nagai’s Devilman to Osamu Tezuka’s daring Animerama work and the ever-charming Sherlock Hound.

Discotek Deep Dive May When looking at Discotek’s deep dive July schedule, I can’t help but smile. For those following Go Nagai’s Devilman saga, the next series release is coming, and there’s more Osamu Tezuka’s works being offered! The late 60s was a prime time for fans of this artist’s works. It is also worth noting his cinematic output didn’t get a wide release.

Honourable mentions go to Astro Boy: The Complete 1980 Series, along with City Hunter and its 1991 continuation, which together do a solid job of capturing what made 90s anime so memorable.

Devilman: The Complete TV Series (1972)

devilman_tv-800x1017 Before Go Nagai went full dark with the manga, the original TV series told a more family-friendly version of the story. Teenager Akira Fudo merges with the demon Amon, inheriting his power while holding onto his human soul, and uses that strength to defend Earth from demonic invasions. It’s campy and colourful in all the best 70s ways, and it’s essential viewing for anyone who wants to understand why later adaptations like Devilman Crybaby landed so hard.

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The Ties That Bind. Haunted Discoveries Family Spirits, The Interview (Part 2)

In what makes Haunted Discoveries Family Spirits different is a shared DNA between episodes and it’s freely available to watch on YouTube!

Shared DNA and haunts definies what Haunted Discoveries Family Spirits is all about. Now into its third season, what’s presented in this series run suggests that sometimes, what brings troubled souls together conerns more than the humanity lost for those brought to Waverly Hills Sanatorium. And viewers who love a bit of spooky drama can find it available to view online.

For the two creators of these series, Brandon Alvis and Mustafa Gadillari, helping the folks affected by this past get closure is important. And with additional talents like Dr. Harry Kloor to work with and Craig Owens as part of the team, they have a tight focus. The former is an innovator holding a degree in Physics and Chemistry (think Tony Stark), which is important to field studies, and the latter is the author of Haunted by History Vol. 1: Separating the Facts and Legends of Eight Historic Hotels and Inns in Southern California (Amazon link), which brings credibility to what the team does.

To encompass the emotion behind those supernatural experiences, Alvis revealed that reenactments are a really good way to show the audience what that feeling was like for Harvey Althaus. In the second episode of the third season, “Haunted by Faith,” this individual had a problematic childhood with his mother. Not only was it haunting, but the reveals are just as good as following a tale written by Shirley Jackson. It’s an episode worth watching.

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