Genjitsu no Yohane: Sunshine in the Mirror

Love Live Spin-off Genjitsu No Yohane Video Game Announcement Is an April Fools’ Prank... Or Is It?

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Published: March 31, 2023 12:31 PM

Today we got the announcement that a video game based on the upcoming Love Live! spin-off anime Genjitsu no Yohane: Sunshine in the Mirror is coming.

Of course, the announcement, made with a trailer showcasing a rather fetching pixel-art platformer set in an undersea dungeon is an April Fools' prank. It's already April 1 in Japan. 

And that would be it, if we weren't talking about Genjitsu no Yohane: Sunshine in the Mirror. Anyone who actually knows the history behind the anime likely also knows what I mean. 

On April 1, 2022, fans of the Love Live! series were surprised by the announcement of a spin-off anime based on the popular Love Live! Sunshine. It was a fantasy story focusing on Yoshiko Tsushima’s chuunibyou alter-ego Yohane. 

People laughed, many argued that it was an awesome idea, and then most moved on and forgot all about it, as you usually do with April Fools' pranks. Yet, there was a plot twist coming: in June, the announcement came that Genjitsu no Yohane: Sunshine in the Mirror was actually real and coming this year. 

In light of these events, can we really dismiss this "announcement" of a game dedicated to the anime? We probably shouldn't, and there's a solid chance that we'll know whether I'm right or not over the next few months.

In the meanwhile, you can check out the trailer below. 

The Genjitsu no Yohane: Sunshine in the Mirror anime will air in Japan in July. 

If you're interested in the Love Live! franchise, the old and beloved mobile game Love Live! School Idol Festival was actually shut down today, but a sequel titled Love Live! School Idol Festival 2: Miracle Live! will release in Japan for iOS and Android on April 15. A global version including an English localization (on top of Korean and Traditional Chinese) is also in the works, but doesn't yet have a release date.


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Started as News Editor at TechRaptor in January 2023, following over 20 years of professional experience in gaming journalism both on print media and on the… More about Giuseppe