How to Catch Figure Announcements Early for New and Currently Airing Anime

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The Problem: By the Time You Hear About It, the Preorder’s Already Closing

There’s a specific kind of frustration that comes from falling in love with a brand-new series mid-season, only to discover the figure preorder for your favorite character has already been open for weeks and is about to close. New and currently airing anime move fast, and figure announcements tied to them don’t always show up where you’d expect to see them first.

I’ve already covered a general system for tracking preorders — this guide is more specific: how merchandise timing actually relates to a show’s broadcast, and where to actually watch if you want to catch announcements for something that’s airing right now.

Who This Article Is NOT For

• If you’re not interested in new/currently airing series specifically, my general preorder tracking guide covers the broader system without this article’s seasonal focus.
• If you’re tracking a long-established franchise with years of merchandise history, the dynamics here are less relevant — established series tend to have more predictable, ongoing merchandise release patterns rather than this specific “new show, will it get figures” uncertainty.
• If you haven’t read my figure type guide yet, it’s worth knowing what you’re actually watching for before diving into the tracking side.

How Merchandise Timing Actually Relates to Broadcast

1. Merchandise generally follows broadcast success, not the other way around. The anime industry has largely moved toward a “screen first, merchandise after” model — a show typically needs to demonstrate real popularity during its actual broadcast before manufacturers commit to figure production, rather than merchandise being announced far in advance of a show even airing.

2. Popularity during the first few episodes matters enormously. A show that catches on quickly is far more likely to see figure announcements during its original broadcast run than one that builds a following slowly over time — this is part of why watching (or at least following) the first few episodes closely matters if you’re hoping to catch early merchandise news.

3. Production lead time is long, regardless of how fast an announcement comes. Even once a figure is announced, scale figures and premium pieces can take many months to actually release — so “catching it early” mainly means catching the preorder window, not getting the actual figure quickly.

Where Announcements for New Series Actually Show Up

• Official series social media accounts, not just the figure manufacturer’s — a lot of merchandise news for currently airing shows gets announced through the anime’s own official account before or alongside the manufacturer’s own posts
• Manufacturer announcements tied to key visual moments. Figures are often announced around a character’s most iconic or visually striking scene airing, rather than at a fixed point in the broadcast schedule — paying attention to when a character has a standout episode is a reasonable signal to watch more closely afterward
• Anime news aggregator sites, which frequently cover merchandise announcements as a specific news category, separate from episode reviews or industry news
• Community sites like MyFigureCollection, where users actively discuss and share new figure reveals, often faster than official retailer listings catch up
• Convention announcements, if a series has any presence at conventions happening during its broadcast window — these often serve as a venue for merchandise reveals timed to build hype while the show is still airing

Signals That a Currently Airing Show Is Likely to Get Figures

• Strong early reception and discussion volume, since merchandise decisions increasingly track real, demonstrated popularity rather than pre-broadcast hype alone
• An established studio or franchise history with strong merchandise support, since some studios and source material publishers have consistent track records of quick merchandise turnaround for successful shows
• Existing manga or source material with an already-active fanbase, since adaptations of already-popular source material tend to see merchandise commitments faster than fully original anime, which still need to prove themselves during broadcast
• Visually distinctive character designs, since characters that are especially popular for cosplay, fan art, or general visual appeal tend to attract merchandise interest faster than those who are narratively important but visually less distinctive

Practical Habits for the Duration of a Season

• Follow the studio or publisher’s official account for the specific show, not just general figure manufacturer accounts, especially in the first few weeks of a new season
• Check back on community and news sites weekly during an active season, rather than assuming announcements will find you — this is a faster-moving environment than tracking an established franchise’s occasional new releases
• Once an announcement does happen, move quickly on the preorder decision. Popular new-season figures can see fast-closing preorder windows, especially if the character or scene depicted was a particularly memorable moment from the show
• Don’t assume no announcement yet means no figure is coming. Given production lead times, a truly popular new series may simply not have a figure announced yet even months into a successful run — patience is sometimes the right move rather than assuming you’ve missed something

Frequently Asked Questions

How soon after a show starts airing do figures typically get announced? This varies significantly and depends heavily on how the show performs — there’s no fixed timeline, since the modern merchandising approach generally waits for demonstrated popularity rather than committing before a show has aired.

Should I preorder based on early hype, or wait to see if the show stays popular? This is a personal risk tolerance question — early hype doesn’t guarantee a show maintains its popularity, but waiting too long risks missing preorder windows entirely for characters that do get announced. There’s no universally correct answer here.

Do all popular anime eventually get figures? Not necessarily, and it depends on licensing agreements, manufacturer interest, and how sustained the show’s popularity is beyond its initial broadcast — a strong opening doesn’t guarantee merchandise materializes.

Is it worth following a series’ official account versus just the figure manufacturers? Yes, particularly during an active broadcast — official series accounts often announce merchandise collaborations and figure reveals before or alongside the manufacturer’s own posts, especially for currently airing shows building hype in real time.

Final Thoughts

Catching figure announcements for new and currently airing anime is less about a fixed schedule and more about understanding that merchandise now generally follows demonstrated popularity rather than preceding it. Watching how a show performs in its first few episodes, following the show’s own official accounts alongside manufacturer pages, and checking community sites regularly during an active season are your best tools for not missing something you’ll wish you’d caught in time.

Once you’ve caught an announcement, my general preorder tracking system and first-time buyer’s guide cover what to actually do next.