In October, "Shirotan" and "Pop Pap Porters" Will Start
Two titles will start broadcasting in October: "Shirotan" (broadcast every Saturday at 4:29 PM) and "Pop Pap Porters" (broadcast every Sunday at 10:00 AM on "PicoAniTime").
"Shirotan" is a soothing work that depicts the "relaxing and fluffy" daily life of a pure white, fluffy harp seal. Born in 1999, this character, which continues to be loved across generations, will finally be adapted into a terrestrial TV anime. Aoi Yuki serves as the voice actress for Shirotan. Anticipation is high for the great activities of these cute friends, including Shirotan, brought to life by her, as well as Rakko-inu, Shell, and Ramune.
On the other hand, "Pop Pap Porters" is a "must-peek" miniature animation presented by Mozu, an up-and-coming miniature creator who is highly acclaimed both in Japan and overseas. The daily lives of Pop, Pap, and Porta—three young ghost siblings living inside the walls of a certain house—are depicted through cute miniatures and stop-motion animation. It will be a new-sensation miniature animation that humorously portrays everyday relatable situations, such as "I feel like the remote control has moved..." or "Snacks have disappeared before I knew it...?", as the work of mischievous, playful ghosts.
From January 2027, "Josemaru" and "Momomo! Ninimo" Will Be Broadcast Back-to-Back
As new works for the January 2027 season, the broadcasts of "Josemaru" and "Momomo! Ninimo" have been confirmed. Within the "PicoAniTime" slot broadcasting every Sunday at 10:00 AM, these two high-profile works will be aired back-to-back.
"Josemaru" is a character based on a handmade "0-year-old puppy plush toy" by IP creator Inochiya, with the concept of "a tiny life living in reality." Its figure of leading a realistic daily life while worrying about managing money and human relationships has struck a chord, mainly among working women in their 20s.
In just a year and a half since starting activities on X in July 2024, its total social media followers exceeded 95,000, and it is a highly watched character that was selected for the character category of the "SHIBUYA109 lab. Trend Forecast 2026." The unique sentence structure of using three words, such as "okane nai nai" (no money, money), is called "Jose-go" (Jose language) and captivates many fans, mainly on social media. The TV anime will be produced as a hybrid that flexibly uses both "2D animation" and "stop-motion (live-action plush toy)," aiming for a visual expression as if the characters actually exist in daily life.
"Momomo! Ninimo" is a jointly produced 3DCG short anime series resulting from the first-ever collaboration between TV Asahi and The Pinkfong Company, a global family entertainment company behind "Baby Shark Dance," which has surpassed 16.9 billion cumulative views worldwide. "Ninimo," a familiar companion character from the videos of The Pinkfong Company's popular IP "Pinkfong," becomes the protagonist, depicting a lively, slapstick comedy unfolded by the hasty and adorable cat Nini and the tiny friend Mo. With a non-verbal expression that does not use words, it will be a work that can be enjoyed across borders and generations.
Comment from Yukiko Shirakura (General Producer, TV Asahi)
"PicoAni" aims to be a short anime brand where people can encounter anime that they will 'perfectly fit into' during their daily spare moments. I hope that such new encounters will be born, where people find themselves hooked on characters they happened to see. Precisely because they are small (Pico) anime, creators' dedication and characters' charm are tightly condensed, and all of them are works like sparkling glass puzzle pieces.
From children to adults, so that everyone can encounter their own 'favorite piece,' we will deliver a rich variety of lineups, including anime of popular characters born on social media, characters loved for over 20 years, and original anime co-developed with creators and overseas IP companies.
I would be happy if 'PicoAni' serves as an opportunity for everyone to encounter their 'favorite character.' Attractive short anime are scheduled to appear one after another in the future. Please look forward to it.
Anime "Josemaru" Teaser Visual & Teaser PV Unveiled
