Spring has officially sprung, and with it, plenty of new anime series to fill the void left by the packed Winter 2026 season. From Frieren: Beyond Journey's End soon bringing its second season to a close by teasing the beloved Golden Land Arc, to Jujutsu Kaisen's extended Season 3 finale also coming at the end of March, there are some pretty big shoes to fill as April approaches, and one series in particular may hold a special place in the heart of longtime members of the community. After all, MAO was created by one of the most beloved female manga artists of all time, Rumiko Takahashi, best known for Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2, and Inuyasha.
While the Spring 2026 anime season is packed full of highly anticipated series returns, there are also plenty of novel releases to look forward to, with Fullmetal Alchemist author Hiromu Arakawa returning to the small screen with Daemons of the Shadow Realm and Takahashi swooping in to win back fans' hearts with her iconic art style in the dark fantasy adventure series MAO. Inspired by the creator's ongoing manga series, the anime adaptation promises to suck viewers in to yet another memorable series set in Japan's past, and for many, it can't start soon enough.
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What is MAO About?
Time to Take a Trip to Japan's Taisho Period
Nanoka Kiba is a middle schooler who, unfortunately, died at the age of eight. Somehow, she still lives on in some sense, and one day, she finds herself transported to Japan's Taisho period. Here, she meets the cursed Mao, a fellow traveler who is searching for an evil being responsible for much of his pain. The two pair up in order to investigate the many strange occurrences that begin to happen around them, and as they spend more time together, it becomes apparent that something larger ties them together. Nanoka's memories of the accident begin flooding back, and Mao quickly becomes attached to the girl, aiming to protect her from the dangers that seem to lurk around every corner.
MAO Background and Animation Studio
Studio Sunrise Is No Stranger to Rumiko Takahashi’s Works
Original manga author Rumiko Takahashi needs little introduction, starting her career in the late 70s with the sci-fi romantic comedy series Urusei Yatsura. She went on to pen many legendary works, from Maison Ikkoku and Mermaid Saga to Ranma 1/2 and Inuyasha, the latter of which became a major draw for new anime fans in the West when the anime adaptation aired on Adult Swim beginning in 2002. Takahashi is known as one of Japan's best-known manga artists, with the Niigata-born creator winning multiple awards over the years and total sales of her works surpassing 230 million copies worldwide. MAO has been serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday since 2019, and bears a strong resemblance to both Inuyasha, something that may prove to pull in plenty of curious viewers.
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The anime is being produced by Sunrise, which was responsible for the Inuyasha adaptation in 2000, and seems to have maintained the original artist's unique style when watching early trailers for the upcoming series. Teruo Sato is serving as director, having also previously worked on Inuyasha as well as other early hits like Rave Master and Mobile Suit Gundam Seed. As for the series' soundtrack, Shu Kanematsu will be in charge, known for his work on Frieren: Beyond Journey's End and Quintessential Quintuplets. Having Sunrise, the studio behind other mega hits like Love Live and Code Geass, take control of the adaptation has many fans excited about the final product.
Guess the anime from the emojis.
Guess the anime from the emojis.
The voice cast for the series includes:
- Natsumi Kawaida as Nanoka Kiba
- Yuuki Kaji (Eren Yeager, Attack on Titan) as Mao
- Momoka Terasawa as Otoya
- Takashi Matsuyama as Byouki
- Hiro Shimono (Zenitsu Agatsuma, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba) as Hyakka
- Toshiyuki Toyonaga (Yuri Katsuki, Yuri on Ice) as Kamon
- Risa Shimizu as Sana
- Kazuyuki Okitsu as Shiranui
- Youko Hikasa (Yoh Asakura, Shaman King) as Tenko
- Motoko Kumai as Funa Uozumi
- Reina Ueda as Yurako
Where and When to Tune In to MAO
MAO will premiere in Japan on April 4 at 11:45 PM JST, and the series is slated to run for two cours. However, at the time of this writing, it's unclear where the series will be streaming internationally. Crunchyroll has released its official Spring 2026 anime lineup, but MAO is not currently listed, though it may be confirmed for the service or another provider closer to its air date.