anime
is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
television series in
Toho
is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...
's ''Godzilla'' franchise. Produced by Pie in the Sky and Toho, the first season aired on
TV Tokyo
JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as is a Japanese television station that serves as the flagship of the TX Network.YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
as a
web series
A web series (also known as webseries, short-form series, and web show) is a series of short scripted or non-scripted online videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet (i.e. World Wide Web), which first emerged in the late 1 ...
from April to June 2023 while the second season aired for one year from April 2024 to March 2025. A third season is set to premiere on July 2, 2025. The show takes place on Monster Island, which is inhabited by small '' chibi''-style ''
kaiju
is a Japanese term that is commonly associated with media involving giant monsters. Its widespread contemporary use is credited to ''tokusatsu'' (special effects) director Eiji Tsuburaya and filmmaker Ishirō Honda, who popularized the ''kaiju'' ...
'' from the franchise.
Characters
Per ''
Comic Natalie
is a Japanese entertainment news website that debuted on February 1, 2007. It is operated by Natasha, Inc. The website is named after the song of the same name by Julio Iglesias. ''Natalie'' has been providing news for such leading Japanese p ...
'' (2023) and Hodgkins (2023), except where noted:
Main
;
:
: He is a irradiated dinosaurian creature and the son of a colossal Godzilla who hopes to grow up to be recognized by him. A dweller of Monster Island who is acquainted with its inhabitants, he and the newcomer Chibi Mechagodzilla make a duo exploring the area's quirks. He is based on
Godzilla Junior
also referred to as Baby Godzilla and Little Godzilla, is a kaiju which first appeared in Toho's 1993 film '' Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II''.
Overview Development
During the production of '' Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II'', the decision to int ...
from Heisei-era Godzilla film series and his second form is based on
Godzilla
is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films p ...
mecha
In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines, typically depicted as piloted, humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese (language), Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the meaning in Japan ...
who gets stranded on Monster Island, where he traverses through the landscape with Chibi Godzilla to learn about its inhabitants. His serious nature characterizes his personality, exemplified by his often verbally questioning the meaning behind illogical or extraordinary behavior from Chibi Godzilla or his friends.
;
:
: He is a three-headed dragon, each of his heads has its own personality that often contradicts the other.
;
:
: She is a divine moth who is shy and becomes lethal when crying. She can communicate telepathically with the Shobijin. It is revealed that she is secretly an
otaku
is a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, such as anime, manga, video games, computers or other highly enthusiastic hobbies. Its contemporary use originated with a 1983 essay by Akio Nakamori in '' Manga Burikko''. ...
in season 2.
;
:
: He is a self-centered irradiated ''
Pteranodon
''Pteranodon'' (; from and ) is a genus of pterosaur that included some of the largest known flying reptiles, with ''P. longiceps'' having a wingspan of over . They lived during the late Cretaceous geological period of North America in presen ...
'' who is also insecure and faints every time he is ridiculed.
Supporting
;
: He is a irradiated '' Anklosaur'' whose voice has broken and developed into unintelligible roars.
;
:
: They are a pair of human twin sisters and prietresses who can serve as telepathic interpreters for Chibi Mothra. Their appearance are based on the Shobijin from original 1961 Mothra film.
;
:
: She is a mutant plant monster and the owner of a bar. She often speaks in literary words. Her appearance is based on Plant Beast Biollante from '' Godzilla vs. Biollante''.
;
:
: He is a smog monster who passionately slanders humans.
;
:
: She is Chibi Godzilla's younger sister, the daughter and the second child of the colossal Godzilla.
;
:
: He is a mutant amphibian monster who works multiple part-time jobs.
;
:
: He is a mutant aquatic dinosaur and Monster Island's self-proclaimed delinquent. However, no one has ever seen him fight.
;
:
: He is a monster
cyborg
A cyborg (, a portmanteau of ''cybernetics, cybernetic'' and ''organism'') is a being with both Organic matter, organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.
;
: He is Chibi Godzilla's and Chibi Minilla's father who makes a cameo throughout series.
Production
The Chibi Godzilla character—who was created to celebrate the 65th anniversary of
Toho
is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...
's ''Godzilla'' franchise—first appeared in the 2018 picture book ''Ganbare Chibi Gojira'' by Chiharu Sakazaki. In March 2023, the character's first anime television series—''Chibi Godzilla Raids Again'', a title that purportedly references the second ''Godzilla'' film—was announced by Toho.
The series comprises thirteen episodes featuring ''chibi''-style ''
kaiju
is a Japanese term that is commonly associated with media involving giant monsters. Its widespread contemporary use is credited to ''tokusatsu'' (special effects) director Eiji Tsuburaya and filmmaker Ishirō Honda, who popularized the ''kaiju'' ...
'' characters,
and is a ''
manzai
is a traditional style of comedy in Japanese culture comparable to double act comedy.
usually involves two performers ()—a straight man () and a double act, funny man ()—trading jokes at great speed. Most of the jokes revolve around mut ...
'' comedy that is targeted more at an adult audience.
In an interview with ''
io9
''io9'' is a sub-blog of the technology blog ''Gizmodo'' that focuses on science fiction and fantasy pop culture, with former focuses on science, technology and futurism. It was created as a standalone blog in 2008 by editor Annalee Newitz under ...
'', producer Go Miyazaki said that the show still appeals to children, but "we have noticed that they tend to prefer more sophisticated humor".Whitbrook, James (April 11, 2023) "Why Godzilla Has Returned, Cuter Than Ever" ''
Gizmodo
''Gizmodo'' () is a design, technology, science, and science fiction website. It was originally launched as part of the Gawker Media network run by Nick Denton. ''Gizmodo'' also includes the sub-blogs ''io9'' and ''Earther'', which focus on pop ...
'' Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
The series is produced by animation studio Pie in the Sky and Toho. Taketo Shinkai, who is also writing the script, is directing. Character design is provided by Sakazaki and animation production is done by Junichi Endo and Yuji Nikaido. The show stars
Jun Fukuyama
is a Japanese voice actor and singer. He played Lelouch Lamperouge in '' Code Geass'', Yukio Okumura in Blue Exorcist, Koro-sensei in '' Assassination Classroom'', Ichimatsu in '' Osomatsu-san'', Yuta Togashi in '' Love, Chunibyo & Other Delu ...
as Chibi Godzilla and
Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
is a Japanese voice actor from Hokkaido affiliated with the talent agency I'm Enterprise. Honored at the 6th Seiyu Awards for Best New Actor in 2012 and the 10th Seiyu Awards for Best Lead Actor in 2016, he is best known for being the voice of ...
as Chibi Mechagodzilla, with
Sumi Shimamoto
, known professionally as , is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator of film, anime and video games. She has voice acted in Hayao Miyazaki's movies '' Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind'', '' The Castle of Cagliostro'', '' My Neighbor ...
Animation Magazine
''Animation Magazine'' is an American print magazine and website covering the animation industry and education, as well as visual effects. The print magazine is published 10 times a year in the United States.
History
''Animation Magazine'' was f ...
'' Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
The anime premiered on April 1, 2023, on
TV Tokyo
JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as is a Japanese television station that serves as the flagship of the TX Network.programming block
Block programming (also known as a strand in British broadcasting) is the arrangement of programs on radio or television so that those of a particular genre, theme, or target audience are united.
Overview
Block programming involves scheduling a ...
Iniminimanimo and began streaming internationally as a
web series
A web series (also known as webseries, short-form series, and web show) is a series of short scripted or non-scripted online videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet (i.e. World Wide Web), which first emerged in the late 1 ...
on the official ''Godzilla''
YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
channel with English subtitles on April 11.
The first season ended on its original network on June 24. On March 8, 2024, it was announced that a second season would premiere on April 3, 2024 as a segment on TV Tokyo's children's television series '' Oha Suta'', with episodes available on YouTube immediately after airing. The second season aired weekly for a year, concluding on March 26, 2025. Additionally, it began streaming on the official ''Godzilla'' YouTube channel with English subtitles from April 10, 2024. On May 31, 2025, it was announced that a third season would premiere on July 2 with
Wednesday Campanella
is a Music of Japan, Japanese music group formed in 2012 combining musical genres such as Electronic dance music, EDM, J-pop, and hip hop music, hip hop into a unique stylistic blend. The lyrics generally follow a theme of famous or mythical pe ...
performing the series' new theme song and
Katsuyuki Konishi
is a Japanese voice actor from Wakayama, Japan. He is affiliated with Ken Production. His debut role was Volfogg/Big Volfogg in '' GaoGaiGar''. He is most well known for portraying Kamina in '' Gurren Lagann'', Laxus Dreyar in '' Fairy Tail'' ...