is a Japanese original

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 created by IIS-P and animated by

OLM The olm () or proteus (''Proteus anguinus'') is an aquatic salamander which is the only species in the genus ''Proteus'' of the family Proteidae and the only exclusively cave-dwelling chordate species found in Europe; the family's other extant g ...

. It aired from January to March 2024. A

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

adaptation by Tsukasa Unohana was serialized in

Kodansha is a Japanese privately held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha publishes manga magazines which include ''Nakayoshi'', ''Morning (magazine), Morning'', ''Afternoon (magazine), Afternoon'', ''Evening (magazine), Eveni ...

's manga magazine ''

Nakayoshi is a monthly Shōjo manga, ''shōjo'' manga List of manga magazines, magazine published by Kodansha in Japan. First issued in December 1954, it is a long-running magazine with over 60 years of manga publication history. Notable titles serialized ...

'' from September 2023 to March 2024.

Plot

Nashiko Jippensha is a high school student from

Onomichi is a Cities of Japan, city located in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 129,314 in 64055 households and a population density of 450 people per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Onomichi is loca ...

who has been kicked out of her house. Having no place to go where she can hang out with her friends, she soon discovers that her father has left behind a vacant mahjong parlor he used to own. As such, Nashiko cleans up the parlor and turns it into her personal hangout.

Characters

; : :Nashiko is the daughter of a former mahjong parlor owner. Although the parlor has since closed down, she comes to live there after being kicked out of the family home. She is initially a beginner at mahjong but becomes interested in it. She speaks in a Hiroshima dialect and has a liking for unusual food combinations. ; : :Pai is a friend of Nashiko's who knows the basics of mahjong. She has a kind personality. Her name is a reference to how she was born on August 1. ; : :Izumi is a friend of Nashiko's who is the most knowledgeable about mahjong among herself, Nashiko, and Pai due to her playing it at family gatherings. ; : :Riche is a young girl who regularly hung out at the parlor thanks to her parents. She becomes friends with everyone once she finds out Nashiko is using the parlor. She comes from a wealthy family and has her own maids. ; : :Chonbo is a mahjong spirit who takes the form of a sparrow. Nashiko is the only one who can actually hear him. ; : :Haneru is a young girl from Hiroshima who becomes friends with everyone after they play a game of mahjong online.

Media

Manga

adaptation illustrated by Tsukasa Unohana was serialized in

's manga magazine ''

'' from September 1, 2023, to March 1, 2024. Its seven chapters were collected in a single ''

tankōbon A is a standard publishing format for books in Japan, alongside other formats such as ''shinsho'' (17x11 cm paperback books) and ''bunkobon''. Used as a loanword in English, the term specifically refers to a printed collection of a manga that w ...

'' volume released on January 12, 2024. A "self-proclaimed unofficial" official

spin-off Spin-off, Spin Off, Spin-Off, or Spinoff may refer to: Entertainment and media *Spinoff (media), a media work derived from an existing work *''The Spinoff'', a New Zealand current affairs magazine * ''Spin Off'' (Canadian game show), a 2013 Canad ...

manga series by Jun Endō, titled , was serialized on Kodansha's ''YanMaga Web'' website and app from January 8 to April 22, 2024.

Volumes

=''Pon no Michi''

=''Pon no Michi: Ryūkyoku Shānyū-hen''

Anime

The original

television series by

was announced on May 23, 2023. It is an original work by IIS-P, and features direction and series composition by Tatsuma Minamikawa, original character designs by

Negi Haruba is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for his manga ''The Quintessential Quintuplets'', which was serialized in Kodansha's ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from August 2017 to February 2020. In May 2019, he won the award for Best Shōnen Manga ...

, animation character designs by Kenji Ota, and music composed by Sachiko Takahashi, Takuma Sogi, hisakuni, Riko Ohashi, Kanji Eguchi, and Shari. The series aired from January 6 to March 23, 2024, on the

Animeism is a Japanese late night anime Block programming, programming block airing on Japan News Network, JNN-affiliate stations, including Mainichi Broadcasting System, MBS and TBS Television (Japan), TBS. The timeslot was established in October 20 ...

programming block on all JNN affiliates, including

MBS MBS may refer for: People * Mohammed Ben Sulayem (born 1961), president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile * Mohammed bin Salman (born 1985), crown prince and prime minister of Saudi Arabia * Mohan Bikram Singh (born 1935), Nepales ...

, TBS, and

BS-TBS is a Japanese satellite broadcasting station headquartered in Akasaka, Tokyo, Akasaka Gochome, Minato, Tokyo, Minato, Tokyo. Its channel name is BS-TBS (formerly, BS-i). Channels *Television: BS-TBS is assigned BS161ch - 163ch. *Radio: BS-i ...

. The opening theme song is , performed by Kana Nakada feat. Pon no Michi All Stars (a unit composed of the voice actors of the anime), while the ending theme song is "Good Luck Waker", performed by

Halca HALCA (Highly Advanced Laboratory for Communications and Astronomy), also known for its project name VSOP (VLBI Space Observatory Programme), the code name MUSES-B (for the second of the Mu Space Engineering Spacecraft series), or just Haruka () ...

. Animation Digital Network licensed the series on YouTube outside of Asia. Remow licensed the series in Asia-Pacific.

Episodes

Notes

References

External links

* * * {{Animeism 2024 anime television series debuts Anime with original screenplays Animeism Kodansha manga Mahjong in anime and manga OLM, Inc. Onomichi, Hiroshima Remow anime Seinen manga Shōjo manga Television shows set in Hiroshima Prefecture