MAO Anime Adds 5 Cast Members for Second Cour Starting July 4
The second cour introduces Mao's former disciples from the Heian period, expanding the cast to directly confront the 900-year curse that drives the story's central conflict.
Reporting from 3 sources: Anime News Network, Comic Natalie, Anime Anime.
The television anime adaptation of Rumiko Takahashi's manga MAO will enter its second cour on July 4, 2026, with the 14th episode on NHK General. Five new cast members were announced for characters debuting in the second half: Takuya Sato as Hakubi, an onmyoji of metal and Mao's former fellow disciple; Rie Kugimiya as Natsuno, an onmyoji of earth and former fellow disciple; Katsuyuki Konishi as Daigo, another earth onmyoji and former fellow disciple; Tasuku Kaito as Soma Kagami, the second son of the Kagami family; and Shino Shimoji as Kagari Hosho, a daughter of the Hosho family who uses curse needles. A new key visual was also released, depicting Mao, Nanoka, Otsuya, and the cat demon Hai Maru in the foreground, with stained glass imagery of the Heian-era disciples and other characters. The second cour's opening theme is "Bokura ga Uwagaki suru Sekai" by the boy band 20th Century, and a non-credit version of the opening video has been published online. The anime, produced by Sunrise, has been airing continuously since April 4 and is streamed on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ in other regions.
The second key visual for MAO places Mao, Nanoka, Otsuya, and the cat demon Hai Maru in the foreground, while stained glass panels behind them depict the Heian-era senior disciples-Kamon, Hyakka, Natsuno, Hakubi, and Shiranui-along with Mao's former love Sana and the mysterious Yurako. The visual's tagline, "Cursing each other, meeting again," signals the deepening entanglement of the characters' fates. The new opening theme by 20th Century marks the group's first contribution to a Takahashi-original anime in 26 years, since their work on Inuyasha as V6. The second cour will run without a break, following the first cour's 13 episodes. The anime is directed by Teruo Sato, with series composition by Yuko Kakihara and character design by Yoshihito Hishinuma. Sunrise produces the series, their first Takahashi adaptation since Inuyasha. Streaming rights are held by Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ in Canada, Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand. The manga, serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday since 2019, has 29 compiled volumes as of June 18.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Anime News Network News MAO Anime Announces More Cast for 2nd Part
- Comic Natalie アニメ「MAO」に佐藤拓也、釘宮理恵、小西克幸ら出演 第2クールから登場
- Anime Anime 「MAO」7月4日より第2クールに突入！佐藤拓也、釘宮理恵、小西克幸ら追加キャストに「幼き僕がしったらとんで転げ回って喜ぶことでしょう！」