Karasu

Kenshi Yonezu and MAPPA Release Short Anime for Soccer Theme 'Karasu'

Kenshi Yonezu and animation studio MAPPA have released a short anime for the song "Karasu," the 2026 NHK Soccer Theme. The video, published on YouTube on June 25, 2026, was produced by MAPPA and marks the third collaboration between the musician and the studio, following the Chainsaw Man opening theme "KICK BACK" (2022) and the theme for the Chainsaw Man - Reze Arc film "IRIS OUT" (2025). The short anime matches the first chorus of the song and uses a pencil-drawn visual style, showing a person earnestly chasing a ball while a crow soars overhead. The song itself was released digitally on June 15 and achieved six chart crowns in its first week, including No. 1 on the Billboard JAPAN Hot 100 and Oricon's weekly streaming and digital single rankings. It is Yonezu's 20th overall No. 1, the most for a solo artist in history. The short anime is timed to the FIFA World Cup 2026, with the song scheduled to air on NHK's soccer broadcasts.