The MAO anime concluded its first cour and moved into a second cour on July 4, 2026, with an English dub following on August 24. A Konami Premium Kuji ONLINE lottery with newly drawn MAO illustrations ran until September 21, 2026.
MAO is the television anime adaptation of Rumiko Takahashi's ongoing shonen manga. The series opened on April 4, 2026, on NHK General and runs for two continuous cours, produced by Sunrise. The first cour opened with the song "Bokura ga Uwagaki suru Sekai" by the vocal trio 20th Century, announced in June. The second cour began with episode 14 on July 4, adding a new opening theme and five new cast members, and the show streams on Hulu in the U.S. with Disney+ in Canada, Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand.
The second half introduced Mao's former disciples from the Heian period. Takuya Sato voices Hakubi, an onmyoji of metal; Rie Kugimiya is Natsuno and Katsuyuki Konishi is Daigo, both earth onmyoji and former fellow disciples; Tasuku Kaito is Soma Kagami and Shino Shimoji is Kagari Hosho. A new PV showed those voices, and Reina Ueda, who voices Yurako, sings the ending theme "Tayutau." An official note page collects recaps and episode summaries. Viz Media announced the English dub for August 24, when the first 13 episodes streamed dubbed, with the second cours in November; no cast was revealed.
Episode coverage followed the plot. Episode 14 revealed that the mysterious Yurako is Sana, the woman Mao loved, alive and interested in someone else. Earlier episodes introduced the water sorcerer Shiranui as an antagonist, nearly killed Mao, and raised questions about the thousand-year timeline and the pacing of Takahashi's storytelling.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.
Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/mao.
CC BY 4.0.
When a claim about MAO was confirmed, debunked, or disputed against open-web sources. The record stays even after a claim drops off the facts list.
A collaboration cafe for the TV anime MAO will run at Share CAFE [Retro MIX] in two locations. The Yurakucho Marui store in Tokyo hosts it from November 3 to November 15, 2026, and the Nagoya Central Park store from November 7 to November 15. Food and drinks based on Mao and other characters are planned, along with goods using newly drawn illustrations, sold online at Anique Shop from November 3 to December 7.
Serial Games released Pazumao ~Puzzle and Magical Overlord~ for PC on October 20, 2026, priced at 1,900 yen with a 15% discount to 1,615 yen through October 30. The falling-block puzzle game is set in a fantasy world where demons settle disputes through a puzzle called Magicalve, and Demon Lord candidates from tribes such as beastfolk and vampires compete for the throne.
Caseplay, a service run by FOX Inc., will release the third wave of Slim Protection Cases featuring designs from the anime Ponkotsu Quest: Maou to Haken no Mamono-tachi on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. The four original art designs use Halloween motifs and are available for over 170 phone models, including iPhone, Xperia, Pixel, and Galaxy. The series follows rainy season and summer vacation waves.
One or Eight began distributing a free Steam demo for the village-building action RPG Warota, My House Is Next to the Demon Lord's Castle www on October 8, 2026 at 0:00 JST. The demo runs 2 to 3 hours, up to the defeat of the first boss, and supports Japanese, English, and both Simplified and Traditional Chinese. It adds a song, Heartful Full Full Bokko, to the idol Demon Lord Platinum Gold Cast's live performance, with composition, arrangement, and lyrics by Maron of IOSYS and vocals by Platinum Gold Cast. Villagers' work and daily routines were adjusted from the open beta. Production jobs can now fight: tailors throw needles, and dairy farmers lead dogs, cats, and cows against monsters. Players switch among more than 20 jobs by changing hats, and can give hats to villagers. One or Eight confirmed the game for Steam Next Fest: October 2026 Edition, running October 19 to 26. Early access starts November 13, 2026 at 2,800 yen.
One or Eight's village-building action RPG Warota, Ore no Ie no Tonari Maoujou www was playable at Tokyo Game Show 2026 on Switch 2 and PS5. The game has finished its closed and open beta tests and is set to begin early access on November 13, 2026. Players reincarnate as a Bounder, build a village, assign more than 20 jobs through hats, and fight off fan monsters drawn by the neighboring idol demon lord's live.
Nendoroid Plus rubber mascots of Maomao from The Apothecary Diaries are up for preorder at AmiAmi in two versions: the standard Maomao and Maomao Garden Party Ver., priced at 1,500 yen and 1,550 yen with tax respectively. Prototype production is by Matsuda Model, and release is scheduled for March 2027. The standard mascot is about 70mm tall, made of PVC.
RED DUNES GAMES, an Abu Dhabi publisher, will bring streamers KENKI and MAO to its Tokyo Game Show 2026 booth at Makuhari Messe from September 17 to 21. The two will play Zozo and the Lost Dreams and Port of Jumanah on YouTube, X, and Twitch. The company calls the push the first step in a full-scale Japanese market expansion using Japanese influencers.
A discussion between composer Akira Yamaoka and Tarsier Studios narrative director David Mervik and CEO and producer Andreas Johnsson covers how horror games create fear. Tarsier developed REANIMAL, a horror adventure published by THQ Nordic with single-player and co-op play, in which players control orphaned siblings trying to rescue a missing friend and escape an island of monsters. Steam user reviews stand at 13,486, 78 percent Very Positive.
OneEight launched an open beta test on August 30 for the village-building action RPG Warota, Ore no Ie no Tonari Maoujou www, running until September 7 at 1:59 p.m. The test needs no application and has no participant cap, offering 2-3 hours of play up to the first boss. Players reincarnate as a Bounder, build a village, switch jobs via hats, and fend off the idol demon king Platinum Goldcast's live concert monster waves.
One or Eight Co., Ltd. announced the open beta test for 'Warota, My House Is Next to the Demon King's Castle www' starts today, August 31, at 2 PM JST. The action RPG blends village building, life simulation, and base defense. The test runs to September 7, supports Japanese, English, and Chinese, and covers play up to the first boss.
Konami Amusement has launched two new lotteries on its Konami Premium Kuji ONLINE service, both featuring newly drawn illustrations. The TV Anime Ace of Diamond Act II -Second Season- Kuji went on sale with prizes including a Selectable! Face Hanger, a Selectable! Scene Photo Acrylic Block, an Acrylic Bangs Clip, and a Scene Photo Acrylic Stand. A set of 10 draws includes one random sticker from nine types, while a set of 30 draws includes three stickers and lets the buyer choose one additional prize. The TV Anime MAO Kuji offers a Charafine Graph A5 with a serial number plate, an acrylic stand, a mug, and an omamori charm. A 10-draw set includes one random postcard from two types, and a 20-draw set allows choosing one of the two. Both lotteries cost 880 yen per draw plus shipping. The Ace of Diamond lottery runs until September 28, 2026, while the MAO lottery ends September 21, 2026. Each lottery also runs a repost campaign on X that gives one winner a set of prizes.
MediaOCD announced a new round of Discotek titles for pre-order in August, including Kyo Kara Maoh!, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, Kashimashi, City Hunter 3, GTO, and Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro in a steelbook edition. The company adds 20-30 Discotek titles monthly, prioritizing hard-to-find releases.
Stormind Games announced on August 18 that Remothered: Red Nun's Legacy, the final chapter in the Remothered trilogy, will launch on October 27. The game is a third-person survival horror title influenced by the Clock Tower series, set in a Sicilian convent where the legend of the Red Nun originated. Players control Susan, whose daughter has gone missing after six girls disappeared in Sicily; she follows a clue from an audio tape to the Ashmann family mansion on Mount Etna. The gameplay involves exploring the mansion, solving puzzles, and using hypnotic abilities such as retrocognition, mirror abilities, and moth control. Players must also hide from and evade terrifying pursuers, striking back at decisive moments. The Red Nun, a recurring monster in the series, reappears. Akira Yamaoka, known for his work on the Silent Hill series, composes the music. The game is scheduled for PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG.com, as well as Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, with Japanese display planned. It follows Remothered: Tormented Fathers (2018) and Remothered: Broken Porcelain (2020), and can be enjoyed as a standalone despite concluding the trilogy.
Kotobukiya announced a 2/1 scale figure of PUNI☆MOFU Mao from the Megami Device series. Based on an image rough by illustrator BLADE, the figure stands about 180mm tall and features soft sculpting on the belly and thighs. It is a KOTOBUKIYA SHOP exclusive, priced at 22,000 yen, and scheduled for release in March 2027.
At Wonder Festival 2026 Summer, held on July 26, 2026, multiple figure manufacturers displayed upcoming releases. X-PLUS showed the second installment of the "Sakai Yuji Best Works Selection Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah Poster Version," a sofubi figure of Beast King Klebatess from "Klebatess - The Beast King, the Baby, and the Corpse Hero," and the "Toho 30cm Series" Godzilla (Godzilla Galaxy Odyssey) and Space Godzilla. Also at X-PLUS: "Gigantic Series" Return of Ultraman Spacium Beam Pose, "Great Monster Series" Plastic Monster Gokinezura, Foam Monster Grotes Alien, and the in-production "KOF XV" Shermie 1/6 Scale Statue. ART STORM / FEWTURE MODELS displayed sofubi figures from "The Return of Ultraman" and "Ultraman Nexus," as well as Godzilla (2001), SpaceGodzilla, and Anguirus from the "Godzilla" series. They also showed sofubi figures of Mothra and the Demon Beast King Klevates, and a statue of Shermie from "KOF XV."
Mao Nanami, known for the Real Girl manga which ran from 2011 to 2016 and inspired two anime seasons and a live-action film, will launch a new manga adaptation of Ryō Midorikawa's light novel Tensei Hakushaku Lilina no Kekkon in Square Enix's Gangan Online on July 26. The story follows a reincarnated countess navigating aristocratic society and a suspicious duke.
Episode 14 of Rumiko Takahashi's MAO reveals that the mysterious Yurako is actually Sana, the woman Mao was in love with, who is not dead. The episode also shows that Sana had eyes for someone else, not Mao, and ends with Mao being taken to Shiranui by a metal shikigami.
Viz Media announced at Anime Expo that the English dub for Sunrise's MAO anime, based on Rumiko Takahashi's manga, will debut on August 24. The first 13 episodes will stream dubbed that day, with the second cours following in November. The cast was not revealed.
The second cour of the TV anime adaptation of Rumiko Takahashi's 'MAO' premieres July 14. A new PV reveals the voices of Hakubi (Takuya Sato), Natsuno (Rie Kugimiya), Daigo (Katsuyuki Konishi), Souma Kashin (Tsubasa Hokuto), and Kagari Hosho (Shino Shimoji). The ending theme is 'Tayutau' by Reina Ueda, who also voices Yurako. A portion of the song is heard in the PV. An official note page has launched with recaps and episode summaries.
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.
Episode 12 of MAO focuses on exposition, introducing the shadowy water sorcerer Shiranui as a new antagonist. The series has entered a slower narrative phase, a familiar pattern for creator Takahashi, but the central mystery of events a millennium ago still holds the reviewer's attention.
Bandai Namco Filmworks announced on June 18 that the boy group 20th Century, composed of former V6 members Masayuki Sakamoto, Hiroshi Nagano, and Yoshihiko Inohara, will perform the opening theme song for the second cour of the television anime adaptation of Rumiko Takahashi's manga MAO. The song is titled "Bokura ga Uwagaki suru Sekai" (The World We Overwrite), with lyrics, composition, and arrangement by MHRJ. The second cour begins with episode 14 on July 4 on NHK General. The first cour opened on April 4 and is set to run for two continuous cours without breaks. To commemorate the announcement, the studio released the creditless opening video for the InuYasha anime, which featured V6's song "CHANGE THE WORLD" from 2000, for a limited time until September 27. This marks the first time Sakamoto, Nagano, and Inohara have been involved with a Takahashi anime adaptation in 26 years, since their work on InuYasha. The MAO anime is produced by Sunrise and streams on Hulu in the U.S. and on Disney+ in Canada, Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand.
The latest episodes of Rumiko Takahashi's MAO see Mao nearly killed by a shadowy Kyoto villain while Nanoka remains in fish-out-of-water mode. A CGI fish creature appears, and the reviewer notes Nanoka is overdue for more control over her powers and direct plot relevance.
Anime Feminist reviewed the first episode of MAO, the anime adaptation of Rumiko Takahashi's ongoing shonen manga. The premiere follows Nanoka, a high school girl who, after investigating rumors of ghosts near the site of a car accident that killed her parents years earlier, finds herself transported to the Taisho era. There she meets Mao, a stoic mystic under a curse, who calls her an ayakashi (a malevolent ghost). The episode introduces mysteries about Nanoka's sudden supernatural abilities, her parents' deaths, and a demon cat (Byoki) that may have affected both protagonists. The review notes the series leans into horror imagery with gory fight scenes, but tempers it with Takahashi's character designs and a bright color palette. The reviewer praises Nanoka as a courageous and curious lead, though finds Mao a tougher sell in a single episode. The animation is described as pleasant but rationed, typical of long-running Takahashi adaptations. The reviewer's main concern is whether Nanoka will be sidelined in favor of the titular character as the series progresses.
Anime News Network's review of MAO episode 8 praises the series for engaging with its historical setting more than Rumiko Takahashi's earlier works, but flags a logical problem: characters who knew the protagonist as a human have apparently ignored him for a thousand years without crossing paths, a stretch the reviewer finds hard to accept.