It has been announced that a new series of the long-running horror anime series "Yami Shibai," titled "Yami Shibai Season 16," will begin airing on TV Tokyo from January 11, 2026. The series first aired in July 2013, garnering attention as "a kamishibai horror show that suddenly begins on late-night TV Tokyo." Since then, each series has had a different theme, with the "15th season" airing in July 2025, depicting an episode evoked by the single character "remain." The new series will depict an urban legend surrounding the character "musubi." It has also been announced that Tsuda Kanji, the voice actor for the kamishibai performer "Ojisan," will appear in the series for the 16th season.
It was also announced that the idol group "yosugala" will be performing the ending theme "Masquerade Night." Voice actors who will appear include Ryo Hirano, Yuta Hoshino, Yu Shimizu, Sakiko Tsuchiya, Tomoko Oishi, Rintaro Sugama, Uan Okada, Yoriko Wada, and You Koizumi.
The script will be written by Hirotake Kumamoto, Mitsukatsu Sasaki, and Kanako Ishigami, who have worked on many of the "Yami Shibai" series. Kazuma Takeya, Yu Ebihara, Momoka Higurashi, Hiroshi Nishiyama & Rie, Takashi Iizuka, and Norio Yamakawa from TV Tokyo will be in charge of illustrations. Akira Funada will be directing, as he did with the previous series.
The YouTube channel "Yami Shibai Channel" randomly and irregularly distributes seasons 1 to 15, spin-off works, original works, etc. To commemorate the decision to broadcast the "16th season," an original video (an old man dance video) has been produced and will be distributed on "Yami Shibai Channel," Official X, and Official TikTok.
◇Comment from TV Tokyo producer Norio Yamakawa
It may be hard to believe, but this is the 16th season. I am extremely grateful to the cast, staff, and viewers who have supported the show for so long. The theme of this season is "Conclusion." How will it end...? Please look forward to it. I was also in charge of illustrating the opening theme for the first time in the 16th season. I hope the mysterious voice of the Kamishibai performer reaches deep into your hearts.
◇Comment from Shiomi Matoi of "yosugala"
"Yami Shibai" is an anime I've known since I was in middle and high school, so I'm very honored to be in charge of the ending theme. The song we provided this time, "Masquerade Night," is a little darker and more aggressive than yosugala's usual songs. We hope our music can add color to the mysterious world of "Yami Shibai"! Please look forward to it.
◇ Comment from Ryo Hirano
I'm honored to be involved in such a long-running series. That said, I've been involved almost exclusively as "Taro-chan"... It's hard to believe it's been over 10 years, I can vividly remember the first recording session. Maybe that's why I was able to play Taro-chan this season without any sense of incongruity (laughs). At this point, I'm not sure if I'm playing Taro-chan or if I'm appearing in exchange for Taro-chan. I've been involved since the second season, and I remember being confused at first by the picture-story-style worldview, which I'd never done before, and which elicited an indescribable tingling sensation. However, I believe that its unique style is what has made it so beloved. Please come and watch this season as well.
◇Comment from Yuta Hoshino
This is Hoshino Yuuta. Thank you for watching. I've been with the show since the 11th season, playing a variety of characters. Since most of the stories are self-contained in one episode, I basically play a different character each time, but among them, the one I've continued to play is Ohara-kun. I met him in the 12th season. I was surprised that our relationship would continue this long. Every time he appears in an episode, I feel happy, but at the same time, I worry about how long our relationship will last. After all, you never know what kind of misfortune will strike in Yami Shibai. I hope all viewers will keep an eye on Ohara-kun's future. And there's one more thing I'm curious about: Taro-chan. Taro-chan is, frankly, scary... I hope he never meets Ohara-kun. That's what I hope. I hope you enjoy "Yami Shibai 16th Season."
