TV Asahi has announced the launch of its first short anime brand, "PicoAni." The brand name is derived from "Pico" (small) + "Anime," and its catchphrase is "♪Only anime that will get you hooked!" The brand aims to develop and nurture new characters, and will feature a wide range of works, including anime adaptations of popular characters from social media, original character works produced in collaboration with popular creators, and 3D anime of characters jointly developed with overseas companies. In addition to terrestrial broadcasting, the brand also plans to promote each character through social media, portal sites, events, and other global channels.
Along with the launch of the new brand, it was also announced that two additional anime slots will be added: Saturday at 4:29 PM and Sunday at 10:00 AM. In addition to the Sunday at 8:00 AM slot where the short anime "Koupen-chan" is currently airing, short anime will be broadcast in three slots: Saturday at 4:29 PM, following the popular anime "Crayon Shin-chan" (Saturday at 4:30 PM) and "Doraemon" (Saturday at 5:00 PM), and Sunday at 10:00 AM (Kanto local), following the Kamen Rider/tokusatsu broadcast slot. The Sunday at 10:00 AM anime slot will be called "PicoAniTime".
From October, "Shirotan" will air every Saturday at 4:29 PM, and "Pop Pup Poltars" will air every Sunday at 10:00 AM. From January 2027, two new shows, "Josemaru" and "Momomo! Ninimo," will air consecutively every Sunday at 10:00 AM.
◇Comment from Yukiko Shirakura, General Producer at TV Asahi
"PicoAni" aims to be a short animation brand where you can discover animations that you can "quickly get hooked on" during your daily free time. We hope that new encounters will be born, where you might stumble upon a character and before you know it, you're engrossed in it. Because they are small (Pico) animations, the creators' dedication and the charm of the characters are concentrated in each one, making each work like a sparkling glass puzzle piece. We will deliver a diverse lineup, from animations of popular characters that originated on social media to characters that have been loved for over 20 years, and original animations developed in collaboration with creators and overseas IP companies, so that everyone from children to adults can find their "favorite piece." We would be happy if "PicoAni" becomes an opportunity for everyone to meet their "favorite character." Many more fascinating short animations are planned to be released in the future, so please look forward to them.
