The official portal of the original anime 'Pon no Michi' (The Way of Pon), centered around mahjong, unveiled a second key image last Friday, accompanied by an exciting promotional video featuring the charismatic character Nashiko.
The star-studded cast bringing the anime to life includes:
- Kaori Maeda, who will voice Nashiko Jippensha.
- Iori Saeki, taking on the role of Pai Kawahigashi.
- Shion Wakayama, portraying Izumi Tokutomi.
- Yui Kondou, embodying Riche Hayashi.
- Akio Ōtsuka, immersing himself in the spiritual mahjong character, Chonbo.
- Hibiku Yamamura, voicing Haneru Emi.
The thrilling series will make its debut in January 2024 within the 'Animeism' programming block on TBS, MBS, and BS-TBS. The story unfolds in the picturesque town of Onomichi, located in Hiroshima Prefecture, where Nashiko Jippensha, a high school student who has been expelled from her home, finds a new sense of purpose. Upon discovering that her father's mahjong parlor is empty, she decides to revitalize it and turn it into a place where she and her friends can enjoy moments of fun, cooking, tea-drinking, and occasionally, playing mahjong.
The original story is the work of IIS-P, while Tatsuma Minamikawa (known for his work on 'Fire Force' and 'Fairy Tail: Dragon Cry') will be in charge of directing and writing the anime at the OLM studio. The original character designs are the responsibility of Negi Haruba (the original creator of 'The Quintessential Quintuplets'), and Kenji Ōta (with experience in 'Pokémon XY') will be responsible for adapting them for animation. The soundtrack will be composed by Yūko Takahashi, Takuma Sogi, hisakuni, Rico Ohashi, Kanji Eguchi, and Shari.
To the delight of fans, the opening theme, titled 'Ponpopopon,' will be performed by the talented group 'Pon no Michi All Stars,' which includes former Nogizaka46 idol group member Kana Nakada, who is currently a professional mahjong player.
