A new anime is in production called Pon no Michi, and its characters are designed by none other than The Quintessential Quintuplets creator Negi Haruba!
The anime depicts the lives of high school girls living in Onomichi Hiroshima as they enjoy the treasured pastime of Mahjong. The main cast has Maeda Kaori as Nashiko Jippensha, Iori Saeki as Pai Kawahigashi, Shion Wakayama as Izumi Tokutomi, and Yui Kondo as Riche Hayashi. The TV anime is also being directed by Tatsuma Minamikawa, who was involved in the production of the Fire Force anime series.
Pon no Michi is slated for release in January 2024.
▍Pon no Michi Characters
■ Nashiko Jippensha – CV: Maeda Kaori
A high school girl that speaks a Hiroshima dialect. She’s bright and reckless, tending to rush headfirst into everything without much thought. When she finds her father’s old mahjong parlor completely empty, she decides to invite her friends Pai and Izumi to use it as their new hangout. She was born on September 12 and is a complete amateur when it comes to mahjong.
■ Pai Kawahigashi – CV: Iori Saeki
A high school girl and childhood friend of Nashiko’s. She has a soft and gentle personality with a penchant for cute things. She has a soft and gentle personality with a calm and soothing nature but also loves the outdoors. After being invited by Nashiko, she spends her days with her at the mahjong parlor. She was born on August 1.
■ Izumi Tokutomi – CV: Shion Wakayama
A high schooler and friend of Nashiko and Pai, she started coming to the hangout after being approached to by the pair. She has a firm personality and a unique naming sense. She was born on February 12.
■ Riche Hayashi – CV: Yui Kondo
A high school girl who used to visit the mahjong parlor owned by Nashiko’s father, and returns in the hopes of making it as lively as she remembered. She was born on November 11, has a maid, and now visits the parlor with the others now that she knows Nashiko and her friends hang out there.
■ Chonbo – CV: ???
A mahjong spirit who used to live at the parlor owned by Nashiko’s father. Only Nashiko can hear its voice, and while it looks silly, everyone else can only see it as a regular sparrow. It often sits on Nashiko’s head.
▍Pon no Michi Staff
Original Work: IIS-P
Director: Tatsuma Minamikawa
Character Drafts: Negi Haruba
Character Designs Kenji Ohta
Color Design: Emi Sumino
Art Director: Scott Mcdonald
Cinematography: Masaru Amada
Editor: Yoshiaki Kimura
Sound Director: Go Takahashi
Sound Production: Bit Groove
Music: Yuko Yakahashi, Takuma Sogi, Hisakuni, Riko Ohashi, Kanji Eguchi, Shari
Music Production: SUPA LOVE
Animation Production: OLM