Pan Dorobou anime premieres on NHK E-Tele

The popular picture book series ‘Pan Dorobou’ by Keiko Shibata, which has sold over 6.2 million copies, has transitioned into a television animation. The series began broadcasting on NHK E-Tele on October 2, 2026.

Voice actress Ayaka Asai stars as the titular character, Pan Dorobou, while Aki Toyosaki provides the voice for the fake Pan Dorobou. Kana Hanazawa serves as the narrator for the series. In interviews, the cast discussed the transition from the surreal and charming world of the books to animation, noting how the production aims to expand on the characters' personalities and the unique textures of the food depicted in the original illustrations.