It’s been a while since we last discussed Pon no Michi. This is an anime series in the same vein as Saki: cute girls who play mahjong. Pon no Michi is a bit more light-hearted than Saki, and the new series also has supernatural elements, like in Hikaru no Go. Even if you’re not a mahjong player, Pon no Michi still has many cute girls. Though Pon no Michi isn’t set to premiere until sometime in January 2024, we have a new trailer to see how precious these anime girls are. We can also see how cute Izumi, Riche, Pai, and Nashiko are in their dedicated character trailers.
IISP and Tsukasa Unohana first released their Pon no Michi manga series on September 1st, 2023. Kodansha is currently publishing the series in Nakayoshi.
Three of the cute mahjong players are as follows:
- Nashiko Jippensha — Kaori Maeda (Shizuku Osaka in Love Live!) Her desire for a place to stay and hang out with friends set the series’ events into motion.
- Riche Hayashi — Yui Kondou (Tao Mongarten in Atelier Ryza) A mature beauty who hangs out with Nashiko to play mahjong.
- Izumi Tokutomi — Shion Wakayama (Henao Jazz in Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury) A tomboy beauty who hangs out with Nashiko to play mahjong.
OLM has maintained a home page, a Twitter (X) page, a TikTok page, and a YouTube page to promote Pon no Michi. Fans and potential viewers can find behind-the-scenes information and the new Key Visuals at the sites.
OLM Continues to Game On
Pon no Michi is being animated by OLM’s Team Inuoe. The studio, then known as Oriental Light and Magic, was founded on October 3rd, 1990. It was later rebranded to OLM in June 1994. OLM has worked on some of the most beloved anime series, such as Pokémon, Godannar, To Heart, and Yo-kai Watch!.
OLM is no stranger to game-based anime, either. The studio has previously worked on Monster Retsuden Oreca Battle, Cardfight!! Vanguard, Future Card Buddyfight, and Beyblade Burst.
Family Gatherings and Mahjong
Pon no Michi follows the cute anime girl Nashiko and her quick-witted way of getting out of a jam. She’s kicked out of her house and finds herself without a place to rest her head or spend time with her friends. Nashiko quickly learns that the mahjong parlor her father used to run is vacant. Sensing an opportunity, she takes control of it and renovates the place. She isn’t exactly a pro at mahjong, but she’s interested in it and wants to play with her friends.
Nashiko’s friends flock to her new place to hang out. Pai Kawahigashi actually knows the rules of the game. Izumi Tokutomi is more of a casual player. Riche Hayashi has some history with the mahjong parlor, having visited it when Nashiko’s father ran it. The group of friends will get their game on with Haneru Emi (their other friend) and Chonbo (a spirit of mahjong).
Are you excited to see Pon no Michi when it airs in January? Do you play mahjong in real life? Who is in the early lead for Best Girl (and why is it Riche)? Let us know in the comments below.
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