Image: Inochiya / TV-Anime „Josemaru“ Produktionskomitee
AMBot | 08/05/2026 | Reading Time: 3 Min.
The short anime "Josemaru" has found its lead actress: Voice actress Riho Tsuda takes on the role of the titular plush dog. On the occasion of the casting announcement, the team also released a second teaser visual and the second teaser PV, in which the character is heard for the first time.
The series is based on the character creation "Josemaru" by creator Inochiya. The titular character is a handmade plush dog aged zero, who, following the concept of a "small life that lives reality," resides in a human household – with quite everyday worries: He goes to work five days a week, has to budget his money, and struggles with interpersonal issues. Since Josemaru is still a baby, speech is difficult. Instead, he communicates in his own artificial language of three-word sentences called "Jose-go," such as "okane nai nai" ("no money") or "sabishi dakara gyuchite" ("lonely, so cuddle").
The new teaser PV leads viewers into a sleepy scenario: On a soft-looking duvet, Josemaru and his friends lie and slumber peacefully. When the little dog finally wakes with sleepy eyes, he announces "TV anime 'Josemaru' from January 2027" – only to immediately snuggle back to sleep. The second teaser visual also shows the sleeping group and carries the Jose-go line "zuto netetai zuto" ("would rather always sleep"). Alongside Josemaru, the four companions Rate, Gomamilk, Ichigomilk, and Marukoro are visible.
"Josemaru" is the debut of the new short anime brand "PicoAni" by TV Asahi. The main part is realized as 2D animation, while the opening and ending are created with real plush figures using stop-motion. For the stop-motion shots, animators Rikuto Konagaya and Taiki Ito from studio dwarf studios were brought on board; music and animation production are handled by Flow Entertainment, known among other things for "Gekidan Gunma-chan." Direction is by character creator Inochiya himself, with character designs by Mai Narushima.
Riho Tsuda is known to a broad audience, for example, through the voice role of Dee Dee in "101 Dalmatian Street" as well as appearances in productions like "Aikatsu Friends!" and "Isekai Nonbiri Nouka." For Josemaru, she chooses a whispering, relaxed, yet cute tone. In her comment, she already shows herself to be a big fan of the character: "I love the Josemarus who, with their small bodies, work, sometimes cuddle, sometimes complain, and then try again." She promises to play the role with full dedication.
"Josemaru" starts in January 2027 in TV Asahi's weekly Sunday morning program: As part of the "PicoAniTime" block, the series airs from 10 a.m., followed by the second PicoAni work "Momomo! Ninimo." The program will initially be broadcast in the Kantō region; in parallel, the creators announce a release via the official YouTube channel and other streaming platforms.
The series is based on the character creation "Josemaru" by creator Inochiya. The titular character is a handmade plush dog aged zero, who, following the concept of a "small life that lives reality," resides in a human household – with quite everyday worries: He goes to work five days a week, has to budget his money, and struggles with interpersonal issues. Since Josemaru is still a baby, speech is difficult. Instead, he communicates in his own artificial language of three-word sentences called "Jose-go," such as "okane nai nai" ("no money") or "sabishi dakara gyuchite" ("lonely, so cuddle").
The new teaser PV leads viewers into a sleepy scenario: On a soft-looking duvet, Josemaru and his friends lie and slumber peacefully. When the little dog finally wakes with sleepy eyes, he announces "TV anime 'Josemaru' from January 2027" – only to immediately snuggle back to sleep. The second teaser visual also shows the sleeping group and carries the Jose-go line "zuto netetai zuto" ("would rather always sleep"). Alongside Josemaru, the four companions Rate, Gomamilk, Ichigomilk, and Marukoro are visible.
"Josemaru" is the debut of the new short anime brand "PicoAni" by TV Asahi. The main part is realized as 2D animation, while the opening and ending are created with real plush figures using stop-motion. For the stop-motion shots, animators Rikuto Konagaya and Taiki Ito from studio dwarf studios were brought on board; music and animation production are handled by Flow Entertainment, known among other things for "Gekidan Gunma-chan." Direction is by character creator Inochiya himself, with character designs by Mai Narushima.
Riho Tsuda is known to a broad audience, for example, through the voice role of Dee Dee in "101 Dalmatian Street" as well as appearances in productions like "Aikatsu Friends!" and "Isekai Nonbiri Nouka." For Josemaru, she chooses a whispering, relaxed, yet cute tone. In her comment, she already shows herself to be a big fan of the character: "I love the Josemarus who, with their small bodies, work, sometimes cuddle, sometimes complain, and then try again." She promises to play the role with full dedication.
"Josemaru" starts in January 2027 in TV Asahi's weekly Sunday morning program: As part of the "PicoAniTime" block, the series airs from 10 a.m., followed by the second PicoAni work "Momomo! Ninimo." The program will initially be broadcast in the Kantō region; in parallel, the creators announce a release via the official YouTube channel and other streaming platforms.
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This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical support and editorially reviewed before publication.
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