The new anime adaptation of Dr. Poro and Nabana Naba’s The Vermilion Mask manga series will premiere in 2026. The news was confirmed on the official X (formerly Twitter) account for The Vermilion Mask, which is running a limited-time giveaway to celebrate the 2026 premiere announcement.
Tetsuaki Watanabe directs The Vermilion Mask at anime studio 100Studio (WOW Studio). Gai Hazako is the assistant director, Daisuke Ōhigashi is in charge of series composition, and Hisashi Higashijima is the character designer. Fumiyuki Go is the sound director, and Arisa Okehazama is the music composer.
Here’s an overview of the anime series from Yomiuri TV:
At the center of the story is Peru, a young apprentice mask maker who loses control under the influence of a cursed mask, slaying both his master and comrades in a tragic outburst. Wracked with guilt, Peru sets off on a journey to destroy the legendary masks his master once crafted, crossing paths with unlikely allies and deadly foes. What unfolds is a gripping battle for redemption, as both the fate of Peru’s soul and the world itself hang in the balance.
Dr. Poro and Naba first launched the manga series in Shonengahosha’s Young King Ours magazine in February 2021. Shonengahosha published the manga’s seventh compiled book volume in December 2024. The manga’s eighth volume will release on July 7, 2025. Lastly, Orange’s emaqi e-bookstore platform publishes The Vermilion Mask in English.
