Tekken Gets a Cartoon Spin-Off Anime

Bandai Namco Entertainment has announced a new official spin-off cartoon anime for the Tekken fighting game series. Titled Tekken! Yurutto Cartoon, the short-form anime will be distributed on the official Tekken YouTube, X, and Instagram channels.

The series moves away from the franchise's serious combat to depict the daily lives of characters like Kazuya Mishima, Alisa, Kuma, Paul, and Yoshimitsu. Each episode will be a few dozen seconds long, designed for viewing during commutes or before sleep.

The animation style is described as pop and retro, reminiscent of classic Western cartoons, with expressive, fluidly moving character designs.

Illustrator and animator Amehiro, known for character design and work on merchandise and wrestler costumes, is leading the project. "It's a great honor to be involved with characters loved by fans for so long," Amehiro said. "We made it to be approachable for those who don't know Tekken yet, too."

Comedian Tsubasa Tobita from the duo Rubber Girl appears as a shop clerk in the teaser video. Tobita, a self-described fan of the games who often plays Xiaoyu and Lili, expressed excitement about being involved with the anime adaptation.

Merchandise related to the cartoon is planned from the company Iijan, with details to be announced later.

The Tekken series, which began in 1994, has sold over 61 million copies worldwide. It holds a Guinness World Record for the longest-running 3D fighting game series.

The anime will be available on the Tekken YouTube channel, X, and Instagram.

Source: PR Times via 株式会社バンダイナムコエンターテインメント