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Rumiko Takahashi’s dark fantasy manga series MAO is set for an anime premiere on April 4^th, streaming on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ in Select International Markets.

A Dark New Chapter: Rumiko Takahashi’s MAO Joins the VIZ Media Lineup

VIZ Media has secured exclusive rights to the anime adaptation of MAO, a supernatural manga series from legendary creator Rumiko Takahashi (Inuyasha, Ranma ½, Urusei Yatsura). Produced by SUNRISE Studio, MAO will debut Saturday, April 4th, on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America.

Returning to the dark fantasy roots she perfected in the Inuyasha universe, Takahashi’s MAO promises a grittier edge. For fans who followed the next generation of that lineage, see our Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon First Impressions.

The Taisho Mystery: A Time-Traveling Supernatural Curse

Official Series Synopsis:

“Mao, a young mystic who lives in the Taisho period of early 1900s Japan, is a mysterious onmyoji who, after suffering a life-altering curse, has continued to live for nine hundred long years. His world becomes even stranger when he meets Nanoka Kiba, a junior high schooler who seems to have traveled from the future. When Nanoka was young, she was involved in an accident with her parents, and she was the only one who survived.

But when Nanoka decides to return to that fateful shopping arcade where the accident happened, she is transported to another time and place—a world where supernatural ayakashi thrive in an era long before her own.

There she meets Mao, whose abrupt and bizarre question prompts Nanoka to see herself and her curious life in a completely new light.

Now the two travelers from different worlds unite as they take on the dark powers that grip both their lives.

Rumiko Takahashi’s latest work, MAO, finally comes to life as an anime!

A dark fantasy time-traveling mystery begins now.

Where a curse devours time itself…”

The main staff for the anime includes:

• Director: Teruo Sato
• Series Composition: Yuko Kakihara
• Character Design & Chief Animation Director: Yoshihito Hishinuma
• Art Directors: Hiroshi Kato & Izumi Hoki
• Color Design: Masumi Otsuka
• CG Director: Tomohiro Fujie
• Director of Photography: Akane Fushihara
• Editor: Kazuhiro Nii
• Sound Director: Hiromi Kikuta
• Music: Shu Kanematsu
• Animation Production: SUNRISE Inc.
• Production: MAO Production Committee

While MAO dominates the 2026 schedule, VIZ is already looking toward the future of high-octane action. Check out the latest on the Rooster Fighter Anime Premiere Dates: When to Watch on Toonami, Hulu, and Disney+.

How to Watch: Hulu and Disney+ Streaming Details

Under VIZ Media’s rights agreement, the company will distribute the anime series across TV, home video, electronic sell-through, and video-on-demand throughout North America, Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand.

“As a global leader offering premium anime titles to fans around the world, we’re excited to add MAO to our ever-growing lineup on Hulu and Disney+,” said Lauren Tempest, General Manager, Hulu, and Executive Vice President, DTC Content Partnerships. “This new series from Rumiko Takahashi, the legendary creator behind Inuyasha, is a fantastic addition for our subscribers, introducing her distinctive storytelling to a new generation of fans.”

Keep up with all of the action and latest news from Shonen Jump by following their social media platforms on X, Facebook, and Instagram.

Note: The information above was sourced from a press release.

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