Onipan!
おにぱん！
- Comedy
- Fantasy
- Mythology
- Episodes
- 60
- Duration
- 3 min per ep
- Aired
- Apr 11, 2022 to Jul 1, 2022
- Status
- Finished Airing
Synopsis
In a vibrant twist on the classic tale of oni, three young demon girls embark on a mission to bridge the divide between their kind and humanity. Armed with the magical onipan—an enchanting fusion of "oni" and "pantsu"—they take on human forms to navigate the complexities of high school life in Tokyo. Their goal? To mend the often-misunderstood reputation of oni and create a harmonious community.
As they integrate into their new environment, the trio dives into various school activities and local events, bringing their unique perspectives and playful energy. Whether it’s participating in bustling festivals or pursuing their dreams of becoming idols, these oni-kids tackle each challenge with enthusiasm and heart, all while discovering the true meaning of friendship and acceptance.
Otaku Consensus
Onipan! lands as a modestly scored but warmly regarded short-form comedy: its 6.5 MAL score and 62/100 AniList score match a niche reception, while reviews consistently praise its brisk pacing, folklore texture, and natural-sounding voice work. Masahiko Oota’s direction and Takashi Aoshima’s series composition keep the 60-episode run snackable rather than bloated, but the most common limitation is its lightweight, kid-facing format, which can feel underdeveloped for viewers expecting a deeper WIT Studio fantasy.
Why You Should Watch
Watch Onipan! if you want cute-girl chaos filtered through Japanese folklore rather than another clubroom sitcom. Its short episodes make it ideal for commute viewing: jokes, transformations, festival bits, idol detours, and meta gags arrive quickly, then get out before the sugar rush wears thin. It scratches the same low-stakes itch as Yuru Yuri or Mitsuboshi Colors, but swaps ordinary neighborhood mischief for oni iconography, traditional-life texture, and WIT Studio’s bright children’s-TV polish. The series is especially satisfying for viewers who like kid-cast performances that sound fresh instead of overproduced; early viewers called the voice acting natural, not slick. If you want a full dramatic arc or dense lore, look elsewhere; if you want a breezy myth-comedy sampler, this is built for snacking.
Key Characters
- HHimawari(VA: Mika Negishi)
Himawari’s flower-name identity, meaning sunflower, fits the series’ bright visual language, and Mika Negishi’s fresh delivery contributes to the natural-sounding cast dynamic viewers singled out early.
- TTsutsuji(VA: Yume Nozaki)
Tsutsuji, named after the azalea, gives the central trio another distinctly Japanese botanical motif, reinforcing how the show folds folklore, seasonal imagery, and kid-comedy into its character design.
- TTsuyukusa(VA: Kokona Nonaka)
Tsuyukusa’s name refers to the dayflower, and Kokona Nonaka’s performance sits within the show’s deliberately youthful main-cast texture rather than the more polished cadence of many late-night anime comedies.
What Makes It Stand Out
- 1
The 60-episode structure is the show’s defining formal choice: Onipan! uses very short installments instead of standard half-hour pacing, which is why multiple reviewers framed it as a strong example of what short anime can do.
- 2
WIT Studio produced the series, making it an unusual entry in the studio’s catalogue for international fans who more often associate the name with high-profile action and drama productions than compact kids’ comedy.
- 3
The folklore angle is not just decorative; first-impression coverage specifically highlighted the foundation of Japanese folk belief and traditional daily-life elements as the most engaging part of the early episodes.
- 4
AniList’s tag profile captures its unusual genre blend: Primarily Female Cast at 88%, Cute Girls Doing Cute Things at 87%, Monster Girl at 85%, Kids at 82%, and Meta at 79%, with Idol and Henshin elements also registering strongly.
- 5
The show’s reception is narrow but affectionate: it has only 46 AniList favourites and a MAL popularity rank of #5709, yet the available reviews repeatedly recommend it as an enjoyable, concise watch rather than dismissing it as a throwaway short.
Fun Facts & Trivia
- Fun fact 1
- Norihiro Naganuma is credited with both Original Plan and Original Work Supervisor, marking him as a central creative origin point rather than only a production-side name.
- Fun fact 2
- The core script-and-direction team pairs director Masahiko Oota with series composition writer Takashi Aoshima, while Junichirou Hashiguchi is credited as assistant director.
- Fun fact 3
- The main trio is voiced by Mika Negishi, Yume Nozaki, and Kokona Nonaka; early viewer discussion specifically noted the natural quality of the voice performances, even when attributing that freshness to relative inexperience.
- Fun fact 4
- The finished TV run totals 60 episodes, a number that looks long on a database page but functions differently because the series is built around short-form installments.
- Fun fact 5
- Its database footprint shows a clear gap between visibility and affection: MAL lists it at 6.5/10 from 4,761 votes with rank #7373, while AniList records a close 62/100 score.
Studios
- Wit Studio
