MAPPA chose its 15th anniversary to reveal a major announcement: Beat & Motion, the manga by Naoki Fujita that originated from a reality show, will get an anime adaptation exclusively on Netflix in 2027. The announcement came during the studio’s anniversary livestream, featuring a teaser visual, first trailer, full team, and two cast members confirmed at once.

The first trailer and teaser visual offer the first look at the world and characters of the story, which follows Tatsuhiko, who uploads an animation to the internet that unexpectedly goes viral. His favorite musician, Nico, contacts him to collaborate on a music video for one of her songs. During their first meeting, Tatsuhiko is surprised to recognize Nico from a night that changed everything for him.

The Voice Cast

• Shuichiro Umeda as Tatsuhiko. (Akira Tendo in Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead and Kazuhiko Nukumizu in Too Many Losing Heroines!).
• Aya Gomazuru as Nico. (Seiyuu with recent work in productions like LIAR GAME, without a massively iconic role yet in anime).

The Production Team

Direction is handled by Yuki Komada, with Misaki Morie in charge of series composition and scripts. Character design and chief animation direction are by Kazunori Aoki, alongside Mina Osawa. Sound direction is by Yasushi Nagura, with sound production by dugout.

About Beat & Motion

Beat & Motion is a manga by Naoki Fujita that won the reality show MILLION TAG in August 2021. As the grand prize, the winner received serialization in Shonen Jump+, a cash prize, a compiled volume, and an anime adaptation with a global and exclusive Netflix release. The manga was published between February 2023 and March 2025, concluding in six volumes. Viz Media and MANGA Plus distribute it in English.

Does the origin of Beat & Motion as a reality show winner make you more curious to see how its story translates to anime, or do you prefer to judge the project solely based on the first trailer?