The 15th anniversary event of MAPPA also had space for a considerably rougher project than the rest of the announcements. Jimoto Saiko! (Hometown is the Best!), the manga by usagi that was born directly on X, will get an anime adaptation with exclusive worldwide premiere on Netflix. The announcement came with a video featuring the song “milk” by aiko as background.

Direction is handled by Tokio Igarashi, with Ryo Takata managing the script. Character design is by Rio. The rest of the team includes Naoki Takada as art director, Yukiko Kakita as color design supervisor, Yosei Sawai as 3DCG director, and Takahiro Ogawa as animation producer. This is the first significant announcement since the initial reveal of the project.

The story follows Chanel and her friends growing up in a hometown marked by violence, drugs, poverty, and discrimination. The upperclassmen at Chanel’s school are covered in tattoos, resort to violence easily, and drink excessively. Chanel and her friend Chihiro must navigate and survive in that hostile environment. It’s a portrait that deliberately moves away from fantasy and opts for a direct look at difficult realities within a small-town context.

About Jimoto Saiko!

Jimoto Saiko! is a manga by usagi that started being published directly on X (formerly Twitter) before Saizusha released the first compiled volume in August 2022. The eighth volume arrived in August 2025. The series has drawn attention for its unfiltered portrayal of the hardships that can mark life in small towns, moving away from the more idealized representations that the coming-of-age genre often has in manga.

Does the raw and realistic approach of Jimoto Saiko! seem like a necessary change of pace within MAPPA’s catalog, or do you prefer the studio sticking to its more established genres?