Pon no Michi

Pon no Michi (ぽんのみち) is a Japanese original anime television series created by IIS-P and animated by OLM. It aired from January to March 2024. A manga adaptation by Tsukasa Unohana was serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine Nakayoshi from September 2023 to March 2024.

Plot
Nashiko Jippensha is a high school student from Onomichi who has been kicked out of her house. Having no place to go where she can hang out with her friends, she soon discovers that her father has left behind a vacant mahjong parlor he used to own. As such, Nashiko cleans up the parlor and turns it into her personal hangout.

Characters

 * Nashiko Jippensha (十返舎 なしこ)
 * Nashiko is the daughter of a former mahjong parlor owner. Although the parlor has since closed down, she comes to live there after being kicked out of the family home. She is initially a beginner at mahjong but becomes interested in it. She speaks in a Hiroshima dialect and has a liking for unusual food combinations.
 * Nashiko is the daughter of a former mahjong parlor owner. Although the parlor has since closed down, she comes to live there after being kicked out of the family home. She is initially a beginner at mahjong but becomes interested in it. She speaks in a Hiroshima dialect and has a liking for unusual food combinations.


 * Pai Kawahigashi (河東 ぱい)
 * Pai is a friend of Nashiko's who knows the basics of mahjong. She has a kind personality.
 * Pai is a friend of Nashiko's who knows the basics of mahjong. She has a kind personality.


 * Izumi Tokutomi (徳富 泉)
 * Izumi is a friend of Nashiko's who is the most knowledgeable about mahjong among herself, Nashiko, and Pai due to her playing it at family gatherings.
 * Izumi is a friend of Nashiko's who is the most knowledgeable about mahjong among herself, Nashiko, and Pai due to her playing it at family gatherings.


 * Riche Hayashi (林 リーチェ)
 * Riche is a young girl who regularly hung out at the parlor thanks to her parents. She becomes friends with everyone once she finds out Nashiko is using the parlor.
 * Riche is a young girl who regularly hung out at the parlor thanks to her parents. She becomes friends with everyone once she finds out Nashiko is using the parlor.


 * Chonbo (チョンボ)
 * Chonbo is a mahjong spirit who takes the form of a sparrow. Nashiko is the only one who can actually hear him.
 * Chonbo is a mahjong spirit who takes the form of a sparrow. Nashiko is the only one who can actually hear him.


 * Haneru Emi (江見 跳)
 * Haneru is a young girl from Hiroshima who becomes friends with everyone after they play a game of mahjong online.
 * Haneru is a young girl from Hiroshima who becomes friends with everyone after they play a game of mahjong online.

Manga
A manga adaptation illustrated by Tsukasa Unohana was serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine Nakayoshi from September 1, 2023,  to March 1, 2024. Its seven chapters were collected in a single tankōbon volume released on January 12, 2024.

A "self-proclaimed unofficial" official spin-off manga series by Jun Endō, titled Pon no Michi: Ryūkyoku Shānyū-hen (ぽんのみち 流局西入編), began serialization on Kodansha's YanMaga Web website and app on January 8, 2024.

Anime
The original anime television series by OLM was announced on May 23, 2023. It is an original work by IISP, and features direction and series composition by Tatsuma Minamikawa, original character designs by Negi Haruba, animation character designs by Kenji Ota, and music composed by Sachiko Takahashi, Takuma Sogi, hisakuni, Riko Ohashi, Kanji Eguchi, and Shari. The series aired from January 6 to March 23, 2024, on the Animeism programming block on MBS, TBS, and BS-TBS. The opening theme song is "Ponpopopon" (ポンポポポン), performed by Kana Nakada feat. Pon no Michi All Stars (a unit composed of the voice actors of the anime), while the ending theme song is "Good Luck Waker", performed by Halca. Animation Digital Network is streaming the series on YouTube outside of Asia. Remow licensed the series in Asia-Pacific.