Sarazanmai

Sarazanmai is an original TV anime produced by MAPPA, conceived and directed by the visionary Kunihiko Ikuhara, who also serves as series composer. Blending comedy, drama, fantasy, psychological tension, and supernatural elements, this boldly unconventional series follows Kazuki Yasaka, Tooi Kuji, and Enta Jinnai—three boys whose lives collide through the mysterious Keppi—as they are forced to confront their hidden desires and deepest secrets. Created under the original work credit イクニラッパ, Sarazanmai delivers Ikuhara's signature avant-garde visual storytelling and layered symbolism in a fresh, audacious package. For fans seeking anime that challenges, surprises, and resonates long after the credits roll, this is essential viewing.

Set against the nostalgic backdrop of Asakusa, this story follows three second-year middle schoolers — Kazuki Yasaka, Tooi Kuji, and Enta Jinnai — whose ordinary lives are suddenly upended by a bizarre and unexpected encounter. A strange creature named Keppi, resembling the kappa of Japanese folklore, crosses their path and draws them into a world far beyond anything they could have imagined. In traditional legend, kappa are known for extracting a mystical organ called the shirikodama from unsuspecting humans, and this mythology plays a central role in the peculiar predicament the boys now find themselves in. Thrust into an outlandish situation with no way back, the three must figure out how to navigate their new reality together. Adding another layer of intrigue to the story, two police officers stationed at a local koban — Reo Niiboshi and Mabu Akutsu — appear to have their own mysterious agenda unfolding in the shadows. What kind of bonds will form between these three unlikely companions as they face the unknown?