{"rewrite":{"id":"r_343642b20f551af0de29ab47","clusterId":"c_1cc809dc65bb39a174d58227","slug":"kenshi-yonezu-and-mappa-release-short-anime-for-soccer-theme-karasu","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Kenshi Yonezu and MAPPA Release Short Anime for Soccer Theme 'Karasu'","summary":"Kenshi Yonezu and animation studio MAPPA have released a short anime for the song \"Karasu,\" the 2026 NHK Soccer Theme. The video, published on YouTube on June 25, 2026, was produced by MAPPA and marks the third collaboration between the musician and the studio, following the Chainsaw Man opening theme \"KICK BACK\" (2022) and the theme for the Chainsaw Man - Reze Arc film \"IRIS OUT\" (2025). The short anime matches the first chorus of the song and uses a pencil-drawn visual style, showing a person earnestly chasing a ball while a crow soars overhead. The song itself was released digitally on June 15 and achieved six chart crowns in its first week, including No. 1 on the Billboard JAPAN Hot 100 and Oricon's weekly streaming and digital single rankings. It is Yonezu's 20th overall No. 1, the most for a solo artist in history. The short anime is timed to the FIFA World Cup 2026, with the song scheduled to air on NHK's soccer broadcasts.","whyItMatters":"The short anime extends a recurring creative partnership between Yonezu and MAPPA, and ties a chart-topping song directly to the World Cup broadcast on NHK, blending music, animation, and live sports coverage.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe short anime for \u0026#34;Karasu\u0026#34; was produced by MAPPA, the studio behind Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Attack on Titan: The Final Season. This is the third time Yonezu and MAPPA have worked together; the previous two were the Chainsaw Man TV anime opening \u0026#34;KICK BACK\u0026#34; in 2022 and the theme for the 2025 theatrical film Chainsaw Man - Reze Arc, titled \u0026#34;IRIS OUT.\u0026#34; The video uses a pencil-drawn aesthetic that matches the lyric \u0026#34;a world of manga\u0026#34; and depicts a single crow flying powerfully above a person chasing a soccer ball. The song was released on June 15 and dominated Japanese charts: on Billboard JAPAN it reached No. 1 on the Hot 100, Streaming Songs, Download Songs, and Hot Shot Songs charts, while on Oricon it topped the weekly streaming and digital single rankings. Yonezu now holds 20 No. 1 singles on Oricon, the most for a solo artist. The short anime is available on Yonezu\u0026#39;s official YouTube channel. NHK plans to use \u0026#34;Karasu\u0026#34; during its World Cup coverage on NHK General and NHK BS Premium 4K.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"The short anime for 'Karasu' is the third MAPPA collaboration with Kenshi Yonezu, following two Chainsaw Man themes. The pencil-drawn style departs from the studio's usual digital look.","twitterPost":"Kenshi Yonezu's 20th No.1 single gets a MAPPA short anime. The pencil-drawn style is a departure from their Chainsaw Man work.","threadsPost":"Kenshi Yonezu and MAPPA's third collaboration, the 'Karasu' short anime, uses a pencil-drawn visual style that contrasts with the studio's typical digital aesthetic. The song already holds six chart crowns and is Yonezu's 20th No.1, the most for a solo artist. The short is timed to the 2026 World Cup.","newsletterBlurb":"Kenshi Yonezu and MAPPA released a short anime for the NHK soccer theme 'Karasu,' their third collaboration. The pencil-drawn video matches the song's first chorus and is now on YouTube. The song itself topped six charts in its first week.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Comic Natalie\",\"url\":\"https://natalie.mu/comic/news/677826\",\"title\":\"Kenshi Yonezu's '烏' Short Anime Released, Video Produced by MAPPA\"},{\"source\":\"Anime Anime\",\"url\":\"https://animeanime.jp/article/2026/06/25/100401.html\",\"title\":\"Kenshi Yonezu × MAPPA Release Short Anime for NHK Soccer Theme \\\"Karasu\\\", Third Collaboration Draws Attention\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":6503,"outputTokens":1728,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1782426752,"createdAt":"2026-06-25T22:26:40.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-06-25T22:30:24.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-25T22:30:24.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_1cc809dc65bb39a174d58227","canonicalTitle":"米津玄師「烏」ショートアニメ公開、映像はMAPPAが手がける","representativeArticleId":"a_4b398413f06fe42af368d28d","sourceCount":3,"writtenSourceCount":2,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[\"Karasu\"],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[\"MAPPA\"],\"people\":[\"Kenshi Yonezu\"],\"type\":\"announcement\",\"domain\":\"anime\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-06-25T11:00:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-06-26T02:45:03.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-01T16:15:28.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Comic Natalie","url":"https://natalie.mu/comic/news/677826","title":"米津玄師「烏」ショートアニメ公開、映像はMAPPAが手がける"},{"source":"MAPPA","url":"https://www.mappa.co.jp/news/2026/3600/","title":"米津玄師、 2026 NHK サッカーテーマ「烏」 MAPPA 制作のショートアニメが初公開！！"},{"source":"Anime Anime","url":"https://animeanime.jp/article/2026/06/26/100409.html","title":"“39秒で泣ける”米津玄師「烏」×MAPPAのショートアニメに感動の声続出!! 背番号10に小さな巨人・メッシを思い浮かべるファンも【SNS反応まとめ】"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":["Karasu"],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":["MAPPA"],"people":["Kenshi Yonezu"],"type":"announcement","domain":"anime","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Kenshi Yonezu and MAPPA released a short anime for the song 'Karasu' on YouTube on June 25, 2026.","The short anime is the third collaboration between Yonezu and MAPPA, following the Chainsaw Man opening 'KICK BACK' (2022) and the Chainsaw Man - Reze Arc theme 'IRIS OUT' (2025).","The song 'Karasu' was released digitally on June 15, 2026, and reached No. 1 on the Billboard JAPAN Hot 100 and Oricon's weekly streaming and digital single rankings in its first week.","Yonezu now holds 20 No. 1 singles on Oricon, the most for a solo artist in history.","NHK will use 'Karasu' as its soccer theme during the FIFA World Cup 2026 broadcasts on NHK General and NHK BS Premium 4K."]}