The winter 2026 anime season brought a unique story that mixes the daily life of a kindergartner with supernatural horror elements. Kaya-chan Isn’t Scary (Kaya-chan wa Kowakunai) follows a five-year-old girl who can see and defeat evil spirits, though adults around her just see a problem child causing trouble for no reason. The anime started airing on January 11, 2026, and has been releasing new episodes every week since then.
Based on the manga by Yuritaro, which began serialization on Shinchosha’s Kurage Bunch website in April 2022, this anime adaptation brings a fresh take to the horror genre by placing it in a kindergarten setting. The series is produced by East Fish Studio with direction by Hiroshi Ikehata, who worked on 365 Days to the Wedding and Kiratto PriโChan. Shigeru Murakoshi, known for Zombie Land Saga and Ninja Kamui, handles the series composition .
The story centers on Kaya Sato, a student at Hanamugi Kindergarten who possesses strong psychic powers. She secretly protects her friends and family from ghosts, but because no one else can see what she’s fighting, everyone treats her as a troublemaker. Everything changes when her homeroom teacher Chie discovers Kaya’s secret and becomes the first adult who truly believes in her .
Where to Watch Kaya-chan Isn’t Scary
Crunchyroll is streaming the anime worldwide outside Japan, including major regions like North America, Europe, Australia, India, and Latin America. The platform offers both the original Japanese audio with English subtitles and an English dubbed version that releases on the same day .
In Japan, the anime airs on the TV Tokyo network, as well as AT-X and WOWOW. For viewers in Asia, Ani-One Asia provides access through various platforms .
New episodes become available on Sundays at 1:00 a.m. Pacific Time (PT) / 4:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET). For viewers in different regions, here are the standard release times :
- United States (West Coast): 1:00 a.m. PT Sunday
- United States (East Coast): 4:00 a.m. ET Sunday
- United Kingdom: 9:00 a.m. GMT Sunday
- India: 2:30 p.m. IST Sunday
- Australia (Sydney): 8:00 p.m. AEDT Sunday
- Canada: Same as US time zones depending on location
- Mexico: 3:00 a.m. CST Sunday
- Brazil: 6:00 a.m. BRT Sunday
Complete Episode Release Schedule
The anime is scheduled for 12 episodes in total, with new episodes dropping every Sunday. Here is the complete release schedule based on confirmed dates :
- Episode 1: January 11, 2026 (Already Released)
- Episode 2: January 18, 2026 (Already Released)
- Episode 3: January 25, 2026 (Already Released)
- Episode 4: February 1, 2026 (Already Released)
- Episode 5: February 8, 2026 (Already Released)
- Episode 6: February 15, 2026 (Already Released)
- Episode 7: February 22, 2026 (Coming Soon)
- Episode 8: March 1, 2026 (Coming Soon)
- Episode 9: March 8, 2026 (Coming Soon)
- Episode 10: March 15, 2026 (Coming Soon)
- Episode 11: March 22, 2026 (Coming Soon)
- Episode 12 (Finale): March 29, 2026 (Coming Soon)
Each episode runs approximately 23 minutes . Episode 5, titled “The Train Isn’t Scary” in some regions, followed Kaya’s school trip where she got stuck with Chie in a strange train car . Episode 6 continues the story with more supernatural encounters.
Voice Cast and Characters
The Japanese voice cast brings together some well-known names in the anime industry :
- Azusa Tachibana as Kaya Sato โ the psychic kindergartner who fights evil spirits
- Maaya Uchida as Chie-sensei โ the teacher who believes in Kaya
- Yลซki Kaji as Namu โ an unidentified young man connected to the supernatural world
- Fukushi Ochiai as Mobuo โ a mysterious man who follows Kaya
- Azusa Tadokoro as Akira-sensei โ second-year homeroom teacher
- Shiori Izawa as Chihiro-sensei โ another teacher at Hanamugi Kindergarten
- Toshiyuki Morikawa as Shizuo Sato (Kaya-papa) โ Kaya’s father
- Mamiko Noto as Mirai Sato (Kaya-mama) โ Kaya’s mother
- Haruka Tomatsu as Nana Ebisumori โ Kaya’s aunt
- Yoshiko Sakakibara as Mutsu Ebisumori โ an elderly woman with connections to the Ebisumori family
- Misaki Kuno as Saku-chan
- Mutsumi Tamura as Kenken
- Chiemi Tanaka as Yuzu-chan
The English dub production was handled by VSI Los Angeles for Kadokawa, with Haley Veres directing and casting. The English voice cast includes Jackie Lastra and Kevin Andrew Rivera among others .
Toshiyuki Morikawa, who voices Kaya’s father, shared his thoughts about the role: “I am honored to play the role of Kaya-chan’s father. As a parent supporting Kaya, who possesses strong spiritual abilities, I hope to express not only warmth but also the resolve needed to face fear. I will do my best to add depth to the work within its unique world that blends cuteness and horror” .
Haruka Tomatsu, voicing Aunt Nana, mentioned: “I actually have not appeared in many horror-type works, but I personally love them, so I was looking forward to the recording. The dialogue delivery was challenging for this role, but it was rewarding, and I am glad I was able to play her” .
Production Team and Music
The creative team behind the anime includes several experienced professionals :
- Director: Hiroshi Ikehata
- Series Composition: Shigeru Murakoshi
- Character Design: Tarล Yamada and Hiroyuki Moriguchi
- Sound Director: Yukio Nagasaki
- Music Composers: Kohta Yamamoto and Shun Narita
- Art Setting/Art Director: Ayumi Satล
- Color Design: Ritsuko Utagawa
- Compositing Director of Photography: Natsuki Yoshizawa
- Editing: Gล Sadamatsu
- Sound Effects: Hiromune Kurahashi
- Music Production: Pony Canyon
The opening theme song “Maboroshi no Yukue” (The Phantom’s Destination) is performed by Isekaijoucho. The virtual singer shared about the song: “Even if something is difficult to understand, people can still support one another. I sang with the hope of echoing the delicate and gentle gaze that surrounds Kaya and the others” .
The ending theme song “Playmour feat. Kaya-chan (Azusa Tachibana)” is performed by virtual singer and rapper duo SAK and TAO, featuring Azusa Tachibana as Kaya-chan. TAO, who loves horror works, expressed excitement about being involved with the project: “Kaya-chan is cute, kind, strong, and mysterious โ the strongest psychic kindergartener. I look forward to seeing her in action” .
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What Makes Kaya-chan Isn’t Scary Different
The anime stands out because it doesn’t just focus on horror elements. It also shows real childhood struggles through a supernatural lens. The story explores how Kaya deals with being misunderstood by adults while fighting spirits that only she can see. Her teacher Chie becomes the first person who understands her, and this changes everything for Kaya .
The manga’s official description from Seven Seas Entertainment, which licenses the English version, sets up the premise: “Kaya-chan is a notorious problem child in her kindergarten, but none of the adults know her secret–till Chie-sensei is put in charge and learns of Kaya-chan’s hidden ability to see evil spirits and vanquish them with a punch. What will happen to this five-year-old who gets in trouble when she’s only trying to help?” .
The manga has released eight compiled volumes as of January 2026, so there is plenty of source material for future seasons if the anime continues .
Ryoko Sakakibara, who voices Mutsu, described the unique nature of the series: “Kaya-chan Isn’t Scary is a story set in a kindergarten, a setting rarely depicted in anime. I was surprised by the way the story expands from small everyday events into unlimited imagination. It is not only frightening but also filled with many small ‘lessons’ one naturally absorbs from daily life” .
As the anime continues its weekly run, viewers can catch up on all released episodes through Crunchyroll. With Episode 7 coming on February 22, fans of supernatural stories with a unique twist have plenty to look forward to as Kaya’s journey unfolds.
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