The final episode of Rumiko Takahashi’s dark fantasy anime MAO arrives on Saturday, September 26, 2026, closing out a 26-episode run that began in April. Episode 26, titled “Yurako’s World” (ๅนฝ็พ ๅญใฎไธ็), will broadcast on NHK General in Japan and stream internationally through Hulu in the United States and Disney+ across Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America. A special watch party with the main voice cast streams on YouTube just before the finale.
MAO Episode 26 Release Date and Exact Streaming Times by Region
The finale premieres first on Japanese television at 23:45 JST on September 26, with international streaming following through Hulu and Disney+.
Japan and South Korea (JST/KST, UTC+9)
- NHK General broadcast: Saturday, September 26, 2026, at 23:45 JST
- Hulu Japan and local platforms: Sunday, September 27, 2026, at 06:15 JST
United States and Canada (PT/ET, UTC-7/UTC-4)
- Hulu (US) and Disney+ (Canada): Saturday, September 26, 2026, at 2:15 p.m. PT / 5:15 p.m. ET
United Kingdom, Portugal, and Ghana (BST/UTC+1/WAT)
- Disney+ and local services: Saturday, September 26, 2026, at 22:15 BST / 21:15 UTC (Ghana)
Central Europe, Spain, Italy, Poland, Germany, France (CEST, UTC+2)
- Disney+ and local platforms: Saturday, September 26, 2026, at 23:15 CEST
India (IST, UTC+5:30)
- Streaming platforms: Sunday, September 27, 2026, at 02:45 IST
Australia and New Zealand (AEST/NZST, UTC+10/UTC+12)
- Disney+: Sunday, September 27, 2026, at 07:15 AEST / 09:15 NZST
Latin America (various time zones)
- Disney+: Saturday, September 26, 2026, at 4:15 p.m. (Mexico City), 6:15 p.m. (Buenos Aires), 7:15 p.m. (Sรฃo Paulo)
A watch party featuring voice actors Yuki Kaji (Mao), Natsumi Kawaida (Nanoka), and Momoka Terasawa (Otoya) premieres on the Bandai Namco Filmworks YouTube channel at 23:30 JST on September 26, fifteen minutes before the finale broadcast.
MAO Anime Overview: Rumiko Takahashi’s Dark Fantasy
MAO adapts the manga by Rumiko Takahashi, the creator behind Inuyasha, Ranma 1/2, and Urusei Yatsura. The manga has run in Weekly Shonen Sunday since May 2019 and has over 2 million copies in circulation. Sunrise animated the series with Teruo Sato as director.
The story follows Mao, an onmyoji who has lived for 900 years due to a curse, and Nanoka Kiba, a middle school girl from the Reiwa era who slips into the Taisho era. Together they investigate a chain of curses that ties their fates together across centuries. VIZ Media licensed the series for North America, Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand, with streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
MAO Episode 25 Recap: Character-by-Character Breakdown
Episode 25, titled “Ghouls and Rakshasas” (ๅนฝ้ฌผใจ็พ ๅน), aired on September 19, 2026. The episode focused on Nanoka’s undercover investigation, a confrontation with Kagari Hosho, and a major reveal about Lady Yurako.
Nanoka Kiba
Nanoka went undercover at a girls’ school to investigate curse incidents affecting students. She found that Kagari Hosho, a student there, was responsible. When Kagari attacked her with cursed needles, Nanoka used her Byouki reflexes to dodge and try to take Kagari’s book of needles. Kagari released all the needles at once, and though Nanoka dodged most of them, a hidden needle struck her neck, leaving her unable to breathe. Mao arrived too late to catch Kagari but saved Nanoka.
Later, Kagari used a cursed needle to track Nanoka’s location and kidnapped her, taking her to Lady Yurako’s hideout. There, Yurako told Nanoka she did not want to hurt her and simply wanted to talk. Nanoka learned that Yurako has lived for around 900 years, just like Mao, and that she is in love with him. Nanoka also realized that Yurako is not Lady Sana, despite sharing the same face.
Mao
Mao investigated the curse incidents and determined the culprit was using a technique different from usual Ayakashi cases. He saved another schoolgirl from a needle curse and then rushed to help Nanoka. After Nanoka was kidnapped, Mao followed the traces left behind by Kagari’s needles to track her location.
Mao confronted Kagari outside Yurako’s hideout. Kagari tried to use the same needle technique that paralyzed him in the past, but Mao deflected it back at her, paralyzing her instead. He then ordered her to take him to Nanoka.
Kagari Hosho
Kagari was revealed to be an associate of Hakubi and a needle user. She had been causing curse incidents at the girls’ school as “practice.” She attacked Nanoka during her undercover investigation and later kidnapped her using a cursed needle. Kagari confronted Mao but was outmatched when he deflected her own technique back at her.
Lady Yurako
Lady Yurako is a mysterious woman who looks exactly like Lady Sana, a woman Mao loved 900 years ago. Episode 25 confirmed that Yurako and Sana are two different people. Yurako has lived for around 900 years and has been in love with Mao all this time. She does not share Shirano’s desire to kill Mao and simply wanted to meet him. She asked Kagari to bring Nanoka to her so she could talk.
Otoya
Otoya, Mao’s shikigami, went back to the school to search for Kagari but found that she had already left. He later explained that Kagari had gone into hiding and concluded that she might be acting on her own, without Hakubi’s involvement.
Hakubi
Hakubi was mentioned as Kagari’s associate, but the episode revealed that he had nothing to do with the curse incidents at the school. Mao and Yakka concluded that Kagari was acting independently.
Related Stories
MAO Episode 26: Yurako’s World
Episode 26, titled “Yurako’s World” (ๅนฝ็พ ๅญใฎไธ็), will reveal Yurako’s past. According to the official synopsis, Yurako will tell Nanoka her story: in the Heian era, she lived in a cave surrounded by curse seals, serving as a vessel for a curse placed on the Goko clan. One day, she learned that there was a world outside the cave and met Mao for the first time.
The episode will also show Mao and Nanoka talking, and scenes from Mao and Yurako’s past. Preview stills show the younger Mao and Yurako, along with Mao and Nanoka in conversation.
Stay close to VvipTimes for every MAO finale update, streaming alert, and anime release detail as the story of Mao and Nanoka reaches its final chapter.
Leave a Reply