Haru to Gen Gets a Short-Form TV Anime in January 2027

Haru to Gen, a KADOKAWA vertical-scroll comic about a 70-year-old grandfather learning to raise his three-year-old granddaughter, is being adapted into a short-form television anime for January 2027. Imagica Infos announced the project on September 15, 2026, confirming TV Kanagawa (tvk) as the broadcaster and releasing the first anime key visual. For viewers outside Japan, the announcement is notable for what it confirms—and for the international distribution details it does not yet provide.

What Was Announced

Imagica Infos presented the adaptation as part of Animation ID, its joint project with DNP. The anime is scheduled to begin broadcasting on TV Kanagawa in January 2027. The announcement does not give a specific day, time, episode count, or runtime. It describes the production as a short-format anime, suggesting compact episodes, but the exact length and release pattern remain unconfirmed.

The story follows Gen, a 70-year-old man who has lived alone after a divorce and a long estrangement from his family. When his daughter dies, he takes in her three-year-old daughter, Haru. The premise puts an inexperienced older caregiver and a young child at the center of an everyday family story: Gen must deal with the practical surprises of childcare while reconsidering the family relationship he had allowed to drift away.

The announcement also revealed the core production staff. Kōdai Satō is directing, with Taeko Miura as sound director and Maki Takuma handling sound effects. bermei.inazawa is composing the music. Ardi is responsible for sound production, Kazuya Takahashi for production management, and Imagica Infos with Imageworks Studio for animation production, with Studio Nanahoshi assisting. The author, Yuka Ōshima, and director Satō contributed comments for the announcement.

Alongside the visual, the team opened an official X account for the anime. The official release also points readers to the Animation ID website and YouTube channel for future updates.

Why It Matters

The adaptation stands out because its central relationship is not built around a school club, a fantasy quest, or a conventional young ensemble. Gen and Haru occupy very different stages of life, and the story’s dramatic engine is the process of building a household after loss. That gives the project a specific emotional identity before any footage or cast announcement has arrived.

The format is also part of the news. KADOKAWA’s original work is a vertical-scroll comic, while the anime is being developed as a short-form television production. That combination places the project within a practical bridge between mobile-first manga reading and broadcast animation. The announced staff list shows that the adaptation is not merely a promotional video: it has a dedicated director, sound team, music composer, and animation partners. Still, the production should not be described as a full-length series until the team confirms its episode structure.

Animation ID adds another layer of interest. The project is being handled by Imagica Infos and DNP as part of a named animation initiative, rather than appearing as an isolated title with no stated production framework. For fans who follow how manga are being adapted into different screen formats, Haru to Gen offers a concrete example of a publisher-originated vertical comic moving into a short television slot.

Context for International Fans

At the time of the announcement, TV Kanagawa is the only broadcaster named. That confirms a Japanese television outlet, but it does not confirm a worldwide streaming partner, an English-subtitled release, or availability in any particular country. International fans should therefore treat January 2027 as the Japanese broadcast window, not as a confirmed global premiere.

The exact Japanese broadcast time is also not available yet. Once a time is announced, viewers will need to convert it from Japan Standard Time, and a short-format episode may air inside a larger programming block rather than in a standard 24-minute slot. No official information currently identifies the number of episodes or whether the anime will be released through a subscription service, a free platform, or an official online channel.

The original manga is listed by KADOKAWA as a Tatesuku comic by Yuka Ōshima. The publisher’s official page provides the premise and series information, but the new anime announcement does not state that an official English edition is available. Fans who want to sample the source should check the publisher’s current regional access and language options rather than assume that a Japanese digital listing is readable everywhere.

The safest way to follow the project from overseas is to monitor the official Animation ID site and YouTube channel, along with the anime’s official account. Those channels are the places most likely to clarify whether promotional videos, cast announcements, subtitles, or an international streaming license will appear.

What Happens Next

The next useful confirmation should be the precise January premiere date and the time slot on TV Kanagawa. After that, fans should look for the voice cast, episode length, and a trailer or character video. The international question is separate: a global streaming announcement, if one is made, should identify territories and subtitle or dub languages. Until that information is published, it would be premature to attach Haru to Gen to a specific overseas service.

The official project channels may also show how the short format will be presented. A trailer could establish whether the anime expands the manga’s quiet domestic scenes into longer sequences or keeps the quick rhythm associated with vertical-scroll reading. That is an open creative question, not a confirmed production detail.

Sources

• Imagica Infos’ September 15, 2026 announcement — confirms the January 2027 TV Kanagawa broadcast, short-form format, key visual, staff, and official project links.
• KADOKAWA’s official Haru to Gen page — identifies the original vertical-scroll comic, author Yuka Ōshima, and the grandfather-granddaughter premise.
• Animation ID’s official project site — official project hub for the initiative handling the adaptation and its future updates.

Information was checked on September 16, 2026, at 06:42 JST.

Editorial note: This report is based on the primary sources linked above. Availability, schedules, and announcements can change; verify the latest details with the official source.