Kemono Friends

Lore & Background

The franchise was conceived by the Kemono Friends Project, with manga artist Mine Yoshizaki as concept designer. The first project was a mobile game by Nexon that ran from March 2015 to December 2016. A manga by Furai was serialized in Kadokawa's Monthly Shōnen Ace from May 2015 to March 2017. A second game was released by Bushiroad in January 2018. The first anime season, produced by Yaoyorozu, aired from January to March 2017; a second season by Tomason aired from January to April 2019.

The story is set in Japari Park, a large zoo containing extant, endangered, extinct, cryptid, and legendary creatures. Sandstar causes animals to become anthropomorphized girls called Friends. The Nexon game involves Friends battling amorphous Ceruleans with the player and guide Mirai. The first anime follows a girl named Kaban, who wakes up with amnesia and travels with a serval Friend to discover her identity, eventually learning she is human. The manga Kemono Friends: Welcome to Japari Park! follows park keeper Nana and is set earlier than other works.

Reader's Guide

Kemono Friends originated as a mobile game that shut down before the anime aired, yet the anime's unexpected popularity revived interest in the franchise. The first season, produced by Yaoyorozu, became a cultural phenomenon in Japan, leading to a second season by Tomason and new games. The franchise is significant for its unique premise of anthropomorphized animals based on real species, cryptids, and legendary creatures, and for its cross-media expansion across games, manga, and anime. Its legacy includes a dedicated fanbase and influence on subsequent media featuring anthropomorphic characters. The series also introduced characters like Kaban, Serval, and the idol group PPP, and explored themes of identity and cooperation.

Did You Know?

• The first mobile game by Nexon ran from March 2015 to December 2016, ending before the anime premiered in January 2017.
• The main protagonist of the first anime, Kaban, is named after the backpack she carries; she is the only character with whom Lucky Beast will directly communicate.
• The anime's second season, produced by Tomason, aired from January to April 2019.
• The franchise includes a cryptid-based Friend, Tsuchinoko, who appears in stage plays and the 2017 anime.