Pikaia!

Lore & Background

The story of Pikaia! is set in a future where Earth is no longer inhabitable, prompting humans to migrate to space colonies. The protagonists, Vince and Hana, are researchers involved in the Cambrian Project, which aims to recover the Lost Code—a key to restoring Earth—by traveling back to the Cambrian period. They are accompanied by the titular creature Pikaia, a small, swimming chordate from the Cambrian era.

Reader's Guide

Pikaia! serves as an educational tool produced by NHK Educational, blending science fiction with paleontology to teach viewers about the Cambrian period and early life forms. Its significance lies in its use of anime to engage young audiences with scientific concepts, particularly the study of ancient organisms like Pikaia, which is a real fossil genus. The series' renewal for a second season in February 2017 indicates sustained interest in its educational approach. The show features a large cast of characters, including researchers, political figures, and the creature Pikaia, voiced by notable Japanese voice actors. Its legacy is as a niche but effective educational series that uses narrative to explore themes of environmental recovery and prehistoric life.

Did You Know?

• The first season of Pikaia! aired 13 episodes from April 29, 2015 to July 30, 2015.
• The series was produced by NHK Educational.
• The character Pikaia is voiced by Kaori Mizuhashi.
• A second season began in February 2017.

Production & Broadcast Timeline

Pikaia! is a Japanese educational anime series that came to life under the banner of NHK Educational, the public broadcasting arm known for blending entertainment with learning. The first season premiered on April 29, 2015, and ran for thirteen episodes before concluding its initial run on July 30, 2015. That roughly three-month window gave the series a compact, focused arc to introduce its world, characters, and central mystery. The show's reception was evidently strong enough to earn a renewal, with a second season announced in February 2017. This gap between seasons—nearly a year and a half—gave the production team time to develop new storylines while keeping the educational mission at the forefront. As an NHK Educational production, the series was designed from the ground up to serve a dual purpose: captivating young viewers with adventure and science fiction while simultaneously delivering structured learning content woven into the narrative.

Plot & Premise

The narrative of Pikaia! is set in a far-future era in which Earth has become completely uninhabitable for living creatures. Humanity, faced with this dire reality, embarked on interstellar migration, establishing space colonies to carry the species forward. Within this backdrop, two researchers named Vince and Hana are assigned to work on the Cambrian Project, a scientific initiative whose details unfold across the series. Their mission takes a turn when they team up with a creature called Pikaia, and together the trio sets out to find the Lost Code. This enigmatic artifact is described as the key to restoring Earth to a livable state. The ultimate goal of their quest is nothing less than a return to Cambrian-era Earth, suggesting that the ancient past holds the blueprint for the planet's future survival. The premise thus marries speculative space-future storytelling with a deep reverence for the geological past, framing the Cambrian period not as a distant chapter in a textbook but as a living solution to an existential crisis.

Cast & Voice Performances

The voice cast of Pikaia! brings a wide ensemble of characters to life. Hannah Anning is voiced by Ayaka Suwa, while Vincent Light is brought to life by Hayato Taka. The titular creature Pikaia is given a voice by Kaori Mizuhashi. Supporting roles include Dr. Parker, voiced by Toru Ohkawa, and Morris, voiced by Hirofumi Nojima. The political and scientific world is populated by Will (Akira Nishitani), Harry (Wataru Urata), President Irma (Sayaka Kinoshita), Vice-President Frazer (Tetsu Inada), Wendy Owen (Aimi Tanaka), Edward Edwards (Nobuyuki Hiyama), and Evol (Takuma Nagatsuka). Two shadow figures, Shadow A and Shadow B, are voiced by Hiroaki Tajiri and Isamu Yūsen respectively. Notably, the pilot episode featured a different trio of voice actresses for Dr. Parker—Miyuu Tsuji, Rie Hanafusa, and Shio Kisui—before the regular cast took over for the full series run.

Educational Integration & Musical Identity

As an NHK Educational production, Pikaia! weaves learning directly into its entertainment format. One of the most distinctive elements of the series is the involvement of the musical group elfin', who perform both the opening and ending themes. Beyond their musical contributions, the members of elfin' also appear on-screen in a dedicated educational segment alongside the character Morris, creating a bridge between the narrative world and the instructional content the series is designed to deliver. This integration means that the educational portions are not tacked-on interludes but are instead anchored by recognizable characters from the show, making the learning feel like a natural extension of the story. It is worth noting that one member of elfin', Shio, was credited under the name Mii Takahashi during the period when the series aired, reflecting a name change that occurred after the show's broadcast. This detail offers a small glimpse into the evolving identities of the performers behind the series.

Gallery