The TV anime MF Ghost 3rd Season will begin airing on TOKYO MX, Animax, and other networks from Sunday, January 4, 2026 (JST). Alongside the broadcast announcement, a new key visual featuring Kanata as he prepares to take revenge on his rivals in the “Kami 15” group and the first promotional video for the 3rd Season have been released.

In the fierce MFG round 3 final, “The Peninsula Manazuru,” protagonist Kanata Katagiri continues to be overtaken one after another after losing access to second gear. Cornered by this adversity, he rekindles the raw fighting spirit that had been lying dormant deep inside him. The first PV teases an intense race development, as Kanata openly vows revenge and faces off against the formidable drivers who make up the Kami 15.

The opening theme for the 3rd Season has been announced as “TIMELESS POWER feat. MOTSU” by Yu Serizawa, while the ending theme will be “Yokan no Tochu(JP: 予感の途中) Prod. ☆Taku Takahashi (m-flo)” performed by Himika Akaneya. The first PV features a preview of the opening theme. Commenting on the song, Serizawa said it is a track to which she intends to devote her entire being, adding that the 3rd Season song is “seriously crazy” and urging fans to be ready. Akaneya remarked that she would be happy if this new ending theme can help bring even more colour to the world of MF Ghost.

Ahead of the broadcast, comments have also been released from lead cast members Yuma Uchida, who plays Kanata Katagiri, Ayane Sakura, who plays Ren Saionji, and director Toshihito Naka, sharing their thoughts on the series and their enthusiasm for the upcoming season.

In addition, a series of real world events tied to the anime has been confirmed. MF Ghost will have a presence at Tokyo Auto Salon 2026, held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba from January 9 to 11, 2026. From December 1, the collaboration “MF Ghost 3rd Season × MANAZURU” will launch in partnership with Manazuru Town in Kanagawa Prefecture, and starting in January 2026, the “MF Ghost 3rd Season × ODAWARA” collaboration with Odawara City in Kanagawa will resume, continuing on from the 2nd Season.

The series is based on the manga by Shuichi Shigeno, which ran in Kodansha’s Weekly Young Magazine from 2017 until February 2025. It is the successor to Initial D, which was serialized in the same magazine until 2013. With a total of 23 volumes currently on sale and more than 7 million copies in circulation, the hit near future street racing manga has now entered its third season of anime adaptation.

Cast and Director Comments

▼ Kanata Katagiri: Yuma Uchida
“MF Ghost is back. I am incredibly excited that we get to see the continuation of these heated battles. Please enjoy watching Kanata and the other drivers give it their all right through to the very end.”

▼ Ren Saionji: Ayane Sakura
“MF Ghost 3rd Season is finally about to begin. Both on set and in my personal life, I often hear people say they are watching MF Ghost, and I can really feel the excitement building for the series, which makes me very happy. This season features not only the races, but also major shifts in the human drama, so I went into the recording sessions with extra determination. Please continue to pay close attention to Ren’s romantic developments as well.”

▼ Director Toshihito Naka
“Thank you for waiting. Kanata’s revenge is about to begin. In the 3rd Season, the story surrounding Kanata begins to move in a big way, and Ren stays by his side throughout. We asked ourselves how best to depict Kanata, who struggles with injury as he fights to regain his peak, and pursued that vision relentlessly. Please look forward to the even faster, even hotter race scenes we have brought to the screen.”

Artist Comments

▼ Yu Serizawa
“This is Yu Serizawa, and I have been given the opportunity to sing the opening theme for MF Ghost 3rd Season. May I say something a little bold? The fact that there are people out there who think ‘The MF Ghost opening has to be Yū Serizawa feat. MOTSU’ makes me feel like MOTSU and I are already one and the same. I intend to devote all of myself to this. To be honest, the song for the 3rd Season is crazy. Let me at least tell you that it is crazy. Be prepared. Thank you for your support.”

▼ MOTSU
“From Initial D to MF Ghost. Racing through the eras, and now on to the 3rd Season. I am shaking with excitement at the fact that I get to deliver the opening theme to everyone once again together with Seriko. This is the strongest chorus in Eurobeat history. TIMELESS POWER. Let us pierce through time together.”

▼ Himika Akaneya
“Hello again, everyone, this is Himika Akaneya. I am very happy to be able to sing the ending theme for MF Ghost once more. I have sung many songs about love up to now, and each one has shown love from a different angle, with delicate nuances that are not immediately visible on the surface, and I have loved that about them. This time, I was able to enjoy the world created by ☆Taku Takahashi of m-flo, who I am working with for the first time, and by the always dependable and trusted ARAKI, while carefully singing in a way that does not let a single one of that world’s beautiful elements slip away. I would be delighted if this song can help bring even more colour to the world of MF Ghost.”

Source : ORICON NEWS