MAO Episode 1 Story & Preview Cuts Released: Rumiko Takahashi's Latest Series Set for Two Consecutive Cours

The story and preview images for Episode 1 of the TV anime MAO (JP: マオ), the latest work by legendary creator Rumiko Takahashi, have been revealed. This episode will air on Saturday, April 4 at 11:45 PM (JST), and will later be available on various international streaming platforms.

Episode 1 Story

Nanoka Kiba is a third-year middle school student living in the modern Reiwa era. One day, she finds herself wandering into an unfamiliar world through a gate at the Gogyo Shopping District, where she encounters a young man named Mao. After Mao defeats a supernatural monster (ayakashi) that attacked her, he turns to Nanoka and says, "You... you are an ayakashi, aren't you?"

Introduction

Mao is a young man living in the Taisho era—a mysterious Onmyoji who has lived for 900 years due to a "curse". Nanoka Kiba is a middle school girl living in the Reiwa era who was the sole survivor of a strange accident involving her family when she was a child.

One day, Nanoka passes through a shopping district gate at the site of that original accident and finds herself lost in the Taisho era, a world where Ayakashi (monsters) roam. Upon meeting Mao, he tells her:

"You... you're an Ayakashi, aren't you?"

With these words, Nanoka realizes there is something wrong with her own body. It turns out that both she and Mao have been afflicted with the exact same "curse"! Together, they set out to confront the chain of curses haunting them.

The latest work from Rumiko Takahashi, MAO, is finally receiving its long-awaited anime adaptation! This immersive dark fantasy and time-slipping mystery is ready to begin.

MAO Characters List

Spring 2026 Anime List

Source : MAO Official