Pan Dorobō Anime Reveals Main Staff, October 2026 Debut in Teaser Video

Kadokawa revealed on Tuesday the teaser visual, promotional video, main staff, and the October 2026 debut on NHK E-TV for the anime of Keiko Shibata's Pan Dorobō (Bread Thief) picture book. 

Image courtesy of Kadokawa

©柴田ケイコ・KADOKAWA/パンどろぼう製作委員会

Takahiko Kyōgoku (Love Live! School idol project, Love Live! Superstar!!, GATE) is directing the anime at Shin-Ei Animation, and Chie Yamashiro (Hunter × Hunter, Parasyte -the maxim-, Prince of Stride: Alternative) is the assistant director. Mako Miyako (You and I Are Polar Opposites) is designing the characters, and Mariko Mochizuki (Somali and the Forest Spirit) is in charge of series scripts. 

The picture books center on a piece of bread that also steals bread from bakeries in the city.

Shibata published the first picture book in the series in April 2020. The seventh picture book, Pan Dorobō to Sweets Ōji (Bread Thief and the Old Sweets Man), shipped on September 10.

The book series has 4.5 million copies in circulation and has won numerous awards including the 11th LIBRO Picture Book Prize.

Source: Press release

Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. One or more of the companies mentioned in this article are part of the Kadokawa Group of Companies.