A Hat Trick for Yonezu and MAPPA
The short anime pairs Yonezu with MAPPA (Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man) for the third time. Their first team-up produced "KICK BACK," the opening theme for the Chainsaw Man TV anime in 2022. That was followed by "IRIS OUT," the theme song for Chainsaw Man: The Movie, Reze Arc in 2025. This time, rather than scoring an existing anime property, MAPPA built original animation around Yonezu's music.
The collaboration was reported by Japanese entertainment news site Comic Natalie on June 25, with the short anime going live on Yonezu's official YouTube channel the same day.
Pencil Sketches and a Lone Raven
The animation covers the song's first chorus and is drawn entirely in a pencil-sketch style. That visual choice nods to a line in the lyrics referencing "manga no sekai" (the world of manga), grounding the piece in hand-drawn texture rather than MAPPA's usual polished digital look.
On screen, a figure chases a soccer ball with single-minded determination. Overhead, a solitary raven cuts across the sky. The two images merge: the grind of competition beyond wins and losses, and the freedom of a bird that answers to nobody. It is understated by music-video standards, closer to an animated poem than a spectacle.
The Song Behind the Animation
"Karasu" (Raven) is Yonezu's contribution to NHK's soccer programming for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which kicked off on June 12. The song was released digitally on June 15 and swept six number-one spots across Billboard Japan and Oricon charts in its opening week, making it Yonezu's 20th career chart-topper.
Yonezu has described the track as being about the tension between individual identity and collective purpose on the pitch. The title doubles as a nod to the three-legged crow on the Japan national team's crest, a symbol familiar to any fan who has watched the Samurai Blue play.
For international listeners who know Yonezu through anime, his credits include "Peace Sign" for My Hero Academia, "Spinning Globe" for Hayao Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron, and "BOW AND ARROW" for Medalist, among others. Pairing his biggest sport-adjacent single with original MAPPA animation bridges those two audiences.
Looking Ahead
The short anime is streaming now on YouTube with no region lock. "Karasu" is available on major streaming platforms worldwide. With the FIFA World Cup still underway, expect the track to stay in heavy rotation across NHK's tournament coverage through the knockout rounds and into the final on July 19.