The long-running Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai TV anime series is returning for a 17th season and will begin airing in Japan on July 12, 2026. The anime’s official website states that the theme for the Season 17 is “Decision.”
Akira Funada (director of Seasons 11-16, KJ File) is directing Season 17, with Hiromu Kumamoto (Ninja Collection), Mitsuhiro Sasaki (KJ File), and Kanako Ishigami (Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai Season 15) as scriptwriters. ILCA is handling the animation production for the series.
ﾃﾚ東ﾆﾃ 二〇二六年 七月十二日ｶﾗ
毎週日曜深夜ﾆ 十七期ｦ 放送ｽﾙﾖ…。#闇芝居 #7月12日スタート #ホラー #恐怖 #心霊 #アニメ #anime #踊ってみた #拡散希望 pic.twitter.com/zNVrDLrc81— 闇芝居【公式】 (@yamishibai_TX) June 19, 2026
Fuurin will perform the ending theme song for the 17th season “Yamishibai no Blues.”
Kanji Tsuda reprises his role as the Storyteller in the anime series. He is joined by additional voice cast members playing various roles that include:
- • Tomoko Oishi
- • Satoko Tsuchiya
- • Ryo Shinoda
- • Rei Shirakawa
- • Taro Niiro
- • Ann Yamane
- • Rina Goromaru
- • Sosuke Hanatani
- • Miu Miyake
- • Akari Nakamura
Season 16 of Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai was released from January 11, 2026 to April 5, 2026. The first season aired in Japan in July 2013, and also inspired two spinoff series titled The World Yamizukan in April 2017 and Ninja Collection in July 2020. A live-action series adaptation premiered in Japan in September 2020.
Crunchyroll is streaming all previous seasons of Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai, along with Ninja Collection.
Crunchyroll describes the main premise of Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai as:
Each week at dusk, a man in a yellow mask arrives at a nearby playground. Gather at his feet to listen and learn from the mysterious storyteller. He recounts tales of horror to his captive audience, each story darker and more sinister than the last. Drawing from traditional paper dramas, the stories weave myths, urban legends, and rumors from Japan’s long history of haunting tales.
Sources: Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai Official Twitter, TV Tokyo Official Website, Crunchyroll News