Netflix Sets 2026 Anime Push With Kyoto Animation’s Sparks of Tomorrow and BAKI-DOU

Netflix unveils two major anime releases for 2026, spanning poetic sci-fi and brutal martial arts. / Netflix

Netflix is doubling down on anime in 2026, unveiling a striking new original series from Kyoto Animation alongside a long-awaited continuation of one of its most ferocious franchises.

Leading the announcement is Sparks of Tomorrow, a brand-new anime from Kyoto Animation set to premiere globally on Netflix in July 2026. The series represents a notable evolution for the studio, leaning into impressionistic visuals, expressive character animation and a richly imagined alternate history. Set in a smoke-choked version of early 20th-century Kyoto where steam power reshaped technological progress, the story follows two young souls bound by loss and unrealized dreams. A boy hardened by grief and a devout girl carrying unspoken regrets cross paths and become obsessed with a mysterious “20th Century Electrical Catalog” — a tantalizing vision of a future that was never meant to arrive. What begins as curiosity grows into a quiet revolution as the pair confront their pasts and challenge the era they were born into.

Based on Hiro Yuki’s 20 Seiki Denki Mokuroku, Sparks of Tomorrow is directed by Minoru Ota, with series composition by Tatsuhiko Urahata and character designs by Kohei Okamura. Kyoto Animation’s signature craftsmanship is on full display here, signaling a more experimental, emotionally driven chapter for the studio.

Anime Series Sparks of Tomorrow

Based on: “20 Seiki Denki Mokuroku” by Hiro Yuki (published by KA Esuma Bunko / Kyoto Animation)

Director: Minoru Ota

Series Composition: Tatsuhiko Urahata

Character Design/Chief Animation Director: Kohei Okamura

World Building: Takaaki Suzuki

Music: Hitomi Koto

Animation Production: Kyoto Animation

Cast: Yuma Uchida (Kihachi Sakamoto), Sora Amamiya (Inako Momokawa)

On the opposite end of the tonal spectrum, Netflix also confirmed that BAKI-DOU: The Invincible Samurai will premiere February 26, 2026. Picking up after the explosive father-son showdown that defined the previous arc, the new series finds Baki Hanma and the world’s most dangerous fighters facing an unexpected problem: boredom. With no worthy opponents left standing, the underground fighting world turns to the unthinkable — resurrecting Musashi Miyamoto, the greatest samurai in Japanese history. The result is a brutal collision of eras, philosophy and raw physical dominance as modern combat meets ancient mastery.

Netflix announces Sparks of Tomorrow and BAKI-DOU anime series for 2026.

Produced by TMS Entertainment, BAKI-DOU continues the franchise’s tradition of unapologetic excess, bone-crushing action and mythic bravado. Directed by Toshiki Hirano, with series composition by Tatsuhiko Urahata, the new arc brings back a stacked voice cast led by Nobunaga Shimazaki as Baki and Akio Otsuka as Yujiro Hanma, alongside the introduction of Musashi Miyamoto into the modern arena.

Together, Sparks of Tomorrow and BAKI-DOU: The Invincible Samurai highlight Netflix’s increasingly wide anime net — from quiet, smoke-filled dreams of revolution to thunderous clashes of fists and steel. Whether you’re drawn to poetic world-building or maximalist combat, 2026 is shaping up to be a major year for anime on the platform.

Director: Toshiki Hirano

Series Composition: Tatsuhiko Urahata

Character Design: Shingo Ishikawa

Prop Design: Yashuhiro Moriki, Masahiro Sugiyama

Background Supervisors: Seiko Akashi, Sachiko Kegasawa

Background Artist: Seiko Akashi

Color Design: Hiromi Miyawaki

Compositing Director: Tatsuo Noguchi

Editor: Yuriko Sano

Sound Director: Yasuyuki Urakami

Sound Production: AUDIO PLANNING U

Sound Effects: Masahiro Shoji (Fizz Sound Creation)

Music: Kenji Fujisawa (Team-MAX)

Animation Production: TMS ENTERTAINMENT

Production: BAKI-DOU Production Committee

Cast: Nobunaga Shimazaki (Baki Hanma), Akio Otsuka (Yujiro Hanma), Naoya Uchida (Musashi Miyamoto), Rikiya Koyama (Sea King Retsu), Takuya Eguchi (Kaoru Hanayama), Takayuki Sugo (Doppo Orochi), Yoshihisa Kawahara (Katsumi Orochi), Bin Shimada (Goki Shibukawa), Kenta Miyake (Jack Hammer), Tetsuo Kanao (Jack Horner), Jin Domon (Hitoshi Nonomura), Kenichi Ogata (Sea Emperor Kaku), Tatsuhisa Suzuki (Chiharu Shiba), Ken Narita (Kureha Shinogi), Ayumu Murase (Gaia), Toru Furuya (Narration)