Warner Bros. Unveils ‘Scooby-Doo! Gokko’ Anime Adaptation

UPDATE: We heard back from Warner Bros., and Scooby-Doo! Gokko won’t be a series, but rather a collection of shorts similar to the Tom & Jerry Gokko promotions linked in this article. The company also confirmed that the shorts are unrelated to Go-Go Mystery Machine, which is still in development, with news coming soon.

Warner Bros. continues to experiment with anime-inspired reinterpretations of its legacy IP, and they don’t come much bigger than the company’s next target. At a recent promotional event in Brazil, the studio revealed Scooby-Doo! Gokko, a new anime-style series of shorts centered on Scooby-Doo and Shaggy, slated for release in 2027.

The announcement, accompanied by some in-room images but nothing very detailed, emphasizes how aggressively Warner Bros. has courted anime fans over the past several years, extending its most valuable assets into new markets and seeking out new audiences. From original productions like The Suicide Squad Isekai to high-profile anime adaptations from its DC and catalog properties, the studio has not been shy about reimagining Western characters through a Japanese visual lens.

Scooby-Doo! Gokko follows that game plan, presenting the iconic duo in a “gokko” style, characterized by playful, chibi-like designs and simplified storytelling. The project is reminiscent of Tom & Jerry Gokko, a series of anime shorts that recasts animation’s most famous cat-and-mouse in a kawaii style.

While early details remain scarce, sources in Brazil have reported that the show’s focus appears to be more on Scooby and Shaggy than on the full Mystery Inc. ensemble.

The timing of the announcement has raised questions about Go-Go Mystery Machine, a separate anime project unveiled at Annecy 2024. That series proposed a more narrative-driven premise involving Japanese folklore, yokai, and new characters, including Scooby’s uncle. Since that reveal, however, the project has gone quiet, and Warner Bros. has not clarified whether Scooby-Doo! Gokko replaces or simply complements it. Here’s what WBD sent me back in 2024 about that project:

Go-Go Mystery Machine (Kids series, Cartoon Network)

Description: While visiting Japan on the ultimate foodie adventure, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo unwittingly unleash hundreds of mischievous mythical monsters that are now causing trouble all over the country. With the help of Scooby’s uncle, Daisuke-Doo, and magical friend Etsuko and gadget wiz Toshiro, Shaggy and Scooby have new mysteries to solve and monsters to catch!

Creative Talent: Francisco Paredes

Studio: Warner Bros. Animation

In any case, the new series reinforces Scooby-Doo’s remarkable adaptability and its place at the forefront of Warner Bros.’s catalog. The character has weathered decades of stylistic reinvention, some more popular than others, and an anime makeover feels like a natural evolution for the franchise.