Anpanman, the caped Japanese superhero with a pastry for a face, is flying over to North America. TMS Entertainment’s anime franchise has arrived on Tubi, Fox Entertainment’s ad-supported platform.
Tubi will start by streaming ten Anpanman films, the first of which, Apple Boy and Everyone’s Hope, is already available. The movies will play in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico, in English and Spanish dubs.
Anpanman is a defender of justice, and his head happens to be made out of a roll stuffed with sweet bean paste, known in Japan as an “anpan.” The character, who was created by Takashi Yanase, is omnipresent in his homeland, where he has starred in picture books, manga, the long-running anime series Soreike! Anpanman, and dozens of spin-off films, and adorned countless items of merchandise. (As someone who has taken an Anpanman-branded train in Japan, I can attest to his popularity in the country.)