Eleceed Anime 2026: Release Date, Studio, Chapter Progress

The Eleceed anime 2026 premiere window was confirmed by WEBTOON and LINE Digital Frontier in June 2025. DandeLion Animation Studio (the production house behind The First Slam Dunk) is handling it. Director Hiroshi Nishikiori, series composer Yōsuke Kuroda, Crunchyroll streaming. No specific air date confirmed.

Key Takeaways

• Eleceed anime 2026 announced June 30, 2025, by WEBTOON and LINE Digital Frontier
• DandeLion Animation Studio producing, behind The First Slam Dunk (2022) and Oscar-nominated Magic Candies
• Director Hiroshi Nishikiori; series composition Yōsuke Kuroda; character design Minami Sakura
• Crunchyroll confirmed for international streaming
• Source material: 400+ chapters, 1.42 billion global views, available in 10 languages on WEBTOON

What Happened

On June 30, 2025, WEBTOON and LINE Digital Frontier officially announced an anime adaptation of Eleceed, the action manhwa by Son Jeho (story) and Zhena (art). The announcement confirmed a 2026 premiere window, DandeLion Animation Studio as the production company, Hiroshi Nishikiori as director, Yosuke Kuroda as series composer, Minami Sakura as character designer, and Crunchyroll as the international streaming partner.

DandeLion Animation is the studio behind The First Slam Dunk (2022), a basketball anime film known for updating a decades-old source material with stylistic and structural confidence. Hiroshi Nishikiori has directed character-focused series including Aria the Animation and A Certain Scientific Railgun. Yosuke Kuroda's script credits include My Hero Academia and Gundam 00.

No specific air date or season window within 2026 was provided in the original announcement. As of May 2026, no further official updates have been released. The source manhwa has 400+ chapters on WEBTOON, with 1.42 billion global views across 10 languages, making it the most-read action series on the platform. The adaptation will cover at least the foundation arc (chapters 1-100), though the exact episode count and chapter coverage have not been confirmed.

Eleceed by Son Jeho and Zhena, the source manhwa for the 2026 anime adaptation.

Eleceed Anime 2026: The Production Team

Hiroshi Nishikiori (Aria the Animation, A Certain Scientific Railgun) has directed multiple long-running anime with a track record in character-focused series where tone matters as much as action. Yōsuke Kuroda's script credits include Gundam 00 and My Hero Academia, which is to say he's comfortable adapting action manga without losing the emotional beats underneath.

DandeLion is the name worth paying attention to. The studio made The First Slam Dunk, the 2022 film that took a 30-year-old basketball manga and turned it into one of the better sports anime productions in years. That film made stylistic and structural choices that worked because the studio wasn't playing it safe. I'm curious to see what they do with Eleceed's specific challenge.

Minami Sakura handles character designs. Zhena's source art is distinct enough that keeping those designs consistent across animation frames is a real challenge; Jiwoo and Kayden read well in still panels but are tricky to keep stable in motion.

The series has 1.42 billion views on WEBTOON across 10 language versions, making it the most-read action series the platform has. It runs WEBTOON-exclusive in English, with Fast Pass for early access. For where to read ahead of the Eleceed anime 2026 premiere, see where to read manhwa legally in 2026.

Why the Eleceed Anime 2026 Matters

Eleceed isn't the biggest manhwa getting adapted in 2026. Tomb Raider King has more crossover appeal with the regression-action crowd. But Eleceed does something different: it's structured around a character relationship, not a power climb. Jiwoo hides his combat ability from everyone. Kayden, stuck as a cat with the body mass of a house pet and the pride of someone who was once untouchable, can't do anything about his situation without Jiwoo's help.

For a breakdown of the Tomb Raider King anime's confirmed scope against its 411-chapter source, see Tomb Raider King Manhwa vs Anime: 11 Episodes, 411 Chapters.

For character breakdowns and team structure on the other 2026 adaptation: Tomb Raider King Character Guide.

That setup is genuinely funny in a way most action manhwa don't attempt. The 1.42 billion views come from competent action and a character dynamic that actually improves as both leads develop. That humor runs on timing: the gap between Kayden's internal voice (once the world's strongest Awakened) and his actual cat body (completely useless). Whether DandeLion can make that work in animation is the real question.

More manhwa are getting adapted in 2026 than in any previous year. The Tomb Raider King anime hits July. The Eleceed anime 2026 adds a second title to track. For readers who want to know what to read right now, the best manhwa of 2026 covers Eleceed alongside everything else worth your time.

Eleceed chapter count in 2026: where the manhwa stands now

The manhwa is at approximately chapter 402 as of May 2026. The series updates every Tuesday on WEBTOON in English: one chapter per week. The Korean Naver release is ahead of the English version by several chapters.

Rough arc breakdown by chapter:

• Ch 1-100: foundation arc (Jiwoo finds Kayden, enters the Korean Awakened world, first real opponent)
• Ch 101-250: Korean associations arc (Awakened politics, faction conflict, Kayden's past starts surfacing)
• Ch 251+: international arc (global Awakened structure, Jiwoo's power development accelerates)

If you're starting from chapter 1 in 2026, there are roughly 400 chapters before you reach the current weekly updates. WEBTOON's daily pass system releases one free chapter per day: catching up entirely free takes several months of daily reading. Fast Pass (Coins) unlocks the newest 3-6 chapters ahead of schedule.

For the full arc breakdown and what to expect at each phase: Eleceed Reading Guide →

Tower of God got a Netflix anime, one of the first manhwa adaptations to reach a wide Western audience.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Eleceed anime release date? No specific air date confirmed. The Eleceed anime 2026 premiere window was announced in June 2025. No season has been specified.

What studio is animating Eleceed? DandeLion Animation Studio (the production company behind The First Slam Dunk film).

Who is directing? Hiroshi Nishikiori directs. Yōsuke Kuroda writes the scripts. Minami Sakura designs the characters.

Where will the Eleceed anime 2026 stream? Crunchyroll has been confirmed as the international streaming platform.

How many chapters of Eleceed exist? 400+ chapters across multiple story parts, updating weekly on WEBTOON.

Is Eleceed ongoing? Yes. The series is still publishing new chapters on WEBTOON every Tuesday.

Related Reading

• Eleceed Review: Full series review covering Kayden's fighting style and the series' comedy balance.
• Eleceed Reading Guide: Arc breakdown of the school-action series and where the power escalation starts.
• Best Manhwa Ongoing 2026: Other ongoing series with active anime adaptation announcements in 2026.

References

• WEBTOON / LINE Digital Frontier official announcement, June 30, 2025
• Eleceed on WEBTOON
• AniList: Eleceed manga entry
• The First Slam Dunk (DandeLion reference): Toei Animation film, 2022