Iruma-kun: If Episode of Mafia anime premieres January 4 on NHK General with 12 episodes

I have been waiting for this one since the spinoff was first confirmed back in February, and now it finally has a firm date. The official site for Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun: If Episode of Mafia announced today that the TV anime starts on Monday, January 4, 2027 at 11:00 p.m. JST on NHK General, and that it will run for 12 episodes. A new main visual went up alongside the news.

What the show is

This is the alternate-world spinoff drawn by hiro-ja, based on Osamu Nishi's original series. Instead of a demon school, Iruma grows up in a rough city slum, a kid so kind he gives away his last scrap of food. When he saves a badly hurt old man who turns out to be Don Sullivan, boss of the Babyl crime family, he ends up adopted as the Don's grandson and heir. It is pitched as an action comedy, but with a noticeably darker, more grown-up mood than the main show.

Familiar voices, different world

The cast is a treat for long-time fans, because the regulars come straight back in their new roles:

• Ayumu Murase as Iruma
• Mitsuki Saiga as Opera
• Daisuke Ono as Naberius Callego
• Ryōhei Kimura as Asmodeus Alice
• Ayaka Asai as Valac Clara
• Saori Hayami as Ameri

Keiichirō Kawaguchi directs, Kazuyuki Fudeyasu handles series composition, Kenji Fujisaki designs the characters, and Tatsunoko Production is animating, with NHK Enterprises producing.

My take

What I like most is that the new key visual leans into the noir side, with the gang walking down a staircase in a way that feels nothing like the bright school days of the main series. A tight 12-episode run seems like the right size for a what-if story. January just got a lot more interesting for me.

You can follow updates on the official site and keep track of the show on its anime.day page.