Paws & Palaces Reveals New Visual, Trailer & Additional Cast Members

A new key visual, main trailer, and seven additional voice cast members have been revealed for the upcoming Japanese-language dub of the Paws & Palaces donghua series.

The first four episodes of the Chinese animated series will debut in Japan on October 10, 2026, with the remaining episodes to broadcast weekly in the country on October 14, 2026.  

The new Japanese voice cast members include: 

• • Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Bantsu 
• • M・A・O as Princess Maki 
• • Makoto Koichi as Taishi 
• • Shinnosuke Tachibana as Ubyo 
• • Masahiro Yamanaka as Emperor Chenghua 
• • Genta Nakamura as Ryosho 
• • Sho Hayami as Black Owl 

They join a previously announced Japanese-language dub cast that will star: 

• • Kazuki Ura as Soubi 
• • Makoto Furukawa as Oboi 
• • Sora Amamiya as Heian 
• • Takeo Otsuka as Zeze
• • Kentaro Tone as Rohan
• • Hikaru Tono as Momo

Singer-songwriter Riko Azuna will also perform the new opening and ending themes for the Japanese version of the series, which have no titles as of the time of writing. 

The 16-episode donghua series was released in China from December 2025 to March 2026 under the title Zi Jin: Yu Miao Fang. Colored Pencil Animation was in charge of the animation production.  

The animated adaptation is based on the 2020 Forbidden City: Cat Imperial Study manhua webcomic series by A’Nan and Daitu. 

IQIYI is streaming Paws & Palaces and describes the series as: 

In the storied, culturally rich Forbidden City, many adorable palace cats live what humans imagine to be an enviably carefree life. But among them, six imperial cats are anything but ordinary—they carry the sacred mission of protecting the memories of cultural relics, known as “Wuhua.” These six guardians can enter the world of Wuhua, where they repeatedly confront and defeat the destructive force known as Black Owl, restoring order each time and safeguarding the relics’ histories. The team includes Lubang and Meme from the Civil Division, and Shuangmei, Aobai, Ping’an, and Xiaozi from the Martial Division. Brave, clever, and seamlessly cooperative, they form the elite unit dedicated to defending China’s national treasures—the Imperial Feline Guardians of the Forbidden City. 

Sources: Paws & Palaces Official X/Twitter (2) (3), official series website, Crunchyroll News