Soreike! Anpanman is one of the longest-running animated shows on Earth, debuting in Japan way back in 1988. And since 1988, the anime has retained the same opening sequence, which seemingly never ages. However, after over 20 years, it will have a new OP sequence, which debuts this Friday, with the anime;s 1472nd episode.

The anime’s director, Akinori Nagaoka, also directed this new OP sequence, which would only be the 2nd opening sequence for such a long-running series. The new OP evokes Anpanman’s creator ang mangaka, Takashi Yanase, as it includes the “Yanase Usagi” character.

However, one thing that’s not changing is the anime’s OP song. “Anpanman no March” by Dreaming will remain as the anime’s OP song, as it did since it debuted in 1988.

Anpanman is a beloved character in Japan, and has inspired countless people in Japan to get into animation or manga. It has remained one of the longest running series in history, rivaling Doraemon, Sazae-san (which is celebrating its 50th anniversary), and many others. It’s so old that it’s even older than many of the people reading this article, and has more episodes than ONE PIECE.

source: Comic Natalie