Bananya Turns 10 With a New Mobile Game and Anime Special Coming This Summer

Bananya is hitting its 10th anniversary in style — Crunchyroll and TMS are marking the occasion with a new mobile game called Bananya Buddies and a brand-new anime special, both arriving this summer.

Bananya Buddies launches exclusively on Crunchyroll Game Vault and is developed by independent studio The MIX. It will be the first original game on the platform, joining nearly 100 existing titles available to Mega and Ultimate Fan tier members. The game is set on Bananya Planet and revolves around mini-games, earning rewards, and building relationships with your Bananyas — progressing from Buddy Points to Best Buddies to Best Buddies Forever status, each tier unlocking new perks including a sleepover. Pre-registration is open now on Google Play, with iOS sign-ups coming soon. The Bananya 10th Anniversary Anime Special premieres at Anime Expo on July 4 — exactly a decade after the first episode aired on July 4, 2016 — then hits Crunchyroll on July 9. The special features an all-star voice cast: Atsumi Tanezaki (SPY x Family) as Stray Banana, Yuina Ito (Zundamon) as Little Bananya, and Toshiyuki Morikawa (Naruto) as Tall Bananya. A new theme song, Nyanderful nyanderland performed by TAMAchan and voiced by Yuki Kaji as Bananya, accompanies the release.

Bananya originally launched in 2016 as a short-form anime about cats living inside bananas — a simple, absurdist premise that built a dedicated fanbase over the years. The franchise has since expanded with follow-up series including Bananya and the Curious Bunch and Bananya Around the World, both available to stream on Crunchyroll alongside the original.

Crunchyroll has confirmed more anniversary content is on the way, including additional event announcements, merchandise, and celebratory projects to be revealed later.