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Dive into the universe of the animated series “Welsh & Shedar”: discover its release date, the first images, the captivating plots, the season’s funding, the number of episodes, and the casting. Here is everything you need to know about this series.
Historically, the Welsh & Shedar project was initiated in 2012 by Ankama’s Japanese studio, in collaboration with talents like Masaaki Yuasa and Eunyoung Choi, but it was abandoned due to difficulties with Japanese partners and the closure of this studio.
Release Date: When will Welsh & Shedar be released?
To date, the exact release date of Welsh & Shedar has not yet been officially confirmed. However, recent announcements on X suggest that the first episode could be presented as early as June 2025, potentially at the Annecy Festival, at the same time as season 5 of Wakfu. Other sources mention a release scheduled for late 2025. This information should be taken with caution, as it comes from unofficial sources and could change. Ankama has not yet published a definitive statement. Historically, Welsh & Shedar was a project abandoned in 2012, but it seems to have been recently revived, which adds some uncertainty to the final schedule. For a precise confirmation, we will have to wait for an official announcement from Ankama.
However, according to the latest news brief from Ankama Animations, the studio aims to release one series per year. This year would be the year of Osamodas with the series Bestiale on ADN and another student mini-project “Morshiken,” an original and irreverent series intended for YouTube. This makes a release of Welsh & Shedar in 2025 unlikely. Indeed, Ankama Animations announced, in a Facebook post published at the beginning of the year, that the Welsh & Shedar series would be their “flagship project” for 2026. A comment (since deleted) published by Ankama Animations under a YouTube short dedicated to the Annecy festival answered a question about the release dates of their projects. This comment indicated that Welsh and Shedar is scheduled for the second half of 2026.
Trailer: The first images of Welsh & Shedar
To date, no official trailer or new unpublished images of Welsh & Shedar have been recently published by Ankama. However, there is a video dating from 2014, uploaded on YouTube under the title “Welsh & Shedar – Ankama Animations Project,” which presents a trailer of a project launched in 2012. This short excerpt shows the first animated images: we see Welsh, a young boy, in a medieval fantasy universe inspired by the Krosmoz, with urban landscapes and dynamic action scenes. The artistic direction recalls Ankama’s distinctive style, with vibrant colors and angular designs.
This trailer is from a pilot episode made at the time when the project was still in development, before its initial abandonment. Although Welsh & Shedar has been recently revived, no new trailer has been published yet. However, the spectators of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2025 had the opportunity to watch the first episode of the series. The images present a visual style that immediately evokes Japanese anime, which is not surprising for a Franco-Japanese series. During the Annecy conference, part of the team from the Japanese studio Massket was present, marking their first collaboration, without more information being available on the studio’s official website. The Japanese studio Massket has mainly worked on animation projects, including the anime adaptation of Kādo Kyaputā Sakura (Cardcaptor Sakura) and Hunter × Hunter. They have also contributed to various other anime as subcontractors. The style is characterized by well-defined lines and vibrant colors. The characters and settings are drawn with varied details, sometimes simple and stylized, sometimes more elaborate with shadows and lighting effects to give depth. The Unification site explains the choice of 2D Japanese animation by Ankama: “[…] it is 2D that was chosen because of its visual qualities and the fact that it will age less quickly. […]”.
The visual style incorporates elements inspired by French northern culture and French gastronomy, which posed challenges for the Japanese team, unfamiliar with these references. According to Unification France, the Japanese animators found French recipes “strange,” which required adjustments to make the visual accessible while maintaining a strong cultural identity.
Some comments, notably on forums like jeuxvideo.com, express disappointment regarding the evolution of the artistic direction compared to the 2014 pilot. One user mentions that the new artistic direction is “generic” and “can be found by the hundreds in Japanese anime,” contrasting with the initial trailer which seemed more unique and ambitious. Given that the series is still in development, the criticisms are based on limited excerpts shown at Annecy. A new trailer could bring more feedback, but for now, opinions remain divided between admiration for the rendering and regret for the loss of a unique identity.
Plots: What to expect with Welsh & Shedar?
Regarding the plots of Welsh & Shedar, it is possible to get a general idea based on the available information, although the project remains shrouded in some uncertainty, especially since it was abandoned in 2012 before being recently revived. Here is what we can expect according to the known elements and recent announcements. However, it is important to note that the elements of the synopsis released at the time may have evolved, as some elements were reused for the film Dofus released in 2016. Moreover, Ankama does not recycle the same story twice across its different media, so the synopsis must no longer be the same.
The story centers on Welsh, a young boy who suddenly finds himself thrust into a struggle for a legacy he knew nothing about: the throne of the Kingdom of Bonta, one of the emblematic cities of the Krosmoz, the shared universe of Ankama’s works. This premise suggests an initiatory quest where Welsh will likely have to face personal and external challenges to claim his place.
The story could span several decades, as initially envisioned, exploring Welsh’s evolution and the political or mystical stakes around the throne. We can also expect connections with the Krosmoz. Chronologically placed before Wakfu but after the Dofus trilogy, Welsh & Shedar could include immortal characters or references linking the different eras, such as Joris Jurgen, already present in other works. The influence of the Miyazaki style, often evoked by fans for the design and atmosphere, could translate into strong emotional plots, with themes like courage, responsibility, and self-discovery, in a world where magic and fantastical creatures play a key role.
That said, the exact tone remains uncertain. Originally, the project was retooled by France Télévisions in 2012 for its plot deemed too heavy, in favor of lighter content. With this revival, Ankama seems to want to return to an ambitious vision, perhaps more mature or daring, especially with a potential release outside traditional television constraints. It remains to be seen whether the series will keep an accessible approach or dare a darker and more complex narrative.
Ankama’s Animation site was updated at the beginning of June, in parallel with the Annecy Festival, and offers us a new synopsis:
“Zabelle Sheran Sharm, Queen of Bonta and guardian of the Ebony Dofus, dreams of unifying the nations of the World of Twelve. But her tyrannical reign and her thirst for power plunge the lands into misery. A prophecy, uttered by her son Shedar, announces her fall, predicting that a boy with azure blue eyes will put an end to her power.”
“This boy is Welsh, a young cook from Brassica. His life changes the day a black dragon, Asalar, attacks his village. To save his world, Welsh has no choice but to find the Ivory Dofus, the only artifact capable of defeating Zabelle. Accompanied by his faithful friend Béchamel and the adventurers Joris and Khan Karkass, Welsh discovers his true origins and embraces his destiny as a hero. Together, they will face unsuspected dangers to free the World of Twelve from Zabelle’s grip.”
The first episode of “Welsh & Shedar,” presented during a conference at the Annecy Festival 2025, skillfully intertwines two distinct narratives: an epic centered on Queen Zabelle Sheran Sharm and her son Shedar, and scenes of daily life featuring Welsh and Mama:
In the year 490 of the Krosmic calendar, Zabel, sovereign of Bonta and Amakna, aspires to unify the world under her reign with the help of the Ebony Dofus. During a meal, Shedar, still inexperienced in the art of combat, expresses his anxiety about the impending war, but Zabel urges him to be more courageous. Despite the difficult conditions and Shedar’s fears, Zabel remains confident and wins a duel against Barak Zar, thus seizing the Purple Dofus. Shedar, troubled by a vision of a white dragon named Dardondakal, discovers the existence of a legitimate heir of Bonta destined to end Zabel’s reign. Zabel dismisses this vision as a mere dream due to fatigue, but Shedar remains disturbed. Later, a conversation between Zabel and a character named Asalar reveals that Dardondakal represents a threat, a dragon capable of challenging Zabel. Asalar, loyal to Zabel, agrees to go to Brassica to find this child, despite an illness that weakens him. This part of the plot deepens the mysteries around the Dofus, the dragons, and the tensions between Shedar and his mother, laying the groundwork for a future conflict.
Meanwhile, lighter scenes show Welsh and Mama preparing mushroom pies, with familial and humorous interactions. The scene is punctuated by the antics of a cat named Mou (Nico in Japanese?), who disrupts Welsh. Mama teases Welsh about a possible romance with Béchamel, which embarrasses him, especially when customers joke about their “couple.”
Episode 1 of “Welsh and Shedar” thus seems to alternate between two tones: an epic centered on Shedar, Zabel, and the Dofus, with stakes of power, betrayal, and prophetic visions, and more down-to-earth scenes featuring Welsh, Mama, and their daily life around cooking and the market. These two narratives could well intersect in the future, perhaps around the village of Brassica.
The Unification site, which attended the screening and the Q&A session at the Annecy festival, confirms nevertheless that “[…] it will not be necessary to know [DOFUS] to understand the work. Fans from the early days will just have a little bonus. […]” and adds “[…] The humor is also very different between the two cultures. Ankama is known for its devastating and often ironic humor. This last point is quite difficult to explain to the Japanese. Tot sometimes has a bit of trouble making himself understood. […]”.
How many episodes for the season?
For Welsh & Shedar, the planned season will have 12 episodes of 26 minutes. Ankama seems to have chosen this format as part of its collaboration with Japanese partners for this revival of the project. To date, there is no indication of change or extension beyond these 12 episodes for this first season, but this could evolve depending on the success and future announcements.
What casting for Welsh & Shedar?
To date, no official information concerning the casting of Welsh & Shedar has been revealed by Ankama. As the series is still in the production phase, with a first presentation of the first episode at the Annecy Festival, details on the voices or actors involved remain unavailable. The first episode broadcast is entirely dubbed in Japanese with subtitles in French and English. Having little experience with Japanese voices, I was unable to identify the actors, but this should arrive soon.
Where will the series be broadcast?
Tot also explained Ankama’s ambition to release one series per year, sometimes on France Télévisions, sometimes on ADN, or even on YouTube. This gives an idea of the possible platforms, but none is specifically attributed to “Welsh & Shedar.”
Given the new style of the series, it could follow the same path as Radiant, another Ankama series. Adapted from a French manga by Tony Valente and produced by Studio Lerche (Japan), Radiant made history in Japanese animation by being the first French comic adapted and broadcast in Japan (NHK). The series was accessible via streaming platforms like Crunchyroll, Animation Digital Network (ADN), and Netflix, although the latter may no longer be available. It was also broadcast on television on J-One and Game One in France. Internationally, Radiant was mainly available on Crunchyroll and Netflix, with licenses that could vary depending on the countries and periods. Today, a broadcast on ADN would be conceivable due to the recent links between Ankama and the platform. On the other hand, it is unlikely that France Télévisions will broadcast the anime, at least on Okoo.
In the video about the Annecy festival’s review, Tot mentions having aroused great interest from historical partners, as well as from professionals with whom the studio had never collaborated before.
The title of the series will also be adapted depending on the country of broadcast. In France, it should keep its original name, referring to the Nordic dish Welsh, made with melted cheddar. According to the tweet from the Japanese studio producer Widad Noureddine, as well as the confirmation from one of our readers (LudoUMinoris) by a person present at the conference, the name “Aoki Densho” will be the title of the series in Japan. It can be translated into French as “Blue Legend.” “Aoki” (青木) literally means “blue tree” or “blue,” and “Densho” (伝承) translates to “legend,” “tradition,” or “chronicle” (cf. Google Gemini).
Stay tuned for more news about the series Welsh & Shedar. The article will be regularly updated with the latest information. Feel free to share your reactions in the comments!
On Friday, June 20, we shared screenshots and a video of the series on our social media. These images were part of the elements available via the Oklast platform, which was open to everyone. Ankama has since closed its site and may reopen it more securely. This is what is called an "information leak." Sometimes, information can be published by mistake on official sites or social media. At the studio's request, the elements were removed.