A teaser trailer, key visual, and main Japanese language dub cast have been revealed for the Paws & Palaces donghua series.
The 16-episode Chinese animated series was released in China from December 2025 to March 2026 under the title Zi Jin: Yu Miao Fang.
The series’ official website also unveiled character visuals and the main Japanese dub voice cast, which include:
- • Kazuki Ura as Soubi
- • Makoto Furukawa as Oboi
- • Sora Amamiya as Heian
- • Takeo Otsuka as Zeze
- • Kentaro Tone as Rohan
- • Hikaru Tono as Momo
The donghua adaptation is based on the 2020 Forbidden City: Cat Imperial Study manhua webcomic series by A’Nan and Daitu. Colored Pencil Animation handled the animation production.
IQIYI is streaming the Paws & Palaces animated series and describes the main synopsis 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), Official Website, Crunchyroll News
