TVKIDS
Led by EBU Television, at the initiative of France Télévisions, 11 public-service broadcasters have committed more than €60,000 to the development of the French series My Life is a Manga.
Produced by Blue Spirit Studios and Brain Comet (STUDIO TF1 companies), My Life is a Manga centers on a fan of the Japanese art form, who transforms her everyday experiences into anime-inspired adventures and brings them to life through her imagination. The co-production was chosen from over 75 projects presented at Cartoon Forum 2024.
The project is scheduled to be delivered in April 2026.
Participating broadcasters are VRT (Belgium), ARD/SWR (Germany), DR (Denmark), RTVE (Spain), Yle (Finland), France Télévisions (France), BBC (U.K.), RTÉ (Ireland), NRK (Norway), RTP (Portugal) and SVT (Sweden).
Matthew Trustram, head of television at the EBU, said: “The continued success of this initiative shows the strength of collaboration between public service broadcasters in supporting the producers of high-quality animation for young audiences. By working together, our Members are not only securing the future of European animation but also ensuring that young viewers across the continent have access to engaging, culturally diverse stories.”
Sylvie Mahé, producer at Blue Spirit, said: “We are thrilled to bring My Life is a Manga to life alongside our incredible partners. This project is a celebration of imagination, creativity, and the universal love for storytelling that transcends cultures. With the support of the EBU and its member broadcasters, we are excited to craft an animated series that will resonate with young audiences across Europe and beyond.”
Nicolas Monteiro, creator and producer at Brain Comet, said: “My Life is a Manga is a heartfelt tribute to the creativity and boundless imagination of young dreamers everywhere. We wanted to capture the magic of turning everyday moments into extraordinary, manga-style adventures, and with the support of the EBU and our co-producers, we can now bring this vision to a wider audience. We can’t wait for viewers to dive into Liya’s world and hopefully see a bit of themselves in her.”
Annick Maes, general director of Cartoon, said: “We are very pleased that Cartoon Forum is once again hosting this bold initiative, bringing together European public broadcasters and empowering European animation. Such initiatives help support projects secure funding, reach audiences and gain visibility. European cooperation is at the heart of this project.”
