Scooby-Doo Anime Series ‘Yokoso Scooby-Doo!’ Lands at Tubi

Scooby-Doo is going anime — and the gang’s heading to Japan. Tubi has officially landed Yokoso Scooby-Doo!, the first original anime series in the franchise’s more than 50-year history, with Frank Welker and Matthew Lillard set to reprise their iconic roles as Scooby and Shaggy.

The series, produced by Warner Bros. Animation, will stream exclusively on Tubi in the United States, while Cartoon Network will carry it internationally. A release date hasn’t been announced yet, but the first look images are already doing plenty of heavy lifting — this is unmistakably Scooby-Doo, just rendered in the bold, expressive style of anime.

“Yokoso” is the Japanese word for “welcome,” and the title feels intentional: this isn’t a reboot or a reset, it’s an invitation into a whole new world for characters fans have loved since 1969.

What the Show Is Actually About

The premise is exactly the kind of chaotic fun the franchise has always delivered, just with a fresh setting. Per the official logline: “While visiting Japan on the ultimate foodie adventure, Scooby-Doo and Shaggy unwittingly unleash hundreds of mythical monsters that are causing trouble across the country. With the help of Scooby’s uncle, Daisuke-Doo, along with new friends — magical girl Yume and gadget whiz Takumi — the group embarks on an all-new mystery filled with monster chasing and fun chaos.”

Yes, Scooby has an uncle named Daisuke-Doo, and honestly, that alone has us sold. The new characters — a magical girl and a gadget expert — feel like a natural fit for both the anime format and the franchise’s long tradition of adding quirky allies to the mix. It’s worth pointing out this isn’t actually the first time Scooby and Shaggy have visited Japan — the 2009 direct-to-video film Scooby-Doo! and the Samurai Sword went there too — but this is the first time the franchise has fully committed to the anime format for a series.

Behind the camera, the series will be directed by Itsuro Kawasaki, with Francisco Paredes serving as co-producer. Animation production is being handled by OLM in Japan — the studio responsible for Pokémon, Beyblade Burst, and Komi Can’t Communicate, among others. That’s a serious pedigree, and it signals Warner Bros. isn’t treating this as a novelty project.

The Voices Behind Scooby and Shaggy

Welker and Lillard are the heart of this announcement. Welker has been part of the Scooby-Doo universe from the very beginning — he voiced Fred Jones when Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! premiered in 1969, and has been the voice of Scooby-Doo himself for over two decades. Lillard, meanwhile, famously brought Shaggy to life in the live-action Scooby-Doo films before transitioning to the animated series, and his version of the character has become definitive for a whole generation of fans. He’s also been busy lately, appearing in Daredevil: Born Again and voicing Superman: Man of Tomorrow.

Casting for the new Japanese characters — Daisuke-Doo, Yume, and Takumi — hasn’t been announced yet.

What the Studios Are Saying

Both Warner Bros. and Tubi are clearly excited about this one. Sam Register, President of Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios, and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe, framed it as a genuine creative leap: “Welcome to Mystery Inc., Tubi! We’re excited to partner on this next chapter as we push the Scooby-Doo franchise forward with its first-ever original anime series. Alongside the amazing artists at OLM, we’ll unmask a new batch of mysteries, signature hijinks, and — of course — plenty of Scooby Snacks, all brought to life through the dynamic artistry of anime.”

Tubi chief content officer Adam Lewinson positioned the acquisition as a statement about where the free streamer is heading with its animation slate. “Scooby-Doo is one of the most beloved franchises in entertainment, and Yokoso Scooby-Doo! lets us reinvent it in a way fans haven’t seen before,” he said. “By bringing Scooby and Shaggy into a bold anime world set in Japan, we’re connecting with global fandoms and delivering the kind of fun, chaotic mystery that travels across generations. As we grow our animation slate, this is exactly our brand of fan-first storytelling — familiar, surprising, and unmistakably Tubi.”

The Tubi deal is also notable in the broader context of where Warner Bros. Discovery’s animation output is landing these days. On the same day this announcement dropped, Disney+ and Hulu announced the premiere date for Adventure Time: Side Quests — another Cartoon Network Studios production heading to a competing platform. The landscape is shifting, and beloved legacy properties are clearly part of the strategy.

Yokoso Scooby-Doo! isn’t the only Scooby-Doo project in the pipeline, either. Netflix began filming Scooby-Doo: Origins — a live-action series exploring how Mystery Inc. first came together — back in April. Between the two projects, the franchise is having a genuine moment.

No premiere date yet, but with first-look images out and the full creative team in place, Yokoso Scooby-Doo! feels close. Zoinks, indeed.