The highly anticipated original anime series, Turkey! -Time to Strike-, made its season premiere in July 2025, offering viewers a unique blend of high school bowling drama and unexpected time travel. Animated by Tatsunoko Production’s Bakken Record label and produced by Pony Canyon, the show is set in the city of Chikuma, Nagano, Japan.
What is Turkey! -Time to Strike- About?
The series centers on the Ikkokukan High School bowling club, which comprises five distinct members: the leader Mai Otonashi, first-year student Rina Godai, the easily flustered Sayuri Ichinose, the stylish Nozomi Mitaka, and the studious Nanase Nikaidō. The plot kicks off with Rina’s frustration over the club’s consistent losses and her intention to quit, which would jeopardize the club’s existence by reducing its members below the school’s required limit.
A pivotal moment occurs during a one-on-one bowling match between Rina and Mai. A lightning storm strikes a nearby construction site, hitting an artifact that releases a magic spell. This spell affects Mai’s bowling ball, dragging her and the other club members, who attempt to stop her, through a lane and into a mysterious time-traveling journey. The series is described as a “mysterious, precious, bittersweet, and irreplaceable” story that transcends simple fun, chronicling the team’s struggles, falls, and resurgence in pursuit of victory.
Key Characters and Voice Cast
The main cast bringing these characters to life includes:
- Mai Otonashi: Voiced by Hana Hishikawa. Mai is the captain of the Ikkokukan High School Bowling Club, known as a “genius who can’t win a match.” Despite scoring “Turkeys” (three consecutive strikes), she consistently follows them with an “unbeatable split” known as “Snake Eyes.”
- Rina Godai: Voiced by Kana Ichinose. Rina is a first-year student and becomes fed up with the club’s losing streak, initially planning to quit.
- Sayuri Ichinose: Voiced by Haruki Iwata.
- Nozomi Mitaka: Voiced by Yuki Tenma.
- Nanase Nikaidō: Voiced by Ayasa Ito. Nanase expresses concern about the “butterfly effect” due to their time travel.
Production and Release Details
The anime is directed by Susumu Kudo, with Naomi Hiruta handling the scripts. Airi Takekawa is responsible for character design and serves as chief animation director, while Yuki Hayashi composed the music. Pony Canyon produced the music.
Turkey! -Time to Strike- premiered on July 9, 2025, in Japan on Nippon TV’s AnichU programming block, as well as BS NTV and TSB. For international audiences, the series is available for streaming on Crunchyroll. The opening theme song, “Hyakunichisou,” is performed by the five main cast members under the moniker “Ikkokukan High School Bowling Club, Nagano Prefecture.” The ending theme song is “Moshimo,” performed by Taiyō to Odore, Tsukiyo ni Utae.
The first season is slated to have 12 episodes, each approximately 23 minutes long, with new episodes releasing weekly.
