Capturing attention at Cannes, Mediawan Kids & Family debuted its new early-school anime series “Ki & Hi in the Panda Kingdom” at the MipJunior event on Saturday, receiving a warm reception from spectators filling the Debussy Theater.
This series is based on the well-known manga by popular French YouTuber Kevin Tran, who is also a co-producer and showrunner. The 52×11 format explores the day-to-day escapades of 10-year-old Ki and his lively six-year-old brother Hi. Their adventures play out in the fanciful Panda Kingdom, a colorful setting that marries the ordinary with the extraordinary, drawing both animals and humans into enchanting yet relatable experiences.
The characters’ specific ages align with the show’s intended audience, which Mediawan Kids & Family general manager and CCO Katell France describes as a “reliable market.”
“There’s a significant demand within that age bracket,” France relayed to Variety. “This market remains strong—despite some slowdowns. These children have a strong connection to animation and aren’t ready to transition to live-action yet.”
“We crafted the series with kids around seven or eight in mind,” she elaborated. “That’s when they start elementary school, developing individuality, assuming greater responsibilities, and managing minor disputes and challenges. The show encapsulates the daily lives of kids aged six to ten—school, home, family, sports, and everything in between.”
The series also reflects the growing international influence of anime and manga, alongside a broader industry movement to create and develop such content locally. Projects like “Ki & Hi in the Panda Kingdom” and the Paris-centered “My Life is a Manga”—which is currently entering production backed by 11 European public broadcasters—herald the emergence of a European Anime trend, fusing the vibrant visual aesthetics and character design of Japanese styles with narratives geared toward Western viewers.
“Kevin’s universe blends realism with the fantastical,” France explained. “This creates a whimsical aspect that’s less common in Japanese manga, which often leans toward being wholly fantastical or completely realistic.”
Tran’s fame and success—boasting nearly six million YouTube followers and over a million books sold—initially facilitated backing from Canal Plus in France and RTBF in Belgium. Nevertheless, Mediawan remains cautious in assuming similar recognition in global markets, preferring to focus on the narrative and visual appeal that originally drove Tran’s comic series to notable success in France.
“Most international buyers will perceive this as an original work,” France commented. “Yet the established IP certainly simplified the process; we quickly moved into production due to the immediate support from commissioning editors.”
The English version of the episode presented in Cannes was fast-paced, opening in medias res as the feuding brothers clashed, humorously illustrated by thick stink lines emanating from them after their shared Mother’s Day gift becomes a casualty of sibling rivalry. Their neighbor and ever-present mediator, Sha, steps in—though even she, a trusted ally to both, can only contain the brotherly chaos temporarily.
“We aimed to utilize conflict as a comedic element, creating a situation where humor arises organically,” remarked France. “The characters’ pranks and squabbles are depicted with both humor and heart, underpinning a unique connection between the brothers that intertwines conflict with camaraderie.”
Following the screening, series creator Kevin Tran shared similar sentiments, humorously expressing his confusion regarding the hybrid label referring to the series as “franime.”
“Who came up with this term?” he chuckled.
