Welcome to Japari Park (2018 ONA)

Welcome to Japari Park is an original net animation set after the events of the original Kemono Friends mobile game produced in collaboration with Nexon. The plot of the ONA mirrors that of the Nexon game, and serves as a retelling of the events. Crunchyroll picked up the series for streaming under the title "Welcome to the JAPARI PARK".

The anime has had sporadic release periods compared to the main Kemono Friends series. At the end of episode 11, it was announced that episode 12 would premiere on April 15, 2019, a few months after the premiere of Kemono Friends (Season 2). After the release of episode 24 on October 14, 2019, the status of the anime was unknown until the Spring 2020 anime season. Episode 25 was suddenly released as the start of the second season on April 15, 2020.

Plot
During the reconstruction of Japari Park, Park Guide Mirai and Friend Serval host a video record of their previous adventures for park guests. Mirai, Serval, and Caracal travled through the various areas of Japari Park after Serval gets a mysterious pendant that helps Friends fight against the Celliens who have invaded Japari Park. The group also searched for a mysterious Cellien who looks like Serval.

The plot is largely based on the original story missions from the Nexon game. A Lucky Beast with the registration number 2021LB-1 features prominently in the intro and credits for the series. It projects the main episodes on the walls of the storage room it's sitting in. The state of said room changes as the series goes on, tying into the later abandonment of the park.

All episodes open with a disclaimer stating "This program was reconstructed based on the record of JAPARIPARK. It may differ from other records in terms of audio, video, chronology, etc. Please watch this program on your understanding." This indicates that the program is based on the original mobile game, not the other titles that came after it that viewers would be more familiar with.

Differences with Nexon Version

 * Friends dialogues especially the savage one such as when Mimi insulting Toki about that she is the world's number one and the only champion of tone-deafness, has been drastically toned down from original Nexon.
 * Friends no longer making fun of the others who was suffer or being attacked by Cellien.
 * Some Friends in original Nexon don't take Cellien as a serious threat while in ONA version all Friends considers Cellien as serious threat.
 * Celliens comedic moments in original Nexon version such as waiting Friends finishing their sentences before attacking them or being mixed as one of prize rewards from Sky Race are completely removed.
 * White Rhino and Black Rhino's backgrounds differ from the Nexon game; White Rhino says that their princess-and-knight dynamic is them playing pretend instead of it being Black Rhino calling White Rhino princess due to saving her from a big Cellien.
 * In Nexon Superb Lyrebird is the one who acted as the referee during Sky Race while in ONA version the role was taken by Rock Dove instead.
 * The friends who acted as luggage inside a gondola that must be carried by the participants of the Sky Race at Hotoku Region in Nexon version are completely absent in ONA version.
 * In original Nexon, White Rhino reunited with Black Rhino at Waterfront Area in Nakabe Region and fight against the big black Cellien that was powering the barrier at Kemono Castle while in ONA version they reunited with each other in Park Central and fight normal black Cellien.

Season 1

 * Episode 1
 * Episode 2
 * Episode 3
 * Episode 4
 * Episode 5
 * Episode 6
 * Episode 7
 * Episode 8
 * Episode 9
 * Episode 10
 * Episode 11
 * Episode 12
 * Episode 13
 * Episode 14
 * Episode 15
 * Episode 16
 * Episode 17
 * Episode 18
 * Episode 19
 * Episode 20
 * Episode 21
 * Episode 22
 * Episode 23
 * Episode 24

Season 2

 * Episode 25
 * Episode 26
 * Episode 27
 * Episode 28
 * Episode 29
 * Episode 30
 * Episode 31
 * Episode 32
 * Episode 33
 * Episode 34
 * Episode 35
 * Episode 36

Cast

 * Lucky Beast: Aya Uchida
 * Mirai: Aya Uchida
 * Serval: Ai Nonaka
 * Caracal: Ryo Hi
 * Cellval: Ai Nonaka
 * Toki: Haruka Terui
 * Northern White-Faced Owl: Yukei Saito
 * Eurasian Eagle Owl: Hitomi Owada
 * Silver Fox: Ryoko Shiraishi
 * Arabian Oryx: Akemi Kanda
 * Thompson's Gazelle: Masumi Asano
 * Raccoon: Naomi Ozora
 * Fennec Fox: Yukiyo Fujii
 * White Rhinoceros: Ryoko Shiraishi
 * Black Rhinoceros: Naomi Ozora
 * Northern Goshawk: Yukei Saito
 * Bald Eagle: Ryoko Shiraishi
 * Rock Dove: Sayuri Yahagi
 * Margay: Haruka Terui
 * Kako: Kikuko Inoue
 * Park staff: Mashiro Yagi, Madoka Suga , Rufu Nemoto
 * Narration: Yuka Ozaki (Episode 1-4), Kana Motomiya (Episode 5-8), Saki Ono (Episode 9-12)

Trivia

 * Because this ONA retelling the story of KF Nexon, all friends who appeared in this ONA using their old designs instead of the redesigned one.