In a major move for children's entertainment, the EBU has announced a dynamic new animation co-production that will aim to inspire and entertain young audiences across Europe.

Led by EBU Television, at the initiative of France Télévisions, a group of 11 public service broadcasters have committed over €60,000 to the development of the French series ‘My Life is a Manga.’ The project was hosted by Cartoon Forum.

Produced by Blue Spirit Studios and Brain Comet (STUDIO TF1 companies), ‘My Life is a Manga’ centres around 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, a pitching & co-pro forum for animated TV projects. Building on the success of last year’s selections - ‘Pig & Andersen’ by Fleng Entertainment (Denmark) and ‘Ray & Ruby’ by Creative Conspiracy (Belgium) - the initiative continues to demonstrate a successful collective financing model for animation pilot projects.

Matthew Trustram, Head of Television, 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.”

The project is scheduled to be delivered in April 2026, expanding on the EBU’s longstanding dedication to animated television programming and priority of engaging young audiences across Member territories.

Sylvie Mahé, Producer, 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, 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, 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.”

Participating Broadcasters

• VRT (Belgium)
• ARD/SWR (Germany)
• DR (Denmark)
• RTVE (Spain)
• YLE (Finland)
• FT (France) – lead broadcaster
• BBC (UK)
• RTE (Ireland)
• NRK (Norway)
• RTP (Portugal)
• SVT (Sweden)