Game Freak has announced a brand-new anime game with Pokémon's director at the helm, and it looks adorable. Ame nochi Hare Onna, which roughly translates to Rainy Day, Sunny Girl, is a casual 'laundry game' that follows a magical girl, Hare Onna, and her companion Kumorin as they "bring brightness and cheerfulness to all of Japan."
What is a laundry game exactly? Well, we're not quite sure, especially as Game Freak hasn't shown much actual gameplay for Hare Onna yet. However, the game's producer Ohmori Shigeru - who's also the director of the Pokémon series - told Famitsu that the idea for Hare Onna "was born from the idea, 'If you're going to check the weather forecast every day to do laundry, why not make a game that uses the weather forecast?' It's a game that will make your daily life more fun and cheerful." Plus, we do know that at least part of the game's system involves keeping the main character's clothes clean and making sure to dry them on sunny days.
This game uses real weather data to affect "every aspect of the game", presumably influencing elements of the overarching magical girl story, as well as Hare Onna's, whose real name is Harewatari Himawari, powers. Speaking of Himawari, as a mahou shoujo aficionado, I can see that Game Freak has clearly taken inspiration from the long-running Precure series for her and Kumorin's designs, while making her slightly sportier and a little more mature. During the game's special broadcast, the team also showed art of Himawari in a maid cafe-style uniform, which immediately reminded me of Tokyo Mew Mew. Could this showcase be hinting at outfit-based gacha game mechanics?
Based on the special broadcast, elements of Hare Onna's gameplay involve battling 'yamikumo' - little monsters themed around trash, junk food, and mess - using a card-based system, and going on 'patrol' based on the weather forecasts across the entirety of Japan. So, it seems the game isn't necessarily a location-based game like Pokémon Go, but uses weather data from the game's partner, Weathernews, which is a Japanese company specialising in weather information and forecasting.
There's no word on whether Ame nochi Hare Onna will release worldwide just yet, but we do know that it's coming to iOS and Android as a free mobile game with in-app purchases in Japan this winter. Pre-registration is open now via the App Store and Google Play. Game Freak is revealing even more information at Tokyo Game Show, which starts on September 17, 2026.
If you want the full breakdown of the game's intricacies, albeit entirely in Japanese, you can watch the special broadcast on the official Hare Onna YouTube channel, or catch up on the highlights on the game's X page. Let us know your thoughts on this new mobile game in the Pocket Tactics Discord server, and check out our list of the best games like Pokémon to fuel your monster-battling desires.