Anoko in Chiikawa: how to read the story, and what hasn’t been revealed
Based on our Japanese story page and our Japanese article on Anoko (anime official site episode list, the movie site interview).
Anoko (あのこ, “that child”) is a big white character with a horn who meets Dekatsuyo, a large creature with a mane, and spends time chasing and playing with it. Nagano posted 9 posts about the two. Because Anoko’s identity has never been officially explained, this unofficial guide separates what is confirmed from what fans only guess.
- Original posts
- 9 posts on Nagano’s X (Nov 2, 2022 – Jan 30, 2026)
- Anime
- Ep. 178 “Anoko” (Jun 21, 2024); Ep. 330–331 “Anoko and Dekatsuyo ①②” (Mar–Apr 2026)
- Main characters
- Anoko, Dekatsuyo
- Book
- We could not confirm which Japanese volume includes it
Read the Anoko story in order
Chiifan lines up Nagano’s original X posts about Anoko and Dekatsuyo in order. The page is in Japanese, but the comic is just the X posts: scroll from the top, and use the next-page button at the bottom.
- Meeting Dekatsuyo
- Posts 1–7 (7 posts, Nov 2, 2022 – Dec 12, 2022)
- The camera and Dekatsuyo
- Posts 8–9 (2 posts, Jan 29, 2026 – Jan 30, 2026)
- The gap between the two pages is real: 7 posts in late 2022, then 2 more in January 2026.
- The anime “tobatsu” (hunting) episodes are a separate story and are not on this page.
- 9 is the number of posts we collected, not an official episode count.
What happens? (no spoilers)
In the grass, Anoko comes face to face with Dekatsuyo. They don’t seem to understand each other’s words, yet a game of chasing and copying begins, and they play until the sun goes down.
- Anoko has a big white body, a horn, swirly eyes, and parts that look like they belong to other creatures.
- In the 2026 posts, Anoko holds a camera and takes pictures of Dekatsuyo.
What has been officially shown
Surprisingly little. The clearest facts are the anime episode titles and scene photos, plus one comment from Nagano.
- Name
- “Anoko” and “Dekatsuyo” both appear in anime episode titles.
- Voice
- Japanese media reported that Anoko got a voice in episode 178.
- Hunted
- Episodes 322–323 are titled “Tobatsu Anoko ①②”.
- Nagano’s words
- In an interview on the movie site, Nagano said the Siren was designed to look like Anoko, and Anoko stood in for the Siren in early sketches. This is about the Siren’s design, not about who Anoko is.
- Not on the character page
- The anime’s official character page lists 12 entries; Anoko and Dekatsuyo are not among them.
What has not been revealed
As of September 2026, none of the following has been explained in the work or by official sources.
- Who Anoko really is, and what Anoko was before.
- Why or how Anoko came to look this way, and whether Anoko can change back.
- What to call the relationship between Anoko and Dekatsuyo.
- Whether Anoko is a “chimera” (キメラ). Fans use the word, but no official source links it to Anoko.
- Which book volume includes these posts.
How fans read it (theories, not answers)
The most common fan reading is that Anoko was once one of Chiikawa’s kind. Fans point to Anoko’s shape and some gestures, but who it might have been is not agreed, and nothing official supports it.
- Some fans see Anoko and Dekatsuyo as friends; others feel it isn’t that simple.
- Treat any confident “explanation” you see online as one reader’s view.
Which anime episodes feature Anoko?
Five episodes have Anoko in the title. They aired years apart and are not one continuous story.
- Ep. 178 「あのこ」
- Anoko · Jun 21, 2024
- Ep. 322 「あのこを討伐①」
- Tobatsu (hunting) Anoko ① · Mar 3, 2026
- Ep. 323 「あのこを討伐②／強くなる」
- Tobatsu Anoko ② / Getting stronger · Mar 6, 2026
- Ep. 330 「あのことでかつよ①」
- Anoko and Dekatsuyo ① · Mar 31, 2026
- Ep. 331 「あのことでかつよ②」
- Anoko and Dekatsuyo ② · Apr 3, 2026
Related pages
More about the characters around Anoko, and other long stories.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Anoko in Chiikawa?
A big white character with a horn who spends time with Dekatsuyo. Who Anoko really is has not been officially revealed as of September 2026.
Where can I read the Anoko story?
On Nagano’s X account. Chiifan’s Anoko page shows all 9 posts in order.
Which anime episode is Anoko in?
Episode 178 “Anoko”, episodes 322–323, and episodes 330–331 “Anoko and Dekatsuyo ①②”.
Is Anoko a chimera?
Fans sometimes call Anoko that, but the name is “Anoko” and no official source connects Anoko to the word “chimera”.
Sources
Pages marked (Japanese) are only available in Japanese.