Milky Subway unveils Chiharu and Makina designs for its new short

The Milky Subway franchise has finally shown Chiharu and Makina, the protagonists of its new spin-off short. The announcement comes with character art for both, who debut new outfits for the occasion, and with a musical surprise: Poppy-kun's song is now available on YouTube.

The short is titled Milky☆Byway: Spring Special. Cherobin's Terrifying Party and was announced in July 2026 as a standalone story within the universe of Ginga Tokkyū Milky☆Subway, the 3D anime directed by Yōhei Kameyama. The original series aired on TOKYO MX between July and September 2025, and in February 2026 it hit theaters with the film Kakueki Teisha: Gekijō e.

Chiharu and Makina designs for the new Milky Subway short.collabo-cafe.com

In the designs, Chiharu wears a pink sweater with a white miniskirt and tall boots. Makina goes for a white T-shirt with baggy jeans. These are the first official visuals of the two in this special, which still has no air date.

Poppy-kun's song, with a message from its singer

The song Papipupe! Poppy-kun is now available on the official YouTube channel. It is performed by Shōko Kaida, who shared a comment after the release: she says she is happy to sing the character's song and hopes it becomes a beloved theme for everyone, just like Poppy-kun himself.

Shōko Kaida shares a comment about Poppy-kun's song.collabo-cafe.com

Poppy-kun is the pink character with a star hat from the franchise. The Milky Subway schedule remains packed with collaborations: in November 2026 there will be a joint event with the Asakusa ROX Matsuri no Yu hot spring facilities, and between November 10 and February 17 a pop-up store will tour five Hands locations. It is also preparing stationery and keychain releases for December.

For now, what remains to be seen is when the short will be available. With the designs already published and the song out, the Milky Subway machine is starting to warm up for spring.