The project would follow an aesthetic and conceptual line similar to Tom & Jerry Gokko, a series of animated shorts in a kawaii/chibi style, clearly inspired by Japanese productions like Hello Kitty. This series originally premiered in Japan in 2022 and made its international debut in mid-2025, currently available on both YouTube and HBO Max.
On the other hand, there is a possibility that Scooby-Doo! Gokko could be the final version of the "Go-Go Mystery Machine" project, which may have evolved—including a title change—to align with the visual and conceptual identity of Tom & Jerry Gokko.
So far, no official updates have been announced about that production, which was revealed in June 2024 and conceived with strong influences from Asian culture, incorporating new characters and a setting in Japan.
However, this hypothesis seems, for now, less likely.
"Go-Go Mystery Machine" was announced in 2024.
The title refers to the Japanese word gokko (ごっこ), used to describe children's role-playing games, which—just like with Tom & Jerry Gokko—suggests a softer, more stylized reinterpretation aimed at a younger audience of the classic mystery-solving gang.
In this sense, it cannot be ruled out that Warner Bros. is considering establishing "Gokko" as a sub-brand to develop chibi versions of its most iconic animated properties, a strategy that could eventually extend to franchises like Looney Tunes or even the DC Universe.
We have already seen child-oriented versions of Mystery Inc. in A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (1988).
In addition to Tom and Jerry, Warner Bros. maintains a close and long-standing relationship with anime. Beyond the legendary Toonami block on Cartoon Network and Adult Swim—where series like Dragon Ball, Naruto, Sailor Moon, Gundam Wing, Inuyasha, Yu Yu Hakusho, and One Piece aired—the company has attempted on various occasions to translate some of its most iconic characters into the language of Japanese animation. For example, both The Amazing World of Gumball and the 2020 reboot of Animaniacs include sequences animated with a clear anime aesthetic.
In the case of Adult Swim, the network produced completely original anime series such as Fena: Pirate Princess, Ninja Kamui, Uzumaki, the most recent seasons of FLCL, and Blade Runner: Black Lotus, inspired by the world-renowned film franchise. Similarly, Rick and Morty featured several shorts animated by Japanese studios like Studio Deen, Sola Entertainment, and Telecom Animation Film, in addition to a full spin-off titled Rick and Morty: The Anime. This is joined by productions developed entirely in Japan, such as Batman Ninja and Suicide Squad Isekai, both created by Warner Bros. in collaboration with local studios.
Within Cartoon Network's programming, We Bare Bears had a spin-off, We Baby Bears, which—without being full anime—explicitly adopted a Japanese, chibi, and kawaii style designed to connect with Eastern audiences. Likewise, series like Teen Titans, ThunderCats, and Ben 10 show a marked anime influence in both their visual design and staging. Even Craig of the Creek featured an anime-style opening sequence produced especially for its YouTube release.
Finally, Warner Bros. co-produced with Toei Animation an anime-format series of The Powerpuff Girls, titled Powerpuff Girls Z. Additionally, at the end of 2024, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim premiered, a prequel film to the successful live-action trilogy, produced by Sola Digital Arts. This adds to the development of a "Japanese" version of Wacky Races, though, by all indications, that last project was ultimately shelved.
For now, no further details about Scooby-Doo! Gokko were provided during the presentation, though new updates on this project are expected in the coming months.
Article was published on TVLaint
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