French-language cable channel TV5 Unis is adding new anime to its lineup this fall. Beginning September 7th, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and Hunter x Hunter will join their overnight schedule, airing an hour each between 2-4AM daily. While those timeslots are far from convenient to watch live, the channel typically streams its programming for free on its website and associated apps, with no cable login required. TV5 Unis appears to have acquired a substantial amount of episodes for both shows, as early schedule listings indicate they’ll immediately start the second season of Demon Slayer the night after the first concludes.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is ufotable’s ongoing anime adaptation of Koyoharu Gotouge’s 2016-2020 Weekly Shonen Jump manga of the same name. The animated series debuted between 2019 and 2024, encompassing 63 episodes across four seasons. The manga’s Infinity Castle storyline is currently being adapted into a trilogy of theatrical films. Wakanim (now Crunchyroll) began streaming the French language dub of the first season in March 2021.
Hunter x Hunter is the 2011-2014 adaptation of Yoshihiro Togashi’s ongoing Weekly Shonen Jump manga of the same name. Madhouse produced 148 episodes for the second series based on the story. Kana Home Video began releasing the French dub in Europe starting in September 2012.
The additions come with some subtractions, as it appears the channel (which adopted the TV5 branding earlier this year) is dropping its more traditional children’s content. Among other shows, TV5 Unis had been airing Bakugan: Battle Planet and Naruto reruns. Both had completed their initial runs long ago, with “season 3” (episodes 136 through 176) of Naruto set to be removed from the channel’s site on August 30th. “Season 4” (episodes 177 through 220) and Bakugan aren’t tagged with an expiration date … for now. Naruto joined the channel’s schedule in early 2022, with Bakugan: Battle Planet following in June 2024.
Corus’ new French-language streaming service will add Lazarus this fall.
During their upfronts in June, Corus confirmed that Lazarus was included in their French-language Adult Swim programming deal. The series is set to debut exclusively on their Vivéo (the company’s recently launched French equivalent to StackTV) streaming service on October 1st. It’s not clear if the show will air on linear television, but if it does, it would mark the first anime to run on Télétoon la nuit since Naruto in 2010. Lazarus premiered on the Adult Swim channel in English-speaking Canada in April 2025. Beyblade X and Pokémon Horizons: The Series continue to air new episodes as part of Télétoon’s daytime schedule.
Wrapping up this look at anime on French Canadian TV, Frissons TV’s L’heure Manga block continues to truck along every Sunday evening. The horror channel has been re-airing older titles since Cowboy Bebop and Steins;Gate finished earlier this year. They’re currently running Shigurui and Deadman Wonderland, which are set to conclude on September 13th. It remains to be seen if they’ll be replaced by something new.
All times listed in Eastern.
Thanks Adam.
