Hannah Montana Was Robbed: How Disney's Best Original Series Lost Out on Its Very Own Anime

Hannah Montana is one of Disney Channel's best series ever when it released in the early 2000s and took the world by storm. The concept of a normal girl with a secret identity as a world-famous celebrity enthralled fans, and Miley Cyrus's legendary stage presence and star quality certainly helped the series achieve its astounding levels of fame.

Over the course of its time in the spotlight, Hannah Montana received two films, five soundtracks, a concert tour, and a number of merchandise tie-ins, including clothing collections, toys, jewelry, and even singing toothbrushes that played the pop star's songs. What many fans do not know, however, is that Hannah Montana came very close to receiving its very own anime adaptation, but, sadly, production suddenly halted forever.

Hannah Montana, One of Disney’s Best Sitcoms, Almost Received an Anime

The Animation Studio Would Have Been Toei Animation, Who Also Animated One Piece and Sailor Moon

Lost Media Wiki, a website that, as the title suggests, collects different forms of lost or forgotten media, has chronicled the intriguing story of Hannah Montana's anime that never quite came to fruition. Although the anime went as far as the beginning stages of official production, few people know it was ever even in the works, because both Toei Animation and Disney Channel have not spoken about the project publicly before. Toei Animation was the studio responsible for animating the series, which is quite impressive, since Toei has worked on many impressive projects and is a big name in the industry.

Related 10 Episodes of Hannah Montana That Still Hold Up Today With interesting stories and relatable themes, these ten Hannah Montana episodes still bring enjoyment to fans. Check them out on Disney+.

Toei Animation has animated some of the most popular anime ever, including Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball, and One Piece, so knowing they were behind the Hannah Montana anime is proof the series would have been beautifully animated. Neither company spoke about the series, but a Toei Animation Philippines animator, who goes by the nickname Wasted Wisher, leaked details of multiple Toei Animation projects he worked on in a forum, spilling all the juicy details of the Hannah Montana anime adaptation, alongside information regarding a couple other Toei projects, such as a new Dragon Ball series and video game.

A Toei Animation Employee Leaked Information About the Hannah Montana Anime

He Was Subsequently Fired, but Not Before Revealing Details of Various Toei Properties Like Dragon Ball

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According to Wasted Wisher, the Hannah Montana anime was in development as far back as 2008, only two years after the Hannah Montana live-action series began airing on Disney Channel on March 24, 2006. In his comments, Wasted Wisher revealed that music videos had been created for the series and the first episode had been completely animated, proving how dedicated the studio was to carrying out the project. Because of the leaks he posted, Wasted Wisher was fired from his job at Toei Animation Philippines, but not before he revealed crucial information about many different Toei productions and franchises.

Hannah Montana would not be the first time Toei Animation developed its own take on a western property, since the studio also created an anime adaptation of The Powerpuff Girls on Cartoon Network, entitled Powerpuff Girls Z, which was actually released on July 1, 2006. It is unclear why Toei Animation decided to scrap the Hannah Montana anime project, but multiple Toei Animation Philippines employees offered confirmation that the information revealed by Wasted Wisher is indeed true and that the Hannah Montana anime had been in production at one point, although it seems it is now lost forever.

The Employee Who Leaked Confidential Toei Animation Information Was Fired

Other Sources at Toei Animation Confirmed the Hannah Montana Anime Rumors Are Indeed True, However

Because of Wasted Wisher's leaks, particularly the Dragon Ball ones, it is impossible to find proof of animation on the Hannah Montana anime, since Toei cracked down on keeping its work private and preventing future anime leaks after Wasted Wisher left the company. Thankfully, though, since multiple sources independently confirmed the claims Wasted Wisher posted, fans can be sure that a Hannah Montana anime was not just a mere rumor and was set to become a reality in the early 2000s, although the series was unfortunately discarded before it could ever even be officially released to the public.

Related Disney+: 5 Hints A Hannah Montana Reboot Is Happening (And 5 Reasons It Isn’t Likely) One of Disney Channel's biggest hits was Hannah Montana and certain clues have hinted at a potential reboot coming to Disney+.

Hannah Montana was Disney's most popular show of all time and inspired many other media and merchandise tie-ins, so it makes sense that the company would be eager to explore a potential anime adaptation. Since Hannah Montana ended January 16, 2011, over a decade ago, it might just be too late for an anime adaptation. Since the hype for the franchise has largely worn off, an anime would likely not receive the appreciation it deserves nowadays, but it would still be incredibly interesting to see how Toei Animation adapted the Disney Channel pop star's story into an anime format.

Source: Lost Media Wiki