jikan.random_anime

beta Standard

A random anime.

GET /v1/jikan/random_anime

What you get#

One Jikan record in Onekey's unified shape, in data. If the record does not exist you get a 404 not_found and are not charged.

What it costs#

Standard · 1 credit for a fresh fetch, charged only when it succeeds.
Free when served from cache (0.2 credit for a cached response over 100 KB).
Free if the request is invalid (never charged) or the source fails or reports not found (refunded).

Parameters#

This endpoint takes no parameters.

Request#

curl "https://api.onekey.dev/v1/jikan/random_anime" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Try it

Add your key to run this call right here. No key? Get one free. The key stays in this tab.

Recorded response#

A real Jikan response, recorded and returned in Onekey's shape. Fields the platform does not provide are null.

json

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "entity": {
      "id": "1",
      "name": "Cowboy Bebop",
      "url": "https://myanimelist.net/anime/1/Cowboy_Bebop",
      "description": "Crime is timeless. By the year 2071, humanity has expanded across the galaxy, filling the surface of other planets with settlements like those on Earth. These new societies are plagued by murder, drug use, and theft, and intergalactic outlaws are hunted by a growing number of tough bounty hunters.\n\nSpike Spiegel and Jet Black pursue criminals throughout space to make a humble living. Beneath his goofy and aloof demeanor, Spike is haunted by the weight of his violent past. Meanwhile, Jet manages ",
      "type": "TV",
      "status": "Finished Airing",
      "year": 1998,
      "stats": {
        "score": 8.75,
        "rank": 49,
        "popularity": 41
      }
    },
    "ext": {
      "englishName": "Cowboy Bebop",
      "season": "spring",
      "episodes": 26
    },
    "media": {
      "thumbnailUrl": "https://cdn.myanimelist.net/images/anime/4/19644.jpg"
    }
  },
  "metadata": {
    "platform": "jikan",
    "endpoint": "random_anime",
    "cached": false,
    "stale": false,
    "age_s": 0,
    "fetched_at": "2026-01-01T12:00:00+00:00",
    "credits_charged": 1,
    "request_id": "7f3a9c2e5b1d4c8fa2e6d0b9c4f18e37"
  },
  "error": null
}

Field mapping#

How this endpoint's source fields become Onekey's unified schema. Fields the source lacks come back as null.

Source path	Onekey field	Transform
`mal_id`	`entity.id`	`toString`
`title`	`entity.name`	-
`title_english`	`ext.englishName`	-
`url`	`entity.url`	`safeUrl`
`synopsis`	`entity.description`	-
`type`	`entity.type`	-
`status`	`entity.status`	-
`year`	`entity.year`	`toNumber`
`season`	`ext.season`	-
`episodes`	`ext.episodes`	`toNumber`
`score`	`entity.stats.score`	`toNumber`
`rank`	`entity.stats.rank`	`toNumber`
`popularity`	`entity.stats.popularity`	`toNumber`
`images.jpg.image_url`	`media.thumbnailUrl`	`safeUrl`

Caching and freshness#

Fresh for about 30 seconds. Repeat calls in that window are served from cache and are free.
Between 30 seconds and 5 minutes the cached copy is still served instantly and marked stale: true while Onekey refreshes it in the background.
If the source is down when a refresh is needed, the last copy can be served for up to 10 minutes more (marked stale).
A "not found" is remembered for 1 minute and is free.
The cache is shared across all customers, which is what keeps repeat calls cheap.

What can go wrong#

Status	Code	What to do
401	`unauthorized`	Check the `x-api-key` header.
402	`insufficient_credits`	Add credits; your balance must cover the price.
404	`not_found`	That record does not exist. Free; do not retry.
422	`invalid_params`	Fix the parameters using the table above. Free.
429	`rate_limited`	Wait `Retry-After` seconds, then retry.
502	`upstream_error`	The source failed. Refunded; retry with backoff.

See Errors for the full list and retry guidance.

Status: beta (not yet verified against the live source).