VIZ Media, in partnership with Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions Co., Ltd. (ShoPro), today unveiled the key visual, first footage and lead voice cast for the highly anticipated anime adaptation of Keigo Shinzo’s award-winning manga Hirayasumi.

The series will debut on NHK General TV in Japan in January 2027, with international streaming details to be announced. Production is handled by Production +h., the studio behind The Orbital Children and Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction.

 The newly released teaser offers the first look at Hirayasumi in motion, introducing Yuma Uchida as Hiroto Ikuta, Mayu Takahashi as Natsumi Kobayashi and Rikako Aikawa as Hanae Wada.

Serialized in Weekly Big Comic Spirits since 2021, Hirayasumi has more than 1.7 million copies in circulation worldwide across ten volumes. The acclaimed slice-of-life manga won the 71st Shogakukan Manga Award and was named Best Serial Comic at Lucca Comics & Games 2024.

The newly unveiled key visual captures the everyday life at the heart of Hirayasumi, with Hiroto and his cousin Natsumi outside the single-story Asagaya home he inherited from Granny. They are joined by Hiroto’s best friend Hideki, Natsumi’s university classmate Akari and local real estate agent Yomogi, offering a first glimpse at the ensemble of characters whose lives become intertwined around the house.

The teaser trailer released alongside the visual, marks the first anime footage from the series. Set against the changing streets of Asagaya, the footage follows Hiroto’s easygoing daily life, his warm relationship with Granny and Natsumi’s arrival in Tokyo as she begins a new chapter at art school.

The teaser also offers the first chance to hear the anime’s lead cast, with Yuma Uchida as Hiroto Ikuta, Mayu Takahashi as Natsumi Kobayashi and Rikako Aikawa as Hanae Wada, affectionately known as Granny.

Uchida, whose credits include Megumi Fushiguro in Jujutsu Kaisen, Ash Lynx in BANANA FISH and Reo Mikage in BLUE LOCK, leads the cast as the carefree 29-year-old Hiroto.

Takahashi voices Hiroto’s 18-year-old cousin Natsumi, who moves from Yamagata to Tokyo to attend art school. Takahashi was a runner-up in the Kimi Koe Project, an initiative established to discover and develop emerging voice talent, and has previously appeared in The Legendary Hero Is Dead!

Veteran voice actor Aikawa takes on the role of Granny, Hiroto’s 83-year-old neighbor whose unexpected friendship with him sets the story in motion. Aikawa’s extensive credits include Squirtle in the Pokémon series, Ishishi in the Kaiketsu Zorori series and Oxnard in Hamtaro.

Yuma Uchida as Hiroto Ikuta

Comment from Yuma Uchida

A small bungalow located in Asagaya…

“Hirayasumi is a wonderful work where human drama unfolds amidst the ordinary moments of everyday life. I hope to have fun portraying Hiroto while staying true to his unpretentious personality and easygoing vibe. Please look forward to the Hirayasumi anime!” 

 Character Profile: Hiroto Ikuta

Hiroto, 29, is an easygoing part-time worker living in Asagaya. A free spirit with no girlfriend and little anxiety about the future, he rarely dwells on life’s bigger worries — although he takes the question of what to have for dinner very seriously. He lives in the single-story house he inherited from Granny.

Mayu Takahashi as Natsumi Kobayashi

Comment from Mayu Takahashi

“When I read the original manga, I thought, ““I’ve never related to a character this deeply…I absolutely have to play Nat!!””

“I’m truly delighted to be involved in this wonderful work that I love so much.

Hiro takes the small joys we had forgotten, our worries, and even the feelings we never wanted others to see, and gently embraces them all while saying, ““It’s all okay.””

 “After watching, I know your everyday life will feel a little more precious.

I’ll put everything I’ve got in portraying her, so I hope you ‘ll look forward to it!”

 Character Profile: Natsumi Kobayashi

Hiroto’s cousin Natsumi moves from Yamagata to Tokyo to attend art school. Shy and somewhat self-conscious, she dreams of becoming a manga artist but keeps the ambition to herself. Her more serious nature frequently puts her at odds with the perpetually carefree Hiroto.

 Rikako Aikawa as Hanae Wada

Comment from Rikako Aikawa

“All of the characters are very kind. And yet, deep inside, they carry pain and worries of their own. Hirayasumi brings not so much a flutter in the heart, but a catch in the chest, followed by a slow, tender swell of emotion.  A work that I love has become an anime, and I portray Hanae Wada, whom Hiroto calls “Granny.” And so, here I am: a catch in my chest, followed by that slow, tender swell of emotion.”

Character Profile: Hanae Wada

Hanae Wada, 83, is a retired school lunch worker living on a pension. After meeting Hiroto through an unexpected turn of events, the two begin sharing dinner twice a week. Though she can appear blunt and stubborn, she grows fond of Hiroto and worries about his future.

Official Synopsis:

At 29 years old, carefree Hiroto Ikuta doesn’t have a girlfriend, a full-time job, or a plan for the future—and he couldn’t be happier. Hiroto’s breezy attitude isn’t easy for everyone to understand, though. In a world filled with anxiety, confusion, and grief, Hiroto and the people around him are all just doing their best to figure out this thing called life.

Production Staff: 

• Original Works: Keigo Shinzo “Hirayasumi” (currently serializing in Shogakukan Weekly Big Comic Spirits)
• Director / Series Composition / Script: Kei Suezawa (Fate/Grand Order: Camelot – Wandering; Agateram, FLCL Progressive)
• Character Design: Naoyuki Asano (Urusei Yatsura, Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, Mr. Osomatsu)
• Art Director: Mika Nishimura (Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction, Typhoon Noruda)
• Music: Kaori Sawada (What Did You Eat Yesterday?, When Spring Comes)
• Animation Studio: Production +h. (The Orbital Children, Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction)

Source: Press Release