posted on by Alex Mateo
Anime’s 1st episode screens in NYC ahead of January 2027 premiere
© Keigo Shinzo/Shogakukan/Hirayasumi Project
Viz Media announced on Friday that it and Japan Society are hosting the world premiere screening of the first episode for the anime of Keigo Shinzō‘s Hirayasumi manga (a co-production with Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions Co., Ltd and Production +h.) at Japan Society’s location in New York City on October 7 at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Composer Kaori Sawada and producer Junichi Katsutani will be in attendance with Viz Media‘s Community Manager Godswill Ugwa as panel host.
The anime will premiere in January 2027 in Japan on the NHK General channel. Viz Media also announced in English a 2027 release.
Kei Suezawa (Fate/Grand Order The Movie Divine Realm of the Round Table: Camelot – Wandering: Agateram, FLCL Progressive) is directing the anime at Production +h. Naoyuki Asano (Urusei Yatsura, Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, Mr. Osomatsu) is designing the characters. Mika Nishimura (Dead Dead Demon’s Dededededestruction, Typhoon Noruda) is the art director. Kaori Sawada (What Did You Eat Yesterday?, When Spring Comes) is composing the music.
Viz describes the story:
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.
Shinzō launched the manga in Shogakukan‘s Weekly Big Comic Spirits magazine in April 2021. Shogakukan published the manga’s ninth compiled book volume on July 30, and the series has over 1.1 million copies in circulation worldwide. The manga was nominated for the 15th Manga Taisho awards in January 2022, ranked #18 in the 2023 edition of Takarajimasha‘s Kono Manga ga Sugoi! (This Manga Is Amazing!) guidebook in December 2022, nominated for the 27th Annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in February 2023, and nominated for Best Continuing Manga Series in the 2nd American Manga Awards.
The series also inspired a live-action series, which premiered on NHK in November 2025.
Denpa has licensed Shinzō’s Holiday Junction collection of short manga. The book contains seven one-shot manga. Shogakukan shipped the book in Japan in July 2016.
Source: Email correspondence
