Madhouse, the studio behind the critically acclaimed Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, confirmed the release window of its upcoming anime with the first teaser. Released in 2011, Awajima Hyakkei was serialized until last year and even won the 19th Japan Media Arts Festival Excellence Award in 2015. Takako Shimura, the mangaka, is known for creating several acclaimed series, including Wandering Son, Sweet Blue Flowers, Even Though We’re Adults, and many more. Awajima Hyakkei is one of Shimura’s most underrated works and doesn’t have a wide global audience despite its strong storytelling. It’s also the reason why the series doesn’t have a lot of hype despite the trailer and animation looking absolutely gorgeous.
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Hanada Kumihiko, a renowned Madhouse animator and character designer of the series, promoted the anime while also commenting on the considerably few followers the official X handle of the anime has. The anime will be directed by Morio Asaka, best known for directing the acclaimed seinen show Monster, the classic shoujo anime Nana, and several more renowned series. While the manga doesn’t have a lot of chapters, it took several years to conclude the story due to many hiatuses. The anime adaptation by Madhouse was confirmed this year, almost 14 years after the manga’s debut. The anime series will premiere in April 2026 as part of the Spring 2026 lineup, although the episode count won’t be confirmed until the anime is released.
What Is Awajima Hyakkei About?
This coming-of-age story is set in the Awajima Musical School Training Camp, a girls-only musical school where students from all over Japan enroll in hopes of standing on a stage. The story focuses on several characters, including Wakana Tabata, one of the students who aspires to be a musical star; Kinue Takehara, who attends the school to carry on her best friend’s wishes; Okabe Emi, a scholarship student who is always at the center of attention; and Ibuki Katsurako, who is a teacher at the school. The series follows their journey, recounting the formative years they shared by shifting the POVs from time to time as the story portrays their struggles and dreams.
Awajima Hyakkei Promotes Its Upcoming Release With a Special Surprise
The official website of the anime shares several new updates on the anime’s upcoming release and commemorates it by holding a campaign where 20 lucky winners will receive a poster signed by Daichi Yoh, the voice behind Takehara Kinue, and Kayano Ai, who plays Ueda Yoshiko. This initiative is limited only to the Japanese audience and requests the participants to follow the official X handle and repost the latest post to boost visibility on the series. The winners will be decided by a lottery system after they fulfill all the requirements of the campaign. As of now, the anime has yet to confirm its broadcast schedule as well as its global streaming platforms.
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