Teaser visual
(C) Shimura Takako, Ohta Publishing / Awashima Hyakkei Production Committee
Takako Shimura’s youth manga Awashima Hyakkei (published by Ohta Publishing), which was previously announced to be getting an anime adaptation, will officially air as a TV anime in 2026. The animation will be produced by Madhouse, known for works like Furiren’s Funeral and Chi: About the Movement of the Earth. A teaser visual, an ultra teaser video, and a comment from the original author Shimura have also been released.
(C) Shimura Takako, Ohta Publishing / Awashima Hyakkei Production Committee
Enlarge image
The original story is a youth drama set at the Awashima Opera School, where fierce competition simmers beneath the surface of glamour. Told in a timeless omnibus format, it portrays the light and shadow of girls from across Japan striving to become musical stars. The narrative loosely connects the lives of characters such as Wakana Tabata, a freshman chasing her dream; Kinue Takehara, the dormitory director studying while carrying her best friend’s hopes; Emi Okabe, a scholarship student with overwhelming presence; and Keiko Ibuki and her family, who both admire and envy Emi.
The manga was serialized from 2011 to 2014 in “Ohta Web Comic” and other outlets, and won the Excellence Award in the Manga Division at the 19th Japan Media Arts Festival in 2015. It is compiled into five volumes.
The teaser visual shows the backs of the girls walking toward the Awashima Opera School building, while the ultra teaser video features scenes from within the school itself.
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TV anime “Awashima Hyakkei” Ultra teaser PV [TV anime broadcast starts in 2026]
The main staff for the anime includes the same team behind Yamada-kun and the Level 999 Love Story. Under the direction of Morio Asaka, Kunihiko Hamada will handle character design, and Yasuhiro Nakanishi will be in charge of series composition.
Full staff comments are as follows:
[Morio Asaka (Director)]
Light and shadow. Past and future. Success and failure. These words may seem contradictory, but they coexist. I feel deeply connected to this story—it’s like life and death are familiar companions. Whether you have regrets or not, it’s a path you’ve walked. What is your dream? Whether you’ve achieved it or not, Awashima Hyakkei is a story for everyone.
[Kunihiko Hamada (Character Designer)]
I’m very fortunate to be able to absorb Takako Shimura’s elegant and nuanced art as a character designer. I’ll leave the direction to Asaka, and though it’s a challenge to fully capture the charm of the original drawings in animation, I’ll do my best to reproduce them as faithfully as possible. I also hope to create a work that introduces Shimura’s unique style to new audiences and brings her more fans.
Awashima Hyakkei stands out as a rare coming-of-age story that merges the world of performing arts with deeply personal emotional arcs. Takako Shimura’s signature sensitivity toward identity, inner conflict, and human connection is expected to translate powerfully into the animated medium—especially with Madhouse at the helm. The involvement of the Yamada-kun and the Level 999 Love Story team, known for their subtle emotional storytelling, suggests that this adaptation will likely retain the quiet complexity and layered character dynamics that defined the manga. If executed well, Awashima Hyakkei could resonate with both anime fans and lovers of reflective, character-driven narratives.
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