Kuranika TV Anime to Air in 2026

“I Became Friends with the Second Cutest Girl in My Class,” previously announced to be in production, has officially been confirmed to air as a TV anime in 2026.

Haruki Ishiya will play Maehara Maki, Manaka Iwami will voice Asanagi Umi, Sayumi Suzushiro will portray Amami Yu, and Ikumi Hasegawa will play Nitta Niina. Alongside the announcement, a teaser visual and a promotional video have been released.

The original light novel, written by Takata and published by KADOKAWA, began on the novel posting site “Kakuyomu” and has won the Grand Prize in the “Next Light Novel Awards 2023” (Bunko Division), with over 1 million copies sold.

The story follows Maehara, a quiet and introverted boy who, through a shared love of B-grade movies, becomes friends with Asanagi, the girl regarded as the second cutest in class. Their Friday after-school meetups spark a heartwarming, relatable romantic comedy. Volume 7.5 of the series is set for release on May 1.

Ishiya reprises his role from the original PV and voice drama, joined again by Iwami and Suzushiro, while Hasegawa newly joins the cast as Nitta.

The anime is directed by Hideki Tachibana (“Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?”), with series composition and script by Keiichiro Ochi (“The Quintessential Quintuplets”), and character designs by Shoko Takimoto (“Seiyu Radio no Ura Omote”). Animation production will be handled by CONNECT, who previously collaborated with Tachibana on “The Honor Student at Magic High School.”

The teaser visual captures a fleeting classroom moment where Asanagi and Amami’s eyes meet. The promotional video uses this scene, presented as a voice drama between Asanagi, Amami, and Nitta.

Additionally, a web radio program, “Kuranika Radio,” featuring Iwami, Suzushiro, and Hasegawa, has launched, offering the latest news on the anime and original novel along with special segments and listener letters.

Full comments from the cast and staff, including Haruki Ishiya (Maehara Maki), have also been released.

I’m Haruki Ishiya, the voice of Maehara Maki.

I’m truly happy to continue being part of this series. Both the original novel and the manga offer so many layers of enjoyment — the frustrations, the subtle shifts in emotions, the slowly developing relationships, and the realistic worries of youth.

Reading it always makes me think, “I wish I’d had a youth like this.”

As Maehara, I hope to portray someone who grows little by little, getting swept up by the charm of those around him while staying true to himself and taking things in stride.

Please look forward to the broadcast!

Congratulations on the TV anime adaptation of “Kuranika”!

I can’t believe it’s already been about three years since I first voiced Umi Asanagi.

I truly enjoyed playing Umi, so when I heard it was being adapted into a TV anime, I was thrilled and deeply grateful to be entrusted with the role once again.

I’m so happy that my wish came true.

I’m also very excited to see all the characters come to life in the anime.

I will do my best to portray Umi Asanagi in a way that will resonate with all the fans of “Kuranika” and with everyone who will discover the series through the anime.

Thank you for your continued support!

I’m Sayumi Suzushiro, the voice of Yu Amami.

First of all, congratulations on the anime adaptation!!

I first became involved with this series through the promotional video a few years ago, and I’m truly happy and honored to continue playing Yu-chan in the anime. Thank you so much!

The phrase “second cutest in the class” from the title is especially memorable, but the Yu-chan I’m playing is actually known as “the cutest girl in the class”!

Yu-chan is cheerful, honest, and so adorable that people around her call her an angel — she’s the type of girl who naturally draws people close with her charm.

I really think she has a natural idol-like power that makes everyone fall for her effortlessly.

But honestly… everyone is cute, no matter the ranking (lol)!

I’ll do my best to bring out Yu-chan’s sparkling aura in the anime!

Please also look forward to her interactions with her best friends Umi-chan, Niina-chan, and Maehara-kun!

Thank you for your support!

I’m Ikumi Hasegawa, the voice of Niina Nitta.

Congratulations on the anime adaptation of “Kuranika”!!

The other cast members announced this time were already involved in “Kuranika” through the voice comics, so as someone joining the project for the first time, I’m feeling a mix of excitement and a little nervousness (laughs).

I’m truly happy to be part of this series!

The dubbing hasn’t started yet, but just imagining lively conversations with everyone as Niina already makes me excited.

I hope you’ll look forward to the broadcast! Thank you!

I’m Takata, the original author.

I think the readers have been looking forward to this even more than I have.

It’s been about a year and seven months since the anime adaptation project was first announced in September 2023, and while it took some time to reach this point, I’m relieved to finally share the official news.

There’s still more information that I can’t reveal yet — honestly, I’m itching to tell you — but I’ll hold back until the official announcements.

The anime is scheduled to air in 2026, so until then, please get ready by reading the original novel and the manga adaptation.

As the characters themselves would say, preparation and review are important!