The name Hana-Kimi will be very familiar to manga fans who grew up in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. After all, that gender-bending romance manga by Hisaya Nakajo made its debut and run in that era. Not only that, but it ended up becoming quite a success story after reaching 23 volumes. Alas, fans looking forward to an anime adaptation were a bit disappointed. True, the manga did get a series of live-action adaptations in Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea. However, as far as anime adaptations are concerned, it looked like this manga was being left in the dust. That is…until now.

Crunchyroll is proud to announce the first anime adaptation of Hana-Kimi. An anime adaptation that is happening 22 years after the end of the manga back in 2004 to boot. It might even be a new record for how long it takes for a manga to get an anime adaptation, but I digress. Hana-Kimi will make its simulcast debut on January 4, 2026 exclusively on Crunchyroll.

As part of this announcement, Crunchyroll has a brand new trailer for this anime. You can check out that trailer either on YouTube, or just look below:

It took 22 years for this scene to become an anime.

Not only that, but Crunchyroll has a full list of synopsis, production staff, and Japanese voice cast for us as part of this Hana-Kimi announcement. You can check them out below as well:

SYNOPSIS

Hana-Kimi JP key art

Japanese-American track-and-field star Mizuki has gotten herself to transfer to a high school in Japan…but not just any school! To be close to her idol, high jumper Izumi Sano, she’s going to an all-guys’ high school…and disguising herself as a boy! But as fate would have it, they’re more than classmates…they’re roommates! Now, Mizuki must keep her secret in the classroom, the locker room, and her own bedroom. And her classmates–and the school nurse–must cope with a new transfer student who may make them question their own orientation…

PRODUCTION STAFF

Original Creator: Hisaya Nakajo “To You in Full Bloom” (Hakusensha, Hana to Yume Comics)

Director: Natsuki Takemura

Assistant Director: Shigeru Ueda

Series Composition: Takao Yoshioka

Character Design: Shiyi Su

Music: Masaru Yokoyama

Sound Director: Jin Aketagawa

Animation Production: Signal.MD

JAPANESE VOICE CAST 

Aya Yamane as Mizuki Ashiya

Taku Yashiro as Izumi Sano

Kikunosuke Toya as Shuichi Nakatsu

Yuichiro Umehara as Minami Nanba

Jun Fukuyama as Hokuto Umeda

Reiji Kawashima as Senri Nakao

Wataru Komada as Kyogo Sekime

Koki Uchiyama as Daiki Kayashima

Wataru Komada as Kyogo Sekime

Anan Furuya as Shinji Noe

Kotaro Nishiyama as Wataru NihonbashiYuko Natsuyoshi as Julia M. (Maxwell)

Hana-Kimi Finally Getting Anime Adaptation on January 4, 2026

Hana-Kimi NA teaser art
At long last!

Honestly, it’s about time that Hana-Kimi got an anime adaptation. 22 years is a very, very long time between the end of a manga and the start of its anime adaptation. Too long, if you ask me. Fans of the manga will likely be in their 30’s and 40’s by the time we’re finally getting this anime. Now let’s see if this anime will live up to the manga it’s based on.

What do you all think? Are you eager to finally see if Hana-Kimi will make a good anime? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.

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