Hirayasumi Anime Reveals Main Cast and January 2027 Premiere

One of manga's most beloved slice-of-life stories is officially on the way to television. The Hirayasumi anime revealed its main cast, key visual, and second teaser on September 29, with broadcast set for January 2027 on NHK General TV, according to reports. VIZ Media unveiled the material in partnership with Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions Co., Ltd., a rollout that signals serious confidence in the property's international appeal.

The Cast

The lead trio is confirmed. Yuma Uchida, known as Megumi Fushiguro in Jujutsu Kaisen, voices Hiroto Ikuta, with Mayu Takahashi as 18-year-old Natsumi Kobayashi and Rikako Aikawa, the voice of Squirtle in Pokemon, as 83-year-old Granny Hanae Wada. It is a cast that spans generations, which is exactly right for a story about exactly that.

A Story About Figuring Out Life

The premise is refreshingly unhurried. At 29, carefree Hiroto Ikuta does not have a girlfriend, a full-time job, or a plan for the future, and he could not be happier. The series follows him doing his best to figure out life alongside the people around him. Natsumi is a reserved newcomer from Yamagata who privately hopes to become a manga artist and often clashes with her laid-back cousin. It is the kind of gentle, character-driven setup that lives or dies on execution, and the source material suggests it will thrive.

Serious Pedigree Behind the Scenes

Production +h. animates, the studio behind The Orbital Children and Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction. Kei Suezawa directs and handles series composition and scripts, with Naoyuki Asano designing characters, Mika Nishimura as art director, and Kaori Sawada composing the music. And the source material brings its own weight: the manga by Keigo Shinzou has 10 volumes with more than 1.7 million copies in circulation, won the 71st Shogakukan Manga Award, and was named Best Serial Comic at Lucca Comics & Games 2024. International streaming details are yet to be announced, but with VIZ Media involved in the reveal, expect news soon.

The NHK Slot and the VIZ Factor

A January 2027 broadcast on NHK General TV is a statement in itself. NHK's general channel is mainstream Japanese television, the kind of slot that reaches far beyond the late-night anime audience, and it suits Hirayasumi perfectly: this is a warm, human story about an ordinary 29-year-old, not a genre spectacle. Meanwhile, VIZ Media unveiling the cast, key visual, and second teaser in partnership with ShoPro signals that the international rollout is being planned from day one. Award-winning manga, a mainstream broadcast home, and a global licensor already at the table: Hirayasumi has everything it needs to become Winter 2027's quiet phenomenon.