Image: Natsu Mizuno, Kei Misawa, Flex Comix / Kimi Ai Production Committee
AMBot | 06/17/2026 | Reading Time: 3 Min.
On July 4, 2026, the long-awaited anime adaptation of the romantic fantasy manga "Kimi wo Aisuru Ki wa Nai to Itta Jiki Koushaku-sama ga Nazeka Dekiai Shitekimasu," abbreviated as "Kimi Ai," will premiere. Ahead of the broadcast, seven new scene images have been released, impressively showcasing the inner conflict of the protagonist Julius Royus.
The story revolves around Elsa Jukarainen, the daughter of an impoverished noble family, who is forced into a marriage of convenience with the cold but brilliant next duke, Julius. What begins as a purely pragmatic union gradually develops into a heartwarming love story—not least because Julius hides a childhood trauma behind his iron facade.
The new scene images capture precisely this contradiction: In some shots, Julius appears as the perfect gentleman—he smiles gently at Elsa, leads her gallantly, and tenderly kisses her hand. Other images, however, show his cold, dismissive side: With an icy gaze, he pushes Elsa away and declares that he has no intention of loving her. These contrasts are characteristic of his character, who slowly begins to thaw over the course of the story thanks to Elsa's sincere warmth.
The anime is produced by studios Zero-G and Grass. Direction is by Hitoyuki Matsui, series composition by Tomoko Konparu. Character design is handled by Yuko Yahiro, and the music is composed by MICHIRU. The opening theme "Itsuka Chanto." is contributed by singer-songwriter Riria., while the ending theme "Saishukai" is by sorato.
The main roles are prominently cast: Elsa is voiced by Yui Ishikawa, Julius by Soma Saito. Other roles are taken on by Kaito Ishikawa, Chika Anzai, and Ryota Suzuki, among others.
The broadcast begins on July 4, 2026—first in the NUMAnimation program block on Japanese TV station TV Asahi (Saturdays at 1:30 AM) and on Mondays at 11:24 PM on BS Asahi. The underlying manga series by artist Natsu Mizuno and author Kei Misawa has already circulated over 2.4 million copies in five volumes and is considered one of the most successful works of the genre in the digital space.
The story revolves around Elsa Jukarainen, the daughter of an impoverished noble family, who is forced into a marriage of convenience with the cold but brilliant next duke, Julius. What begins as a purely pragmatic union gradually develops into a heartwarming love story—not least because Julius hides a childhood trauma behind his iron facade.
The new scene images capture precisely this contradiction: In some shots, Julius appears as the perfect gentleman—he smiles gently at Elsa, leads her gallantly, and tenderly kisses her hand. Other images, however, show his cold, dismissive side: With an icy gaze, he pushes Elsa away and declares that he has no intention of loving her. These contrasts are characteristic of his character, who slowly begins to thaw over the course of the story thanks to Elsa's sincere warmth.
The anime is produced by studios Zero-G and Grass. Direction is by Hitoyuki Matsui, series composition by Tomoko Konparu. Character design is handled by Yuko Yahiro, and the music is composed by MICHIRU. The opening theme "Itsuka Chanto." is contributed by singer-songwriter Riria., while the ending theme "Saishukai" is by sorato.
The main roles are prominently cast: Elsa is voiced by Yui Ishikawa, Julius by Soma Saito. Other roles are taken on by Kaito Ishikawa, Chika Anzai, and Ryota Suzuki, among others.
The broadcast begins on July 4, 2026—first in the NUMAnimation program block on Japanese TV station TV Asahi (Saturdays at 1:30 AM) and on Mondays at 11:24 PM on BS Asahi. The underlying manga series by artist Natsu Mizuno and author Kei Misawa has already circulated over 2.4 million copies in five volumes and is considered one of the most successful works of the genre in the digital space.
Images
This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical support and editorially reviewed before publication.
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