Image: Sumiko Arai/KADOKAWA/Kinioto Production Committee
AMBot | 07/04/2026 | Reading Time: 3 Min.
As part of the Crunchyroll Showcase at Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles, the production team around Japanese publisher KADOKAWA announced that the highly anticipated anime adaptation of the manga hit »Ki ni Natteru Hito ga Otoko Janakatta« (English title: The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn‘t a Guy at All) will premiere in January 2027. The series is being produced by the renowned studio CloverWorks, which recently set standards in music and character animation with »Bocchi the Rock!« and »My Dress-Up Darling«.
Direction is handled by Masashi Ishihama, known for »Horimiya« and »From the New World«. Series composition is by Rino Yamasaki, character design by Kanna Hirayama, who also worked on »Oshi no Ko«. The main roles are voiced by Mariya Ise as the quiet and mysterious Mitsuki Koga, and Akari Kito as the lively and rock-loving Aya Osawa. Both actresses had already voiced the characters in the drama CD released in April 2024.
The opening song is »Breed«, a classic by the US grunge band Nirvana – the first time ever that a song by the band has been officially licensed for a Japanese anime production. Alongside the announcement, a teaser PV was released showing first scenes from the series, as well as a special interview with Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, conducted by manga artist Sumiko Arai herself.
The original manga series started in April 2022 on Twitter and quickly became a viral phenomenon. The author's account currently has over two million followers. The story follows high school girl Aya, who has a crush on the cool, black-clad employee of a CD store – without realizing that it is actually her inconspicuous classmate Mitsuki. Together, they discover their love for rock music and slowly find their way to each other. The manga won the Next Manga Award in the Web Manga category in 2023 and ranked 2nd in the category voted by women in »Kono Manga ga Sugoi!« in 2024. Worldwide circulation (including digital) now exceeds 1.6 million copies. The fourth volume was released in February 2026.
The series will also be streamed internationally via Crunchyroll. Further details on specific broadcast dates and additional voice actors are expected in the coming months.
Direction is handled by Masashi Ishihama, known for »Horimiya« and »From the New World«. Series composition is by Rino Yamasaki, character design by Kanna Hirayama, who also worked on »Oshi no Ko«. The main roles are voiced by Mariya Ise as the quiet and mysterious Mitsuki Koga, and Akari Kito as the lively and rock-loving Aya Osawa. Both actresses had already voiced the characters in the drama CD released in April 2024.
The opening song is »Breed«, a classic by the US grunge band Nirvana – the first time ever that a song by the band has been officially licensed for a Japanese anime production. Alongside the announcement, a teaser PV was released showing first scenes from the series, as well as a special interview with Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, conducted by manga artist Sumiko Arai herself.
The original manga series started in April 2022 on Twitter and quickly became a viral phenomenon. The author's account currently has over two million followers. The story follows high school girl Aya, who has a crush on the cool, black-clad employee of a CD store – without realizing that it is actually her inconspicuous classmate Mitsuki. Together, they discover their love for rock music and slowly find their way to each other. The manga won the Next Manga Award in the Web Manga category in 2023 and ranked 2nd in the category voted by women in »Kono Manga ga Sugoi!« in 2024. Worldwide circulation (including digital) now exceeds 1.6 million copies. The fourth volume was released in February 2026.
The series will also be streamed internationally via Crunchyroll. Further details on specific broadcast dates and additional voice actors are expected in the coming months.
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This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical support and editorially reviewed before publication.
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