A Manga Exploring the Art of Noh “The World Is Dancing” TV Anime Premieres This July!

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YouTube URL：https://youtu.be/UHdskWgY-GY

The teaser trailer opens with a striking line from Oniyasha (the boy who will later be known as Zeami), voiced by Yumiri Hanamori:“People live and die whether or not they dance.”

From there, the trailer rapidly introduces new characters and cast members. Katsuyuki Konishi plays Kan’ami, Oniyasha’s father and the man who, together with Zeami, is known for elevating Noh into a fully realized art form. The teaser also reveals the participation of Shimba Tsuchiya, Maaya Uchida, Romi Park, and Haruki Ishiya.

As Oniyasha declares, “I hate dancing. I hate my father,” the teaser highlights his complicated relationship with Kan’ami, the feelings of those around him toward dance, and Oniyasha’s own growth. It’s a glimpse that raises expectations for the upcoming broadcast.

A brand-new illustration of the main characters by original author Kazuto Mihara has been released, together with his comment.

Kazuto Mihara – PROFILE
Born in Fukui Prefecture. Made his manga serialization debut with Hajime Algorithm (10 volumes). He later serialized The World Is Dancing (6 volumes), depicting the life of Zeami, also known as Oniyasha. He is currently serializing Sora Tobu Violin (The Soaring Violin) in Morning (Kodansha).

・Comment by Kazuto Mihara
I feel both surprise and joy at seeing the original work rise again in the form of an anime.

A story that has already been told is being told once more, dressed in a different guise. In that flow, I sense a mysterious bond that feels somehow similar to the structure of Noh itself.

Even while I was serializing the manga, I always felt that this story was not a single, definitive answer, but one form among many possibilities. I was merely depicting a certain person at a certain moment, and the people and choices that did not make it onto the page surely exist as well.

The anime will depict characters and scenes that did not appear in the original manga.

I believe it will become a work that both those who have read the manga and those encountering the story for the first time can enjoy, each from their own unique starting point. I look forward to seeing this tale expand into a new form of expression through the space and time that only animation can provide.

(*Yumiri Hanamori’s comment as Oniyasha has been released previously.)
Oniyasha (CV: Yumiri Hanamori)

A boy who tends to drift off into his own thoughts, he is the son of Kan’ami, head of the Kanze troupe. Even though he’s expected to one day lead the troupe, he questions the very purpose of dance itself: “Why do people dance?” Once his curiosity or desire to explore something kicks in, he charges straight ahead without thinking, constantly dragging everyone around him into the commotion.

Yumiri Hanamori – PROFILE
Affiliated with tomorrow jam. Major roles include Asako Yamagishi in The Summer Hikaru Died, Sagiri Yamada Asaemon in Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku, Akira Asai in Call of the Night, Nadeshiko Kagamihara in Laid-Back Camp, and Ryuji Ayukawa in Blue Period, among others.

・Comment by Yumiri Hanamori
I believe that in this world, there are as many things people consider “good” as there are people.

No two people measure things by the same standard. And that’s exactly why, if someone encounters something in this world that they feel is “good,” it will surely become a flower that lights and colors the path they walk. I can’t help but hope for that.

In a world where rise and fall come and go like waves on the shore, what shape did the flower he brought into bloom take, and what color did it shine with? Why does it continue to bloom even now, along the paths of so many people?

I hope that, somewhere beyond this work, it reaches you too.


Ishiya (CV: Simba Tsuchiya)

A member of the Kanze troupe and someone who truly understands Oniyasha. Because of a leg condition he’s had since childhood, he gave up on ever performing on stage, but he’s skilled at chanting and often helps Oniyasha with his practice. He’s a kind-hearted boy who cares deeply for both the Kanze troupe and Oniyasha.

Simba Tsuchiya – PROFILE
His major roles include Shoutaro Futaba in Backflip!!, Shuji Ito in Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, Tatara Fujita in Welcome to the Ballroom, Ryota Kuzuryu in Shinkalion Change the World, Yosuke Ueno in April showers Bring Forth May Flowers, and Tsutomu Goshiki in Haikyu!!, among others.

・Comment by Simba Tsuchiya
Every recording session for this series felt like a truly special experience.

Before each session, the director, scriptwriter, producers, and sound director would join us in the recording booth and carefully share their thoughts—what intentions were behind that episode’s script, what emotions they wanted to express.

Taking that time together naturally heightened the actors’ feelings and helped us step more deeply into the characters and story. The passion the staff had for the project flowed to the cast and then into the work itself. It felt like a site overflowing with love.

I’m sure every cast member who took part in this anime ended up loving this world more deeply and more strongly than ever. I’m definitely one of them.

That’s why I faced the role head‑on and poured everything I had into my performance. I hope that passion reaches all of you through the series.


Kogane (CV: Maaya Uchida)

A friend of Oniyasha’s. He’s always down by the riverbank, where he and Oniyasha—who sneaks away from practice—spend their time making up ridiculous stories together. Rough around the edges but surprisingly dependable, he actually seems to have an interest in dance.

Maaya Uchida – PROFILE
Affiliated with I’m Enterprise. Her major roles include Miyabi Sinohara in Drops of God, Chie-sensei in Kaya-chan Isn’t Scary, the Angel Devil in Chainsaw Man, and Iko Round in Kunon the Sorcerer Can See, among others.

・Comment by Maaya Uchida
Congratulations on the anime adaptation of The World Is Dancing!

I’m Maaya Uchida, and I’ll be playing Kogane.

When we first started recording, I distinctly remember feeling this irrepressible excitement—like, “Something incredible is starting…!”

I’m really looking forward to spending these youthful days with the people who surround dance in this story.


Zojiro (CV: Romi Park

A young performer leading the Dengaku Shinza troupe. Strict with both himself and others, he serves as the driving force behind the troupe’s morale. He also directs a sharp, critical gaze toward Oniyasha.

Romi Park – PROFILE
Affiliated with LAL. Her major roles include Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist, Hange Zoë in Attack on Titan, Tōshirō Hitsugaya in BLEACH, Loran Cehack in ∀ Gundam, and Nana Osaki in NANA, among others.

・Comment by Romi Park
When I first read this manga, it felt as though something had grabbed my heart in its talons.

It had been a long time since I’d had an experience like that, and I actually found myself trembling.

No matter which character you look at, it feels as if the work is holding up a mirror to you—there’s a sting to it, a kind of embarrassment, and at the same time an irresistible heat rising from within.

I’m deeply grateful to have encountered a story that lays bare, so thoroughly, the very nature of creators, artists, and all those who devote themselves to performance—something that has remained the same from past to present.


Kan’ami (CV: Katsuyuki Konishi)

Head of the Kanze troupe and father of Oniyasha. A master performer who elevated the popularity of Sarugaku within a single generation. He doesn’t speak much, which often leads to misunderstandings between him and Oniyasha.

Katsuyuki Konishi – PROFILE
Affiliated with Ken Production. His major roles include Tanzaburo Tojima in Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider, Enjin in Gachiakuta, Kiwami Kimura in Ninja vs. Gokudō, Tengen Uzui in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, and Takauji Ashikaga in The Elusive Samurai, among others.

・Comment by Katsuyuki Konishi
I’m Katsuyuki Konishi, and I’ll be playing Kan’ami in The World Is Dancing.

I never imagined the day would come when I would be given the chance to voice Kan’ami himself…

I’m truly grateful.

I can’t wait to see how the story, visuals, and music all come together on screen!

I hope you enjoy your time in the world of The World Is Dancing!


Junigoro (CV: Haruki Ishiya)

A member of the Kanze troupe and a young apprentice of the small hand drum. His serious and well mannered nature seems to make him feel a certain way about Oniyasha.

Haruki Ishiya – PROFILE
Affiliated with Osawa Office. His major roles include Hikaru Gero in Marriage Toxin, Maki Maehara in I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class, Haruma Usada in Pardon the Intrusion, I’m Home!, and Akiteru Ooboshi in My Friend’s Little Sister Has It In For Me!, among others.

・Comment by Haruki Ishiya
Back when I was a student, I had a brief opportunity to experience Noh myself, so getting to voice Junigoro in this series felt like a real connection of fate—and a great honor.

Each person has their own way of receiving and feeling things—about people, about art, about the very way we live. Those sensibilities are shaped by the environments and experiences we’ve gone through, and they can change… or remain the same.

Against that backdrop, Noh—at least in the broader sense explored here—stands as something unchanging.

I’m pouring all of my present sense of what is “good” into this role, so that viewers can receive the “goodness” of this work in their own hearts. If something from it lingers with you, I couldn’t ask for more. Please look forward to the broadcast.

Animation Producer: Mizoguchi KAN

PROFILE
Animation producer at CygamesPictures. He studied Noh under master Tsumura Reijiro through the Hitotsubashi Kanze-kai. His recent work includes Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Road To The Top and Umamusume: Pretty Derby the Movie – Beginning of a New Era.

・Comment by Mizoguchi KAN
Back when I was a university student, Noh left me with the impression of being a stiff, old‑fashioned traditional art form—something far removed from my own life. Then I heard these words from my future teacher, Tsumura Reijiro: “Noh was the contemporary dance of the Muromachi period.”

That shock set me on the path of studying Noh myself.

When I later read The World Is Dancing, the powerful feeling that, through Noh, we are connected to the people of that era—came rushing back to me. Rather than treating arts such as sarugaku (the precursor to Noh) and dengaku as dry, distant “classics,” this work vividly portrays them as the cutting‑edge culture of the Muromachi period, conveying that the creative fervor of those days is no different from our own.

That’s why I thought: if we take this story about the frontline of popular entertainment in Muromachi Japan and express it today through anime—the frontline of modern entertainment—we might arrive at something truly exciting. And that’s how this project began.

I hope that this series will not only speak to audiences living in the present, but will someday be watched across time—a “classic anime” in its own right.


Music: Daisuke Shinoda
PROFILE
Graduated from the Department of Composition, Faculty of Music, Tokyo University of the Arts, and completed the university’s graduate program. His past works include the score for the film Listen to the Universe (Mitsubachi to Enrai), which won the Excellence in Music Award at the 43rd Japan Academy Film Prize, the game Fate/Samurai Remnant, the anime Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online II, and the drama series Hōtei no Dragon, among others.

・Comment by Daisuke Shinoda
Noh, brought to maturity in the Muromachi period by Kan’ami and Zeami, remains today an extremely important intangible cultural asset among Japan’s traditional performing arts.

When I was invited to work on this series, which takes Noh as its theme and follows Zeami (Oniyasha) as its protagonist, I was genuinely excited by both its content and its sense of scale. Watching Oniyasha devote himself to his art, struggling with his doubts day after day and growing through that, I feel something that deeply resonates with us living in the present.

I can’t share too many details yet, but the music plays a very important role in the show, and we’ve prepared plenty of moments throughout where you can really sink into the sound.

This is a project that the director, the staff, and I have spent many years building together. I truly hope you’ll look forward to experiencing it.

Noh Choreography Supervision: Tsumura Reijiro

PROFILE
Noh actor of the Kanze school (shite-kata), head of the Kanze-school Ryokusen-kai, and an Important Intangible Cultural Property holder for “Nohgaku” (classical Noh theater).
He is specially appointed professor at Nishogakusha University and a lecturer at Hitotsubashi University Graduate School. In addition to performing classical Noh and open‑air Noh, he is dedicated to training young performers and has appeared in cultural exchange programs overseas.
He is also active in collaborative and creative works that cross genres, including new Noh plays, theater, and contemporary dance. Collaborations include: Othello (Kuniyoshi Munekata), In the forest, under cherries in full bloom (Hideki Noda), Night on the Galactic Railroad (Hiroshi Koike), Ame ni mo Makezu (Kaiji Moriyama), and THE KUMANO (Kenta Kojiri). His publications include 100 Keywords to Understand Noh (Shogakukan), the photo collection Mugen (Dancing Illusion), and the documentary film The Dancing Traveler: Portrait of Noh Performer Reijiro Tsumura (directed by Ryu Miyake).

・Comment by Tsumura Reijiro
The fact that sarugaku Noh has survived and been passed down to the present as “Nohgaku” would have been impossible without the achievements of Kan’ami and Zeami, the father and son who led their troupe in their era.

For a Noh performer like myself, to be involved in the creation of an anime that depicts their story marks a new page in the tradition of Noh.

I hope this classical art will not remain confined to the word “classical,” but will instead be widely loved and enjoyed.

Kaiji Moriyama – PROFILE
Dancer. Known for his tranquil presence, supple yet sharp movements that slice through space, and a unique body of work that often draws on Noh and other traditional Japanese motifs. Served as chief choreographer and stage director for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony in 2021. He also played the role of No‑Face in the 2023–2024 stage production of Spirited Away.

Mikiko Kawamura – PROFILE
Dancer and choreographer, once described as “an enfant terrible of the dance world who seems to have fallen from some other planet” (Dance New Air 2014 / Tatsuo Ishii). Her activities extend beyond theaters to include outdoor performances and other diverse platforms. Her recent choreography work includes Jigoku no Abaremono (The Hellion), presented by Sainokuni Saitama Arts Theater. She also appeared in the film N.P. (directed by Lisa Spilliaert, based on the novel by Banana Yoshimoto).

(*Previously announced)

The World Is Dancing will be featured at AnimeJapan 2026, held at Tokyo Big Sight on Saturday, March 28, and Sunday, March 29. The series’ presence will include an exhibit, AnimeJapan‑exclusive footage, and exclusive giveaway items. We’d love for you to stop by and check it out.

Shochiku Anime Booth: Tokyo Big Sight, East Hall 5, Booth J‑25
CyberAgent Anime Booth: Tokyo Big Sight, East Hall 5, Booth J‑49

In addition, a talk event featuring Yumiri Hanamori has been confirmed at the TOKYO MX booth:
Event Title: “The World Is Dancing” Director Toshimasa Kuroyanagi × Yumiri Hanamori AJ Special Talk
Date & Time: Saturday, March 28, 12:00–12:30 (JST)
Venue: TOKYO MX Booth, A‑39, East Hall 7, Tokyo Big Sight
Guests: Yumiri Hanamori (CV: Oniyasha), Toshimasa Kuroyanagi (Director), MC: Producer Mizoguchi (CygamesPictures)

Follow “The World Is Dancing” on Social Media:
Official Website: https://sh-anime.shochiku.co.jp/worldisdancing-anime
Official X: https://x.com/wid_anime (@wid_anime)

INTRODUCTION:
One does not need dance to live.

In 1374, during the turbulent age when the Northern and Southern Courts were locked in conflict, the Northern Court’s shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, was becoming an increasingly dominant force.

Born the son of Kan’ami, head of the Kanze troupe of sarugaku performers, Oniyasha drifts through his days with a hazy question lodged in his heart: Why do people dance? His spirit remains clouded, until the day he encounters a dance that is truly “good.”

Curious, sensitive, and strikingly beautiful, the boy meets people, laughs, cries, confronts his own weaknesses, and slowly begins to shape a new form of dance for a world steeped in impermanence.

Kazuto Mihara’s groundbreaking Noh themed manga from Morning finally comes to life as an anime, filled with scenes that stir the heart and dynamic movement and chanting that can only be expressed through animation.

Directed by Toshimasa Kuroyanagi (The Great Passage, Backflip!!) and animated by CygamesPictures (Uma Musume: Cinderella Gray, The Summer Hikaru Died), this series showcases top tier animation supported by a standout cast.

This is a story shaped by dance that may have unfolded when the boy who would one day create Noh—Zeami—was still known as Oniyasha, carried across 600 years to the present.

STORY:
In 1374, amid the turmoil of the Northern and Southern Courts’ long running conflict, a boy named Oniyasha is born into a family of sarugaku theater performers. He spends his days in a kind of quiet gloom, haunted by a simple but persistent question: Why do people dance? Then, one day, he witnesses a dance that he feels to be “good”—and everything begins to change. This is the story of the beautiful young boy who would one day shape the art of Noh and be remembered as Zeami.

Cast & Staff:
Cast
Yumiri Hanamori, Shimba Tsuchiya, Maaya Uchida, Romi Park, Katsuyuki Konishi, Haruki Ishiya

Staff
Based on the manga "The World Is Dancing" by Kazuto Mihara originally serialized in the weekly MORNING magazine published by KODANSHA Ltd.
Director: Toshimasa Kuroyanagi
Character Design: Keigo Sasaki
Series Composition/Script: Sawako Kawamitsu
Sub Director: Shuhei Fuchimoto
Sub Character Design: Iori Hisatake
Prop Design: Odashi
Art Setting: Mamio Ogawa
Art Director: Hiromasa Ogura, Kazuhiro Inoue
Color Design: Naoko Sato, Kumiko Naruge
3D Supervisor: Yoshinori Nakano
Director of Photography: Yutaro Kikuchi
Editing: Daisuke Hiraki
Sound Director: Yukio Nagasaki
Music: Daisuke Shinoda
Calligraphy/Title Lettering: Satoshi Nemoto
Noh Choreography: Tsumura Reijiro
Choreography: Kaiji Moriyama, Mikiko Kawamura
Noh Supervision: Kohei Kawaguchi
History Supervision: Katsuyuki Shimizu
Animation Producer: Mizoguchi KAN
Animation Production: CygamesPictures