Japan’s NTV to premiere new Hana-Kimi series on 5 December

A new live-action Hana-Kimi series is scheduled to premiere on NTV on 5 December 2026 at 14:30 Japan time (09:30 Yerevan time). Its 8 half-hour episodes will air on Saturdays.

The series and an accompanying first stage production mark the 30th anniversary of the start of Hisaya Nakajo’s manga, which ran in Hakusensha’s Hana to Yume magazine from 1996 to 2004. Stardust Promotion says the manga has surpassed 17 million copies in cumulative circulation.

TVer and Hulu will stream the series in Japan, and Hulu will also carry a director’s cut, Anime News Network said.

The story and its cast

Hana Kawamura plays Mizuki Ashiya, a Japanese-American athlete who disguises herself as a boy to attend an all-boys school in Japan near her idol, high jumper Izumi Sano. When they become roommates, Mizuki must keep her identity secret both at school and in their room.

Makoto Hasegawa plays Izumi, and Itsuki Fujiwara plays Shūichi Nakatsu; both are members of The Rampage. Kawamura said filming had begun and that she hoped her portrayal of Mizuki would give viewers energy and courage.

Keisuke Shibata and NTV’s Shiori Ueno are directing. Fumie Koga, Yuka Arai and Kazumi Ōki are writing the scripts, with composition by Yōko Tamura.

Earlier adaptations and the stage production

The manga previously inspired a Taiwanese television adaptation in 2006, Japanese versions in 2007 and 2011, and a South Korean version. An anime adaptation premiered on Tokyo MX on 4 January 2026.

The stage production will feature the television series' main cast and is scheduled to open in Osaka on 13–15 February 2027, one week after the series ends, before performances in Aichi on 18–19 February and Tokyo on 13–22 March. Shintarō Sugano is writing and directing the play.