Hirayasumi anime: Exciting 2027 debut, NYC premiere Oct. 7
Fans of slice-of-life manga have a new date to circle on the calendar. The Hirayasumi anime will debut in Japan in January 2027, and Viz Media has revealed its cast, director and a teaser, along with a world premiere screening in New York City, Anime News Network reported.
The anime, based on Keigo Shinzō’s manga, will air on NHK General TV. Viz Media, which co-produces the series, also confirmed an English-language release for 2027, though the streaming or distribution platform has not been announced.
What Hirayasumi is about
The Hirayasumi anime follows Hiroto Ikuta, a laid-back 29-year-old freelancer who works at a fishing pond. He regularly shares meals with Hanae Wada, an elderly retired school cook, and inherits her old house after she dies suddenly. His 18-year-old cousin Natsumi Kobayashi, an aspiring art student, later moves in, leaving Hiroto as her guardian.
Hirayasumi anime cast and crew
Viz Media released a teaser trailer and key visual alongside the casting news. Yūma Uchida will voice lead character Hiroto Ikuta, with Mayu Takahashi playing Natsumi Kobayashi and Rikako Aikawa voicing Hanae Wada.
Behind the camera, Kei Suezawa is directing. Suezawa’s previous credits include the anime film “Fate/Grand Order The Movie Divine Realm of the Round Table: Camelot Wandering; Agateram” and “FLCL Progressive.” Naoyuki Asano, whose past character design work includes “Urusei Yatsura” and “Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!,” is handling character designs for the Hirayasumi anime.
Mika Nishimura, who served as art director on “Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction,” fills the same role here. Composer Kaori Sawada, known for scoring “What Did You Eat Yesterday?,” is writing the music, and Junichi Katsutani is producing. The anime is a co-production between Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions and studio Production +h.
NYC gets first look
Before Japanese audiences see a single frame, New York fans will get the first crack at the show. Japan Society in Manhattan will screen the first episode on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 7 p.m. EDT.
Sawada and Katsutani plan to attend in person. Viz Media community manager Godswill Ugwa will host a panel discussion on bringing the manga to the screen, giving attendees a chance to hear from members of the creative team ahead of the global release.
From page to two screens
Hirayasumi has already made the jump from manga to live action once. A live-action drama starring Amane Okayama and Nana Mori aired on NHK from November to December 2025, and now the Hirayasumi anime is following close behind, making this one of those rare properties getting the full multimedia treatment within roughly a year’s span.
The manga launched in April 2021 in Shogakukan’s Weekly Big Comic Spirits and has reached 10 compiled volumes in Japan, the most recent released April 30, according to Wikipedia. The series won the 71st Shogakukan Manga Award this year. It has also placed in the Manga Taisho rankings, earned a nomination for the Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize, landed on the “Kono Manga ga Sugoi!” list and picked up a best continuing manga series nomination at the American Manga Awards.
Shinzō is also behind “Holiday Junction,” a short manga collection of seven one-shot stories that Denpa has licensed for English release.
What’s next
With the January 2027 Japanese broadcast set and a 2027 English release confirmed, the biggest remaining question for international fans is where they’ll be able to watch it. Episode counts and platform details haven’t been revealed, but the NYC premiere on Oct. 7 could bring the next wave of news. For more upcoming series, see the “Witch Hat Atelier” anime voice cast reveal and our top anime series of 2025.
Source: Anime News Network