Adaptation anime of historical-themed manga The World Is Dancing has officially been announced. This news is a highlight for those of you who have been waiting for an in-depth story of the origins of the art of Noh theater in anime form.
The latest information states that the series is scheduled to premiere in Summer 2026. Shochiku and CyberAgent are here as co-producers to handle this anime together. Meanwhile, the responsibility of animation work is left entirely to CygamesPictures studio.
Along with this news, a visual teaser illustrated by Keigo Sasaki was also shown to the public. The visual features the title calligraphy specially written by Satoru Nemoto, as well as a promotional video that is already available for viewing.
Oniyasha Travel
The story in this anime takes place in 1374 amidst the turmoil of the prolonged conflict between the Northern and Southern Palaces. The main focus is on a boy named Oniyasha who was born into a family of entertainers. sarugaku.
Oniyasha spent her days in quiet gloom and was haunted by a persistent question in the back of her mind: “Why do people dance?”. His outlook changes after witnessing a dance that he feels is “good”. This is the story of the beautiful boy who would go on to shape the art of Noh and be known in history as Zeami.
Production Staff and Cast
Full details on the production team and main voice actors have been revealed along with the announcement of the adaptation. Yumiri Hanamori has been confirmed to voice the main character Oniyasha, the young name of Zeami who would later become the father of Noh theater.
Here is the list of core staff involved in the anime The World Is Dancing:
- Director: Toshimasa Kuroyanagi (The Great Passage, Backflip!)
- Character Design: Keigo Sasaki (The Millionaire Detective, Lonely Castle in the Mirror)
- Calligraphy/Title Lettering: Satoru Nemoto
- Animation Production: CygamesPictures
- Voice Cast: Yumiri Hanamori as Oniyasha
About The World Is Dancing
The anime adapts the six-volume manga by Kazuto Mihara that was originally serialized in the magazine Morning owned by Kodansha publishing house. The main focus of this work is to capture the cultural evolution and personal side of the character Zeami.
The story highlights the period of the late 14th century when Noh (then known as sarugaku) is in the process of evolving into a formal art form. Currently, the English version of the original manga is available on the KODANSHA service.
To celebrate this announcement, Kazuto Mihara also shared a special illustration. You can see the manga author's celebratory image below:
The arrival of this anime in Summer 2026 will be an addition to the watch list for fans of the historical genre.
