At long last,Akane-banashi, one ofShonen Jump’s most unique manga, is finally getting an anime. While never a heavy hitter likeJujutsu KaisenorSakamoto Days,Akane-banashihas long been one ofShonen Jump’sstronger new-gen manga due to its great artwork and unique premise, slowly establishing itself as one of their biggest hits in ages.
Akane-banashiis the perfect definition of a sleeper hit, and after numerous rumors about its development, it’s finally been confirmed thatAkane-banashiwill receive an anime adaptation in 2026 from the anime studio ZEXCS. Not much else is known beyond some of the principal staff and cast, but even that has left plenty to be excited about withAkane-banashi.
Akane-Banashi Already Looks Like Anime Of The Year Material For 2026
Anime Series Produced By ZEXCS; Based On The Manga By Yuki Suenaga And Takamasa Moue
Even with just a teaser trailer,Akane-banashiis already looking to be a top-tier production. For starters, the anime will feature an all-star cast of Anna Nagase, Takuya Eguchi, and Rie Takahashi as Akane and her rivals, and with how good Nagase as Akane sounds in the teaser, it can be assumed that everyone else is a perfect fit.
Zexcs is a prodigious anime studio best known for their work on the Shadowverse franchise.
The visuals are also noteworthy.Akane-banashidoesn’t feature a lot of big movements, so it’s important that the small movements in therakugoperformances look as good as possible, and sure enough, the trailer shows plenty of detailed and fluid movements in what little time was allotted to it.
Much of that, of course, can be attributed to series director Ayumu Watanabe. Watanabe is one of the best directors in the business for projects likeSpace Brothersand theKomi Can’t Communicateanime, and if he’s bringing that same talent toAkane-banashi, then it’s already poised to be one of the most gorgeous anime of 2026.
Why Akane-Banashi Deserves A Great Anime Adaptation
What Makes Akane-Banashi So Great
Akane-banashigetting an anime is great to see, especially with how long overdue it is.Akane-banashiis a great mangafor its incredible character writing and how well it succeeds at adding flair to something as niche asrakugo, and with how fun it is with just the manga, the anime is bound to be even better.
With how many bigShonen Jumpmanga have been ending lately,Shonen Jumpneeds something that can be a new hit, and withAkane-banashigetting a great anime adaptation, it’s poised to finally fill that void. TheAkane-banashianime is still a long way away, but hopefully, it will more than live up to the hype.
