World Is Dancing Anime Confirms July 2 Premiere Date, Reveals Main PV and Key Visual

The upcoming TV anime World Is Dancing, based on the manga by Kazuto Mihara that was serialized in Kodansha’s Morning magazine, has officially confirmed its premiere date for July 2, 2026, at 10:00 PM JST. Alongside the announcement, the series also unveiled its main promotional video and a new key visual.

Main PV Reveals Opening Theme by Macaroni Empitsu

The newly released main PV features the opening theme song “Shusho” performed by Macaroni Empitsu. The video offers a closer look at the anime’s atmosphere and characters ahead of its broadcast debut.

Additional cast members were also announced, including Takahiro Sakurai, Nobuo Tobita, Mamiko Noto, Inori Minase, and Hazuki Seto.

Opening Theme Artist: Macaroni Empitsu “shusho”

PROFILE
A four-piece rock band formed in 2012. Led by vocalist/guitarist Hattori, the band is known for their expressive sound and emotional lyrics. They have successfully completed multiple arena tours and remain at the forefront of the Japanese rock scene.

Comment by Hattori (Vo. & Gt.)
It is an honor to be part of such a wonderful work. I felt a deep connection to the resolve and struggle of dedicating one's life to the stage, and the courage required to create and stand by what one believes is 'good.' I believe

Cast Comments and Character Illustrations

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (CV: Takahiro Sakurai)
The third shogun of the Muromachi shogunate, a man of great ambition and strong pride. Despite holding the absolute authority of a shogun, his youth leaves him frustrated when things don’t go as he expects, and he spends his days searching for answers. To unify a world overflowing with conflicting laws, he seeks a “flower” capable of drawing people together.

Comment by Takahiro Sakurai
I imagine many people have seen Kabuki before, but feel that Noh theater is a completely unfamiliar world. Honestly, I exactly the same—to me, it was just another type of traditional performing art. World Is Dancing is a work that lets you witness the very origins of Noh. Even if you go in with zero knowledge, like I did, you'll be completely drawn in by the fantastical story and

Nijo Yoshimoto (CV: Nobuo Tobita)
A court noble, former regent, and poet. Captivated by Oniyasha, he calls him “Fujiwaka” and refers to himself as his devoted follower.

Comment by Nobuo Tobita
Right off the bat, I was told, “Go completely over the top with the energy. This guy's a total weirdo!"
Based off that, I leaned hard into his intense love and obsession with his bias.
The cover of the script for the first episode he appears in featured a massive close-up of Lord Nijo, which naturally got me incredibly hyped up.
He might be a powerful and high-ranking court noble, but his sole reason for living is simply Fujiwaka! He is completely honest about his feelings, and he would go through hell and high water to make his dreams come true! He really tries his absolute best...
But... just as I am me, Oniyasha is Oniyasha.
Oh, the cruel and heartbreaking irony of fate!
I had so much fun playing the role of Lord Nijo Yoshimoto.
There's an incredible amount of things to see and hear in this anime, so please look forward to it!

Nariko (CV: Mamiko Noto)
Yoshimitsu’s lawful wife. Gentle in nature, she watches over Oniyasha and the others. She loves the performing arts and enjoys composing waka poetry.

Comment by Mamiko Noto
I'm Mamiko Noto, and it is a privilege to voice Nariko. I hadn't had much exposure to the world of Noh theater before, but working on this project has really sparked my interest.
Every single character is living their life to the absolute fullest. It's a powerful work that literally gives you goosebumps. I took away so much from every single recording session.
Nariko is a gentle, soft-spoken woman, but whenever you catch glimpses of her deep sensitivity, the things she holds dear, and the convictions she stands by, you can't help but imagine the quiet strength and inner battles she carries within her. Her wonderful qualities are scattered throughout the show, even in the briefest moments of realization or a single short line, so I hope you will keep an eye out for them.
Please look forward to World Is Dancing! As you watch, I hope you'll let the wings of your own heart dance freely, too.

Chiharu (CV: Inori Minase)
Inomaru’s younger sister. Though she has given up performing on stage because of her gender, she loves the world of dance and joins flute practice. Quick to get into fights, she deeply admires Nariko, who is her complete opposite.

Comment by Inori Minase
In this anime, I play the role of Chiharu, an original character.
She wrestles with her gender and her place in the world, yet she navigates life with incredible strength and resilience.
Noh is a traditional Japanese performing art, but I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit that until I joined this project, I hadn't really engaged with its deep history or essence.
The profound beauty of something enduring through time. The challenges of preserving and passing down a tradition. The courage it takes to embrace change.
I feel this is a work that offers meaningful discoveries and lessons, even for those of us living in the modern world. I truly hope it reaches as many people as possible.

Satsuki (CV: Hazuki Seto)
A one-armed girl who works at the town’s dumpling shop. Straightforward and no nonsense, she devotes herself to the business each day.

Comment by Hazuki Seto
I'm Hazuki Seto.
First off, I want to say that no one is more surprised by this casting than I am. I was already thrilled at the audition stage just knowing Director Kuroyanagi was part of the project, but when I saw how star-studded the rest of the cast was, my eyes practically popped out of my head.
I am so incredibly grateful for the chance to work alongside such amazing people, and to have met Satsuki. She has such a rich heart, and I absolutely love her strength—the way she so gracefully accepts whatever reality throws her way. I went into the recording sessions truly savoring the joy of being able to connect with her through my voice.
I hope World Is Dancing reaches everyone living in the present day, and travels even further. I hope it spreads its wings and soars boundlessly.

About The World Is Dancing

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 as Oniyasha
Simba Tsuchiya as Ishiya
Maaya Uchida as Kogane
Romi Park as Zojiro
Katsuyuki Konishi as Kan’ami
Haruki Ishiya as Junigoro

■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
Opening theme song: Macaroni Empitsu “shusho” (TOY'S FACTORY)
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

Source : World Is Dancing Official