Kakunaru Ue wa Anime Adaptation Confirmed for January 2027 Premiere Alongside New Staff and Promotional Video Reveals

The official production committee for the upcoming television anime adaptation of Kyuu Takahata and Yuuji Kaba’s romantic comedy manga Kakunaru Ue wa (Now That We Draw) has officially announced a sweeping update regarding the project’s development. During a recent media update released on Thursday, the official website unveiled the first official promotional video, a brand-new character visual, and an extensive list of additional creative personnel joining the crew. Alongside these production updates, the committee confirmed that the series is scheduled to make its official broadcast premiere in January 2027.

The announcement brings considerable momentum to the multimedia franchise, which has steadily built a dedicated readership since its debut in early 2023. As production ramps up at animation studio ROLL2, industry observers and fans alike are tracking the unfolding details of how the popular manga will transition to the small screen.

Main Production Team and Newly Announced Staff Additions

At the helm of the Kakunaru Ue wa television anime series is director Shunsuke Ishikawa, widely recognized for his work on Blue Lock: Episode Nagi. Ishikawa is directing the project at studio ROLL2, bringing his distinct visual pacing and narrative expertise to the romantic comedy genre. Working alongside him is veteran scriptwriter Deko Akao, known for series composition on titles such as Witch Watch, who is tasked with overseeing the series composition and penning the scripts. The foundational character designs for the anime are being handled by Hiromi Nakagawa, whose previous credits include Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence.

In addition to the core trio, Thursday’s announcement introduced a robust roster of supporting staff members who will shape the aesthetic and auditory landscape of the series. Momoka Izumi, who served as an animation director for Call of the Night (Yofukashi no Uta), has been appointed as the sub-character designer. The vibrant and atmospheric color palette of the series is being managed by Yurie Matsuura, recognized for her color design work on Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! and My Deer Friend Nokotan.

The visual depth of the anime is further reinforced by art director Arei Saiga, drawing from background art experience on The Elusive Samurai and Magilumiere Co. Ltd., and director of photography Hayato Kifune of EOTA, whose cinematography credits include Nippon Sangoku. Meanwhile, 3DCG sequences are being spearheaded by Masashi Watanabe, whose previous contributions include Akebi’s Sailor Uniform.

On the post-production and audio side, Mai Hasegawa of editz is handling series editing, utilizing expertise honed on high-profile projects like Blue Lock. The soundscape of the show is directed by Fumiyuki Gou, known for My Stepmom’s Daughter Is My Ex, with sound effects meticulously crafted by Ryuuta Nakahara of Jingai Kyoushitsu no Ningengirai Kyoushi. Finally, the musical score for Kakunaru Ue wa is being composed by Yoshiaki Miura, setting the emotional tone for the romantic comedy’s narrative beats.

Chronology of the Kakunaru Ue wa Manga Franchise

The journey of Kakunaru Ue wa from a serialized magazine feature to an anticipated major television anime spans several milestones across the Japanese publishing landscape and international localization markets.

The romantic comedy manga was first launched by creators Kyuu Takahata and Yuuji Kaba in Hakusensha’s seinen manga magazine Young Animal in February 2023. The series quickly gained traction for its engaging premise, humorous character interactions, and heartfelt exploration of creative passions intertwined with romance. As chapters accumulated, Hakusensha began compiling the series into standalone tankoubon volumes.

The release schedule of the manga established a steady cadence throughout 2023, 2024, and 2025. By April 28, Hakusensha had published the seventh collected volume of the series in Japan. This was closely followed by the release of the eighth volume on September 29, cementing the manga’s commercial viability and sustained popularity within the Young Animal stable.

Recognizing the global appeal of the property, North American publisher Seven Seas Entertainment licensed Kakunaru Ue wa for an English-language release in September 2024. Seven Seas has since maintained a reliable translation and distribution schedule for international fans. The fifth volume of the English edition was published on July 28, with the sixth volume scheduled to hit shelves on December 22. This simultaneous cultivation of domestic and international reader bases has created a solid foundational audience for the upcoming 2027 anime adaptation.

Supporting Data and Industry Context

The adaptation of Kakunaru Ue wa by studio ROLL2 arrives during a period of significant adaptation activity for seinen romantic comedy titles. Seinen manga, traditionally marketed toward young adult men, have increasingly found mainstream crossover appeal through high-fidelity television animation.

Studio ROLL2, while selective in its project choices, has positioned itself as a capable production house adept at handling character-driven narratives. By pairing director Shunsuke Ishikawa with veteran writer Deko Akao, the production committee has signaled a strategic intent to balance comedic timing with emotional resonance—a critical requirement for adapting manga serialized in Young Animal, a magazine renowned for balancing edgy humor with deeply human character arcs.

Furthermore, the timing of the January 2027 premiere grants the production team a generous development window. With pre-production milestones such as character design finalization and the release of the first promotional video occurring well in advance of the broadcast date, ROLL2 appears to be prioritizing a stable production pipeline. This approach directly addresses industry-wide discussions regarding animator workloads and production quality control, allowing the creative team ample time to maintain high visual standards across the scheduled episode run.

Broader Impact and Market Implications

The formalization of the Kakunaru Ue wa anime project carries multiple implications for both Hakusensha and the broader anime industry. For Hakusensha, the adaptation represents another strategic IP expansion from its Young Animal catalog, following a broader industry trend where publishers actively collaborate with animation studios to maximize multi-platform revenue streams and boost physical manga sales.

Historically, the announcement of a television anime serves as a major catalyst for original manga sales in Japan, frequently driving back-catalog volumes onto Oricon bestseller lists. With the anime slated for January 2027, Hakusensha and Seven Seas Entertainment have a protracted runway to market existing volumes, introduce the series to prospective readers, and build online engagement surrounding the character visuals and promotional video materials released this week.

From an international distribution perspective, the established English-language presence via Seven Seas ensures that global fans will not face a significant knowledge gap when the anime debuts. As simulcast licensing negotiations progress closer to the 2027 premiere window, platforms specializing in global anime streaming are expected to vie for the series, given the growing international appetite for grounded romantic comedies with artistic or creative industry backdrops.

As production continues under the direction of Shunsuke Ishikawa at ROLL2, additional updates regarding voice casting, theme song performers, and exact broadcast dates are anticipated to roll out over the coming months, keeping the title at the forefront of community discussions leading up to its winter 2027 debut.