A press conference was held in Tokyo on October 23rd to announce the lineup for "Kaanibal!!," a new anime time slot that will be aired on Kansai TV and Fuji TV at 11pm on Tuesdays. It was announced that the first show to be aired in the time slot will be the TV anime "Tune In to the Midnight Heart," based on the romantic comedy manga by Igarashi Masakuni that is currently being serialized in "Weekly Shonen Magazine" (Kodansha), which will begin airing on January 6th, 2026. Appearing at the event were Yasuda Rikuya, who plays the main character Yamabuki Arisu, Seto Momoko, who plays Inohana Rikka, and Okubo Rumi, who plays Himegawa Nene, and spoke about the appeal of the series and the recording process.
The series is based on a manga by Igarashi, who is known for works such as Senryu Girl, which was also adapted into an anime series, and began serialization in the magazine in September 2023. Yamabuki Arisu, a second-year high school student, is searching for a radio broadcaster named Apollo, whose face and real name she does not know, and finds a clue in the broadcasting club of the high school she is attending. There she finds four beautiful girls who dream of working in a job related to voice... This is a romantic comedy that begins with "voice."
Okubo, who plays one of the heroines, Himegawa Nene, who aspires to be a voice actress, said, "As I am a voice actress by profession, it is very moving to play a role that I once walked. I want to remember those days when I was so dedicated and act accordingly."
When asked, "How would you sum up the highlights of the anime in one word?" Yasuda replied, "I like the way the subtitles are presented," Seto replied, "It's an ensemble drama. It focuses on each character individually, and it feels like life itself." Okubo added, "Vocabulary. The words are really interesting. It makes you wonder why he would use such a word here. I hope people will pay attention to the author's vocabulary."
In addition to "Tune In to the Midnight Heart: The Ghost in the Shell," a new TV anime series based on the popular manga "Ghost in the Shell" by Masamune Shirow, "Choujun! Chojo Senpai," based on the manga by Shun Numa that was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump (Shueisha), and "Marriage Toxin," based on the manga by Banin and illustrated by Mizuki Yoda that is currently being serialized on Shueisha's manga app "Shonen Jump+." The broadcast dates for the three works other than "Tune In to the Midnight Heart" will be announced in the future.
