It was announced on January 21st that Kazuto Mihara's Noh manga "The World is Dancing," depicting the life of Zeami, will be adapted into a television anime. It will air in the summer of 2026. The series was serialized in the manga magazine "Morning" (Kodansha) from March 2021 to October 2022, and garnered attention for the refined story and profound themes that are relevant to the present day. The anime will be directed by Toshimasa Kuroyanagi, known for "The Great Passage" and "Bakuten!!," and produced by Cygames Pictures, the studio behind "Uma Musume Cinderella Gray."Yumiri Hanamori will play the protagonist, Oniyasha, a young boy who would later create the Noh play and become known as Zeami.
"The World is Dancing" is set in 1374, a turbulent time when the conflict between the Northern and Southern Courts continues. The story follows Oniyasha, a boy born into a family of Sarugaku dancers. He spends his days feeling depressed, harboring a vague question: "Why do people dance?", until one day he encounters a "good" dance.
A teaser visual has been released featuring an illustration of Oniyasha drawn by character designer Keigo Sasaki, with the calligraphy "World is Dancing" by calligrapher Satoru Nemoto. A promotional video announcing the TV anime adaptation has also been released, featuring a scene in which Oniyasha encounters a shocking dance. Characters including Yoshimitsu Ashikaga also appear in the promotional video.
Director Kuroyanagi commented, "This is the story of a boy named Oniyasha who continues to challenge himself to create something in an era when Noh, which is now considered a classical performing art, was called Sarugaku and was the latest form of entertainment. He doesn't have superior talent, nor does he have any medals that he can be proud of. But he still continues to challenge himself to do Sarugaku every day, hoping that he might become someone who can change the world. I feel that this is somehow connected to the "original intentions" that we all have within us, and so all of our staff are working hard now to create an anime that everyone can enjoy. Just as the "flower" that Oniyasha reaches will last for 600 years, I would like to cherish this work and do my best to create a story that will be loved for a long time."
Hanamori, who plays Oniyasha, said, "I believe that in this world, there are as many things that people perceive as 'good'. No two things are the same, and that is why if you come across something in this world that you perceive as 'good', it will surely become a flower that lights up the path that you live. I can't help but hope so. Like the ebb and flow of the waves, this world is full of ups and downs. What shape and color was the flower that he made bloom? Why does it continue to bloom on the paths of so many people even now? I hope that this work will reach you."
Sasaki, who is in charge of character design, said, "After reading the original work, I thought, 'Wow...I'd definitely regret it if I didn't participate...' It's a work full of charm, so I'm wondering how much of it can be expressed in anime? And what is expression in the first place? I'm spending my days challenging myself together with the other creators, inspired by the passion for Oniyasha's art. I'll do my best to deliver something great."
Nemoto, who was in charge of the title calligraphy, said, "Fushi Kaden was written by Zeami, the master of Noh. It is Japan's oldest treatise on Noh and acting, describing human movements and emotional states, and discusses appearance by comparing it to flowers. In his later years, Zeami wrote a book called Hanakagami, and flowers held a special place in his heart. I was asked to write the title calligraphy for The World is Dancing in katakana, and when I thought about how to express it, I thought that the theme of flowers would be best. Katakana was created as a symbol for reading classical Chinese characters in Japanese, and it can be said to travel between the world of letters and the world of non-letters. This is why I freed it from the concept of letters and took up my brush to model Zeami's flowers in this title calligraphy. I would be happy if I could add a little bit of flower to this anime."
