Welcome to the ultimate Hana Kimi anime guide, where we’ll share with you all the details you need to know for the 2026 revival of this legendary shoujo classic.
After decades of anticipation and several live-action dramas, fans are finally receiving the first-ever animated adaptation of Hisaya Nakajo’s masterpiece, arriving about 20 years after the manga’s original conclusion.
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In this Hana Kimi anime guide, we’ll dive into the chaotic world of Osaka Academy and introduce the stellar Hana Kimi English dub cast that brings these beloved Hana Kimi characters to life.
Hana Kimi anime guide: Plot and production
The Hana Kimi anime follows Mizuki Ashiya, a Japanese-American girl who takes a leap of faith by cutting her hair and enrolling in an all-boys boarding school. Her goal is to find Izumi Sano, a high-jump prodigy who inspired her but has since mysteriously quit the sport.
Posing as a boy, Mizuki must go through the messy dorm life of Osaka Academy, dodge the suspicions of her classmates, and somehow convince Sano to return to the track, all while sharing a room with him.
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The anime adaptation serves as a heartfelt 20th-anniversary tribute to the conclusion of the original shoujo manga.
The series was first serialized in 1996 in the semi-monthly magazine Hana to Yume, published by Hakusensha. It ran for nearly eight years, officially concluding its main serialization in August 2004 with 23 collected volumes and over 17 million copies sold worldwide.
It is a meaningful release for the community as it honors the legacy of the late author, Hisaya Nakajo. After decades of successful live-action dramas across Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, this anime finally brings Nakajo’s iconic character designs to life.
This 2026 adaptation is handled by Studio Signal.MD, the team acclaimed for the beautiful visuals of Net-juu no Susume and Platinum End.
The global powerhouse duo YOASOBI provides the opening “Adrena” and ending “BABY” theme songs for the series.
Hana Kimi English dub: Cast, voice actors
The Hana Kimi English dub features a talented lineup of voice actors bringing the leads of Osaka Academy to life.
Taking on the role of the main character, Mizuki, Katelyn Barr is well-known to fans as the voice of Himeno in Chainsaw Man and Mina Ashiro in Kaiju no 8. She brings a blend of boyish charm and heartfelt vulnerability to the role, showcasing her range as a voice actor.
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Joining her is Wyatt Baker as the cool Izumi Sano. Wyatt is a standout choice for the role, as he impressed shoujo fans with his performance as Shin Kashiwagi in Douse, Koishite Shimaunda. Much like Shin, Sano possesses a cool and distant exterior that Wyatt portrays with ease.
Beyond his shoujo work, you may also recognize his voice as Outa Tahide in Bucchigiri?! and Kaito Akaba in MF Ghost.
Providing the comedic soul of the series is Dallas Reid. Best known as the hyperactive Asta in Black Clover and the hilariously intense Yuri Briar in Spy x Family, Reid’s energy makes him the perfect fit for Nakatsu’s over-the-top internal monologues.
| HANA KIMI ANIME CHARACTERS | HANA KIMI ANIME ENGLISH DUB CAST |
| Mizuki Ashiya | Katelyn Barr |
| Izumi Sano | Wyatt Baker |
| Shuichi Nakatsu | Dallas Reid |
| Minami Nanba | Joshua Waters |
| Hokuto Umeda | Reagan Murdock |
| Senri Nakao | Justin Briner |
| Kyogo Sekime | Tom Henry |
| Daiki Kayashima | Ethan Condon |
| Shinji Noe | Ben Steigmar |
| Wataru Nihonbashi | Tyson Rinehart |
| Julia Maxwell | Jaclyn Thomas |
Hana Kimi characters and their relationships
The heart of the story lies in the dynamic between the three main Hana Kimi characters.
Mizuki Ashiya acts as the group’s emotional center, with a mission to help Izumi Sano return to high jump. Gradually, Sano’s cold exterior melts due to Mizuki’s persistence.
While their bond provides the anime’s romantic tension, it is complicated by the fact that Mizuki must hide her identity while living in a dormitory room with Sano.
Shuichi Nakatsu serves as the comic relief among Hana Kimi characters. While he is Mizuki’s closest friend, he suffers from an internal crisis because he is falling for her while believing she is a boy.
Together, the three form a close-knit group where Sano and Nakatsu often compete for Mizuki’s attention, albeit for different reasons.
The supporting Hana Kimi characters flesh out the school’s social structure. Hokuto Umeda, the school doctor, serves as a mentor who knows Mizuki’s secret, while Minami Nanba manages the chaotic Dorm 2. Other characters like Julia Maxwell add tension to the plot, while Senri Nakao and Kyogo Sekime round out the dorm life.
Hana Kimi anime episodes
| HANA KIMI ANIME EPISODE NUMBER | HANA KIMI ANIME EPISODE TITLE | SYNOPSIS | RELEASE DATE |
| Hana Kimi anime episode 1 | Please Be My Friend! | Mizuki Ashiya disguises herself as a boy to enroll in the all-male Osaka Academy, hoping to inspire her retired high-jump idol, Izumi Sano. Her plan succeeds beyond expectations when she is assigned as Sano’s roommate. However, after a soccer match injury lands her in the infirmary, the school doctor discovers her secret on her very first day. | January 4, 2026 |
| Hana Kimi anime episode 2 | I Want To Be with You | Mizuki is determined to stay at Osaka Academy despite Umeda discovering her secret. In this episode, she also deals with a scandalous photo captured by a student photographer and meeting Sano’s childhood friend, Rika. Ultimately, she earns Umeda’s silence by confessing her mission to help Sano return to the sport that inspired her. The doctor reveals a personal secret about his own life. | January 4, 2026 |
| Hana Kimi anime episode 3 | I Won’t Lose! | TBD | January 11, 2026 |
Where to watch the Hana Kimi anime
You can watch the anime on the streaming platforms below:
| HANA KIMI ANIME STREAMING PLATFORMS |
| Crunchyroll |
| iQIYI |
Availability may differ depending on your region.
