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 JAPANESE CAST | HANA KIMI ANIME ENGLISH DUB CAST |
| Mizuki Ashiya | Aya Yamane | Katelyn Barr |
| Izumi Sano | Taku Yashiro | Wyatt Baker |
| Shuichi Nakatsu | Kikunosuke Toya | Dallas Reid |
| Minami Nanba | Yuichirou Umehara | Joshua Waters |
| Hokuto Umeda | Jun Fukuyama | Reagan Murdock |
| Senri Nakao | Reiji Kawashima | Justin Briner |
| Kyogo Sekime | Wataru Komada | Tom Henry |
| Daiki Kayashima | Kouki Uchiyama | Ethan Condon |
| Shinji Noe | Anan Furuya | Ben Steigmar |
| Wataru Nihonbashi | Koutaro Nishiyama | Tyson Rinehart |
| Julia Maxwell | Yuuko Natsuyoshi | 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.
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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! | Tensions peak when Sano defends Mizuki from a confrontation with Rika, revealing that he quit high jumping due to competitive pressure and the trauma of saving Rika from an accident. Encouraged by a care package and a call from her friend Julia in the US, Mizuki reaffirms her mission to support Sano. Despite a tearful misunderstanding that leads to a clash between Nakatsu and Sano, the episode concludes with Sano opening up to Mizuki and announcing his return to the sport. | January 11, 2026 |
| Hana Kimi anime episode 4 | The Source of Strength | Sano resumes training while his rival, Kagurazaka, appears to taunt him for quitting high jump. After Mizuki defends Sano’s honor during a confrontation, she reflects on how his career originally inspired her to move to Japan. Meanwhile, Sano continues to struggle with a psychological block during practice. The episode concludes at a dorm hotpot party where Sano accidentally drinks wine and, in his intoxicated state, kisses Mizuki. | January 18, 2026 |
| Hana Kimi anime episode 5 | Do They Hate Me? | After punching a drunk Sano (who later forgets the incident), Mizuki becomes the target of a jealous Nakao, who resents her closeness to Nanba. Mizuki resolves the conflict by bonding with Nakao over their shared experiences with unrequited love. Kagurazaka returns to challenge Sano, and Mizuki struggles with jealousy when a friend confesses her feelings to him. The episode ends with the sudden news that Mizuki’s brother is moving to Japan. | January 25, 2026 |
| Hana Kimi anime episode 6 | My Big Brother’s Coming! | Mizuki disguises herself as a girl to meet her visiting brother, Shizuki, hoping to keep her secret and Sano’s past separate. However, Shizuki quickly catches on to her situation and challenges Sano. If he fails to jump at the preliminaries, Mizuki must return to America. As Sano focuses on his rivalry with Kagurazaka, Mizuki accidentally gives him a “love and marriage” charm for luck. At the competition, Sano clears the bar but falls short of the next stage. Despite this, Shizuki allows Mizuki to stay in Japan before heading home. | February 1, 2026 |
| Hana Kimi anime episode 7 | Because I’m a Guy! | Dormitory renovations leave Mizuki, Sano, and Nakatsu looking for temporary housing. After Mizuki accidentally ends up in Sano’s bed one night, she seeks help from Umeda. He manipulates the trio into working at his sister Io’s boarding house. The stay becomes complicated when an employee named Makita immediately sees through Mizuki’s disguise and begins pursuing her. Sano’s rival Kagurazaka, arrives with his sisters Kyomi, who clashes with Nakatsu, and Tamami, who sets her sights on seducing Sano after learning from a panicked Mizuki that he is single. | February 8, 2026 |
| Hana Kimi anime episode 8 | It’s Not Like We Could Become Lovers | Mizuki struggles with her physical growth, making it harder to hide her gender, leading her to bind her chest too tightly and collapse. While Sano protects her secret during the medical scare, Nakatsu narrowly misses discovering the truth during a bathroom mishap. At the boarding house, Tamami clings to Sano, and Makita pursues Mizuki. Despite warnings from both Kagurazaka and Sano, Mizuki remains naively dismissive of the danger until Sano has to rush to her rescue during a walk on the beach. Though Makita intervenes first to taunt Sano, the episode ends with Sano and Mizuki reconciling, while Makita corners Sano for a direct confrontation. | February 15, 2026 |
| Hana Kimi anime episode 9 | Can Things Stay This Way? | Io discovers Mizuki’s secret at the pool and warns her about the danger of her lie. Makita attempts to assault Mizuki during a shopping trip. Sano intervenes and beats up Makita, but he ans Mizuki fall down a cliff during the struggle. Stranded with a sprained ankle and a fever, a delirious Mizuki receives water via a kiss from Sano, a moment she later struggles to distinguish from a hallucination. The next morning, Makita flees in disgrace as the group prepares to leave the boarding house. Emotional departures follow, with Kyomi crying over Nakatsu and Tamami refusing to say goodbye after being rejected by Sano. | February 22, 2026 |
| Hana Kimi anime episode 10 | I Don’t Look Good In Women’s Clothing! | TBD | March 1, 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 |
| Prime Video |
Availability may differ depending on your region.
