CyberAgent, Inc. has unveiled the teaser trailer, main cast, and part of the staff for the anime Just Like Mona Lisa (Original Title: Seibetsu “Mona Lisa” no Kimi e). Animation production will be handled by SHAFT, with Kana Shundo (APOCALYPSE HOTEL, Saga of Tanya the Evil as Assistant Director) as Director. Nobuhiro Sugiyama (Nisekoi, March Comes In like a Lion) will serve as Character Design/Chief Animation Director, and Yuki Hayashi (My Hero Academia, Medalist) will be in charge of Music. Furthermore, Chika Anzai has been cast as the main character, Arima Hinase.
Just Like Mona Lisa is a work created by Tsumuji Yoshimura and was serialized on "Gangan ONLINE," published by Square Enix. The series has surpassed a cumulative 1 million copies in circulation. Set in a world where everyone is born genderless, people’s bodies shift toward their desired gender when they reach around twelve years old.
The story has garnered significant attention as a coming-of-age ensemble drama portraying the main character, Hinase—who remains the only "genderless" person even at 18—navigating questions of their own identity and romance.
The teaser trailer offering a glimpse of the anime’s beautiful visual world and the highly anticipated main cast has now been revealed for the first time.
■ Chika Anzai Cast as Main Character Arima Hinase!
Anzai Chika has been selected to play Arima Hinase, a third-year high school student and the main character of the series, who turns eighteen while remaining the only person around them without a gender. A comment from Anzai has also been released, in which she expresses her enthusiasm for the series and describes the role as "a sobering responsibility." (Her full comment can be found below).
Chika Anzai as Arima Hinase
Chika Anzai PROFILE:
Affiliated with avex pictures. Major roles include Chisato Nishikigi in Lycoris Recoil and Reina Kousaka in Sound! Euphonium.
Comment from Chika Anzai:
I'll never forget the impact this story had on me when I first encountered it during the audition process.
It made me reflect not only on Hinase, but also on myself and on what it means to be human.
The story stayed with me long after I finished reading it, so it's both an incredible honor and a great responsibility to be part of it as Hinase.
The characters are deeply complex, and the themes are equally intricate. Because of that, everyone involved—from director Shundo to the cast and production team—is approaching every recording session with great care and sincerity, always striving to find the best way to bring this story to life.
It's also incredibly reassuring that the author, Yoshimura-sensei, joins us in the studio for every recording session.
As a fan of the original manga myself, I can't wait to see this story brought to life through SHAFT's stunning animation.
I may have made it sound very serious, but don't worry! There are also plenty of heartwarming, funny, and heart-fluttering moments.
So please relax, enjoy the journey, and have fun watching!
■Teaser Trailer World Premiere Unveiled!
The teaser PV for the TV anime Just Like Mona Lisa made its world premiere at AnimagiC, an anime convention held in Mannheim, Germany, on Saturday, August 1. The trailer allows viewers to feel the worldview of the story and the anime's unique turquoise blue visual expression.
Teaser Trailer URL：https://youtu.be/a0C6icMZaiw
■Comments Arrive from Director Kana Shundo and Music Composer Yuki Hayashi!
Additionally, comments have arrived from the director, Kana Shundo, and the music, Yuki Hayashi.
Director: Kana Shundo
PROFILE: Representative works include Apocalypse Hotel (Director Debut) and Saga of Tanya the Evil: The Movie (Assistant Director).
Comment from Kana Shundo:
One of the first things that catches your eye when reading the original manga is its beautiful use of two-color artwork.
The turquoise color, which represents emotions that are normally invisible, is one of the manga's most distinctive visual elements. Bringing that subtle emotional shimmer to life in animation has been an incredibly rewarding challenge.
We're putting a great deal of care into bringing the beautifully illustrated characters and their story to the screen, and I hope audiences around the world will enjoy watching it.
Music: Yuki Hayashi
PROFILE: Soundtrack composer affiliated with Legendoor. Representative works include My Hero Academia and Haikyu!!.
Comment from Yuki Hayashi:
I had the honor of composing the music for the anime "Just Like Mona Lisa."
With every piece, I poured my heart into creating music that would gently accompany the story's delicate emotions—what it means to live true to yourself and to truly connect with others.
The atmosphere so beautifully captured in the original manga is brought to life in the anime through the combination of voice performances, animation, and music. I sincerely hope this creates a new way for audiences to experience and connect with the story.
It would make me truly happy if this series could quietly find a place in someone's heart.
I hope you'll enjoy the broadcast.
■TV Anime "Just Like Mona Lisa" Overview
Official Website：https://monalisa-anime.com/en/
Official X： @anime_mona_lisa (https://x.com/anime_mona_lisa）
Introduction:
What if everyone were born genderless, who would you fall in love with?
The highly anticipated TV anime adaptation of Just Like Mona Lisa by Tsumuji Yoshimura, a series that has surpassed a cumulative 1 million copies sold, is finally here.
Hinase, the main character who continues to live genderless.
Childhood friends Ritsu and Shiori, who have already chosen theirs.
What is "love"? What does it mean to have something you want to cherish above all else?
Their classmates and the adults around them struggle and hesitate alongside them, weaving the story together.
What choice will Hinase make?
A breathtaking triangle of first love and youth, now brought to life in beautiful animation by SHAFT, one of Japan's leading animation studios.
Story:
In a world where everyone is born genderless.
Their bodies shift toward their desired gender when they reach around twelve years old.
Yet Hinase alone had not changed at all and had now reached the age of eighteen.
Arima Hinase, a third-year high school student, carries the quiet unease of being the only one around them genderless, yet simply spends unchanged days with childhood friends Ritsu Kaga and Shiori Takayama, and that alone had been enough.
Then one day, when Ritsu and Shiori confess their feelings towards Hinease, their everyday life begins to change.
"Something is about to change. Their eighteenth spring has arrived."
Cast & Staff:
【CAST】
Arima Hinase（CV：Anzai Chika）
【STAFF】
Original Story: Tsumuji Yoshimura's "Just Like Mona Lisa" (Published by Square Enix "Gangan Comics ONLINE")
Director: Kana Shundo
Character Design/Chief Animation Director: Nobuhiro Sugiyama
Music: Yuki Hayashi
Animation Production: SHAFT Inc.
Production Committee Lead: CyberAgent
Copyright: © Tsumuji Yoshimura / SQUARE ENIX, "Just Like Mona Lisa" Project
*Please ensure the official copyright notice above is clearly accompanied when utilizing visual assets.
Original Manga Information:
Publisher: Square Enix Co., Ltd.
Author: Tsumuji Yoshimura
Volumes: Volumes 1–8, along with spin-off volumes "X" and "Y," totaling 10 volumes now available.
Contact Information
For inquiries related to the work, please contact:
CyberAgent, Inc.
