The World Is Dancing anime is celebrating its debut by releasing the opening video and a special illustration from the acclaimed manga creator Takehiko Inoue.
Inoue, best known for Slam Dunk and Vagabond, shared a congratulatory illustration of protagonist Oniyasha with a message celebrating the anime adaptation. The tribute is particularly special as The World Is Dancing creator Kazuto Mihara previously worked as one of Inoue’s manga assistants.
The anime was announced earlier this year, set to adapt Kazuto Mihara’s historical manga exploring the origins of Noh theater. Shochiku and CyberAgent are co-producing the series, with animation by Cypic (formerly CygamesPictures). The first episode premiered on June 29, while fans will have the first chance to watch Episode 2 at its world premiere during Anime Expo 2026 on July 2. HIDIVE is streaming the anime.
The opening video features Macaroni Enpitsu’s theme song “shusho” (“End of the Night”). The staff credits featured in the sequence were hand-written by calligrapher Satoshi Nemoto, who also created the anime’s title logo.
Based on Kazuto Mihara’s historical manga, The World Is Dancing follows Oniyasha, the beautiful young boy who would later become the legendary Zeami, the founder of Noh theater, as he grows up during Japan’s turbulent Muromachi period.
The production has put a strong emphasis on accurately depicting the traditional performances in the anime. Reijiro Tsumura, a Kanze-school Noh performer and Important Intangible Cultural Property holder, is supervising the Noh choreography. Additional choreography is handled by dancer Kaiji Moriyama, who directed the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics Opening Ceremony, and choreographer Mikiko Kawamura. The main staff for the anime includes:
- Director: Toshimasa Kuroyanagi (The Great Passage, Backflip!!)
- Character Design: Keigo Sasaki (The Millionaire Detective, Lonely Castle in the Mirror)
- Calligraphy/Title Lettering: Satoru Nemoto
- Animation Production: Cypic
Story
In 1374, amid the turmoil of the Northern and Southern Courts’ long running conflict, a boy named Oniyasha is born into a family of sarugaku theater performers. He spends his days in a kind of quiet gloom, haunted by a simple but persistent question: Why do people dance? Then, one day, he witnesses a dance that he feels to be “good”—and everything begins to change. This is the story of the beautiful young boy who would one day shape the art of Noh and be remembered as Zeami.
The project adapts Kazuto Mihara’s six-volume manga originally serialized in Kodansha’s Morning magazine. The anime seeks to portray the cultural and personal evolution of Zeami during the late 14th century, at a time when Noh (then known as sarugaku) was still evolving into a formal art. The English version of the original manga is available on KODANSHA.
Source: Press Release, The World Is Dancing Official Website, Official X @wid_anime
Featured image:
The World Is Dancing ©Kazuto Mihara, KODANSHA/”The World Is Dancing” Production Committee.
Slam Dunk © Takehiko Inoue, Shueisha
Participate In Discussions