The upcoming historical anime The World Is Dancing released the official final trailer ahead of its June 29 premiere, previewing the ending theme song “Unnamed Flower” by hockrockb. Additional voice cast members, Episode 1 details, and streaming information were also revealed.
The anime was previously confirmed to stream on HIDIVE beginning June 29 in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The new trailer features the ending theme “Unnamed Flower” by Japanese rock band hockrockb. Vocalist Ageha Horii shared the comment:
Moved by this stoic, unfiltered project and the absolute commitment of the production team, I was reminded of the true joy of pouring my whole life into music.
Today, I stand on a path forged by the sweat and tears of those who thrive in the spotlight and those who fade into the shadows.
Because of this, I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to be part of this work, delivering lyrics and sound completely free of decoration or compromise.
I hope this song reaches you, still nameless, dancing through this world.
Ageha Horii (Vo, G), hockrockb
Several additional characters were also announced:
Kenichiro Matsuda as Yoriyuki Hosokawa, the deputy shogun who serves as an advisor to the young Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and possesses extensive knowledge of the performing arts.
Members of the Kanze troupe were also revealed, including:
- Katsuhisa Houki as Choro
- Haruo Yamagishi as Samanosuke
- Soshiro Hori as Mantaro
- Kosuke Echigoya as Senri
- Kaito Udagawa as Toshigo
- Reiou Tsuchida as Hifumi
The World Is Dancing – Episode 1 Synopsis & Preview Revealed
In addition, preview images and synopsis for Episode 1 “Why Do People Dance?” were also revealed.
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. Unable to find any existential meaning in dance, he spends his days in a kind of quiet gloom. Then, one day, he witnesses Shirabyoshi dancing in a barn—a dance he feels to be “good” for the first time in his life.
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 main voice cast was also previously revealed, and the complete revealed crew now includes:
- Simba Tsuchiya as Ishiya
- Maaya Uchida as Kogane
- Romi Park as Zojiro
- Katsuyuki Konishi as Kan’ami
- Haruki Ishiya as Junigoro
- Takahiro Sakurai as Ashikaga Yoshimitsu
- Nobuo Tobita as Nijo Yoshimoto
- Mamiko Noto as Nariko
- Inori Minase as Chiharu
- Hazuki Seto as Satsuki
- Yoji Matsuda as Inuo
- Miyuki Sawashiro as Shirabyoshi
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
©Kazuto Mihara, KODANSHA/”The World Is Dancing” Production Committee.
Participate In Discussions