A major anniversary project has been announced to celebrate the 30th year of Hisaya Nakajo’s manga Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (Hana-Kimi): a brand-new drama adaptation on Nippon TV and the franchise’s very first stage production.

About the Story

The series follows Mizuki Ashiya, a girl who disguises herself as a boy to transfer into the all-male boarding school Sakurazaki Gakuen, all to be close to high-jump athlete Izumi Sano, with whom she fell in love at first sight. The resulting school romantic comedy was previously adapted for Fuji TV in 2007 as Hanazakari no Kimitachi e ~Ikemen♂ Paradise~, starring Maki Horikita, Shun Oguri, and Toma Ikuta to great acclaim.

New Drama (2026)

The new drama runs for 8 episodes and premieres on Nippon TV on Saturday, December 5, 2026, airing weekly at 14:30–15:00. Streaming is available on TVer and Hulu (including a Director’s Cut version on Hulu) from 15:00 every Saturday.

Main Cast

• Hana Kawamura — Mizuki Ashiya
• Shin Hasegawa (THE RAMPAGE) — Izumi Sano
• Itsuki Fujiwara (THE RAMPAGE) — Shuichi Nakatsu
• Keigo Ito (Ryugujo) — Shinji Noe
• Yuki Tomita (Ryugujo) — Kyogo Sekime
• Miro Takaoka (Lienel) — Daiki Kayashima
• Riku Morita (Lienel) — Chisato Chuo
• Motonosuke — Kei Tennoji (dorm leader)
• Daigo Kobayashi (TAGRIGHT) — Minami Namba
• Tomoki Nishiyama (TAGRIGHT) — Masao Himejima
• Yuki Sakurai (Gekidan EXILE) — Itsuki Kujo (vice-captain of the karate club)
• Hiroto Takahashi — Makoto Kakurazaka (Sano’s high-jump rival)

Drama Staff

• Original manga: Hisaya Nakajo (Hakusensha / Hana to Yume Comics)
• Directors: Keisuke Shibata, Shiori Ueno (Nippon TV)
• Screenplay: Fumie Koga, Tomoka Arai, Kazumi Oki
• Music: Koji Endo
• Producer: Risako Niwa (Nippon TV) and others

First-Ever Stage Production (2027)

The stage show opens the week after the drama finale and tours three cities:

• Osaka: February 13–15, 2027 — Sankei Hall Breeze
• Aichi: February 18–19, 2027 — Tokai City Art Theater
• Tokyo: March 13–22, 2027 — Tokyo Tatemono Brillia HALL (Toshima City Arts & Culture Theater)

All 12 main drama cast members reprise their roles on stage, with Kawamura, Hasegawa, and Fujiwara serving as triple leads. Additional stage-only cast members include Yusei Mochida (Noe — Osaka/Aichi), Reiya Takahashi (Sekime — Osaka/Aichi), Shushu Suzuki (Namba — Osaka), VMA of unløck (Himejima — Osaka), and Shota Takasaki as school doctor Hokuto Umeda. The script and direction are handled by Shintaro Kanno, incorporating daily-rotating corner segments, cutting-edge visual effects, and scenes that tie in with the TV drama.

Ticket Information

Cast fan-club priority lottery applications open on November 7. e+ will accept lottery applications from November 27 at 10:00 through December 1 at 23:59.

Comments

The original manga team stated that the highlight of this new adaptation is “the overwhelming energy unique to live-action and the lively, heart-fluttering youth depicted by a wonderful cast,” adding that they believe the late Nakajo — who loved her work and readers more than anyone — is surely watching these exciting developments from above.

Hana Kawamura said she felt an immediate, strong desire to play Mizuki the moment she heard the series was being remade, and hopes the show will feel like the viewers’ own youth.

Shin Hasegawa recalled watching the previous drama adaptation and never imagining he would one day inhabit the role of Izumi Sano, noting he is also tackling the high jump for the first time specifically for this part.

Itsuki Fujiwara described Nakatsu as a bright, straightforward mood-maker whose presence lights up any room, and said he wants to preserve that irrepressible cheerfulness throughout his performance.

Director Keisuke Shibata said he aims to capture “the sparkle of youth — a world that expands every time you meet someone new” and promised viewers plenty of moments to laugh out loud and feel their hearts race.