TV anime Hotaru no Yomeiri is set to premiere on October 9, 2026, airing every Friday at 23:30 on Fuji TV’s Noitamina programming block nationwide. Ahead of the broadcast, a special preview screening was held on September 6 at United Cinema Toyosu (Screen 10) in Tokyo, where episodes 1 through 3 were shown to a full house. Following the screening, voice actors Lynn (as Kirigaya Satoko), Uchiyama Kouki (as Goto Shinpei), and Ito Kento (as Ogawa Kotaro) took the stage.

Kimono-Clad on Stage

All three cast members appeared in elegant kimono befitting the series’ traditional Japanese aesthetic. Lynn expressed her delight: “I got to wear such a beautiful furisode — it’s so cute, and the obi at the back is gorgeous too. I feel like I’m in a dream.”

Uchiyama Kouki admitted the experience was a little uncomfortable: “I don’t often get the chance to wear kimono, so it feels a bit constricting — but then I thought about how Shinpei kills people while wearing something like this, and I was genuinely impressed.” Ito Kento took a more solemn tone: “The significance of wearing kimono in this particular work is very different from other titles, so it really makes me feel a sense of focus and responsibility.”

Audition Memories

Asked about their audition experiences, Lynn revealed: “My manager is a fan of the original manga and told me to win the role no matter what, so I went in with even more passion than usual. When I passed, I was overjoyed — but I also felt a lot of pressure knowing how many devoted fans the source material has.”

Uchiyama, who reprised the role of Shinpei after voicing the character in the voice-comic version, shared mixed feelings: “Shinpei is such a complex character that I expected the recording to be really difficult. But the staff told me I was a perfect fit — which made me happy, though I’m not sure how to take it.” Ito similarly received staff praise but responded with a knowing smile: “I’m glad, but Kotaro has a complicated personality too, so…”

Reactions to Episodes 1–3

Lynn was effusive in her praise: “Shinpei’s unhinged side and his adorable side are both portrayed so fully. The nuanced touches from the manga come through even more powerfully in animation. The vivid world just pulls you in — I went straight to the director afterwards to tell him it was wonderful.”

Uchiyama highlighted the horror atmosphere: “With the sound design on top of everything, it turned out far scarier than I imagined. This is what anime adaptation is all about!” Ito agreed: “The horror direction genuinely made my blood run cold. The brutal scenes are depicted with real weight. The action, the movement, the voice work — all of it was fantastic.”

“Guess the Romantic Scene” Challenge

In a special on-stage segment titled “Read a Woman’s Heart! Mero-Scene Prediction Challenge,” Uchiyama and Ito had to guess which scene from episodes 1–3 Lynn found the most romantically moving (mero).

Ito drew a picture of Shinpei’s scarred back and guessed: “The scene where Satoko washes his back in the bath — I think Lynn read all of Shinpei’s history from those scars.” Uchiyama went with: “The end of episode 3, where Shinpei gets shot but still tries to protect Satoko.”

The correct answer was the closing scene of episode 2, where Shinpei shows Satoko fireflies and confesses his feelings. Both guessed wrong. Lynn broke it down: “Showing her the fireflies to make her happy is mero #1, letting her touch him is mero #2, and saying ‘I like you’ straight out is mero #3. Shinpei is just so romantic.” She added that it was likely the scene most viewers would remember after watching the three episodes.

“Destiny Sketch” Segment

In a second activity inspired by the fateful — and ill-fated — meeting between Satoko and Shinpei that sets the story in motion, each cast member drew a picture of a “destined encounter” that changed their own life.

Lynn drew a bear necklace she had spotted in a TV drama years ago and then stumbled upon in a shop by chance. Uchiyama and Ito teased her, saying it looked more like a grapefruit, sending the audience into fits of laughter. Uchiyama drew a football, explaining that soccer player Kagawa Shinji’s move abroad had sparked his love of European football — only for Lynn to fire back: “That looks like an onigiri!” — drawing another round of laughs.

Ito, however, drew a detailed and realistic acoustic guitar that left his co-stars with nothing to mock. He then shared a heartfelt story: “In high school, my baseball club advisor told me to choose between baseball and guitar. I chose guitar. If I’d chosen baseball that day, I probably wouldn’t have become a voice actor. That was my first step into entertainment — and the item that changed my fate.”

Messages to Fans

The event also included the first public unveiling of a new key visual for the series. Before closing, each cast member addressed the audience.

Ito said: “We’ll be working hard to promote the show leading up to broadcast, so please keep supporting Hotaru no Yomeiri.” Uchiyama added: “Whether you know the original or not, the anime has its own unique charm that will feel fresh. Please look forward to the premiere.”

Lynn closed the event: “Adapting a work drawn with such delicate artistry into animation is a high bar to clear, but this production is truly beautiful — and the direction and music unique to anime make it even more compelling. I hope viewers can enjoy it with the same heart-pounding, spine-tingling feeling that Satoko experiences.”

• Premiere date: October 9, 2026 — every Friday at 23:30
• Network: Fuji TV (Noitamina block), nationwide Japan
• Main cast: Lynn (Kirigaya Satoko), Uchiyama Kouki (Goto Shinpei), Ito Kento (Ogawa Kotaro)