The TV anime Oni no Hanayome (鬼の花嫁) held an advance screening event for its first episode at Shinjuku Wald 9 in Tokyo on June 29. Four members of the main cast attended: Hayami Saori (Shinonome Yuzu), Umehara Yuichiro (Kiryuin Reiya), Iwami Manaka (Shinonome Karin), and Osaka Ryota (Kozuki Yota).
About the Series
Oni no Hanayome is a “Japanese-style ayakashi Cinderella story” based on a novel by Kureha (Starts Publishing Bunko), with a manga adaptation drawn by Togashi Jun serialized in Starts Publishing’s noicomi. The story follows Shinonome Yuzu, an ordinary high school girl who has long been mistreated by her family, whose fate changes dramatically when she encounters Kiryuin Reiya, the most powerful oni in the ayakashi world. The anime begins broadcasting on Saturday, July 4, 2026 at 24:30 on TOKYO MX, BS11, and other networks.
Impressions of Episode 1
Hayami Saori said she was able to watch the first episode from a viewer’s perspective, describing it as “exactly what a first episode should be — Yuzu and Reiya’s meeting comes right at the very end, and you really feel like this is where everything begins.” Umehara Yuichiro added, “Yuzu goes through a lot of terrible things in episode one (laughs), but meeting Reiya is the first step toward her life changing. There are plenty of hard scenes, but I think the good moments will keep increasing.”
As the two spoke about Yuzu’s suffering, Iwami and Osaka — who play the characters tormenting Yuzu in episode one — exchanged glances, drawing laughter from the audience. Hayami pressed Osaka about the scene where Yota sets fire to Yuzu, asking, “Setting someone on fire is a bit much, isn’t it?!” Osaka replied, “Well, we have our reasons…” before adding, “But Yuzu and Karin’s parents — I really don’t know what to say about them,” voicing frustration at the parents who favor Karin while treating Yuzu coldly.
What Each Actor Focused On
When asked what they kept in mind while performing their roles, Hayami said: “Yuzu is a girl who is about to change. She’s been suppressing her own feelings because of her environment, so I want viewers to enjoy watching how she gradually opens up through her relationship with Reiya.” Umehara struggled to recall Reiya’s exact title within the oni clan — nearly calling him a gang leader before Hayami stepped in with “head of the household?” — and laughed, “I almost turned him into a biker gang boss.” He then said he wants to portray “two sides of Reiya: his face as head of the clan, and the face he shows only to Yuzu.” He also revealed that every episode features a sweet line from Reiya, prompting Hayami to tell the audience: “Prepare yourselves. Get ready to be absolutely soaked in sweetness.”
Iwami described Karin as a character who “does a lot of mean things, but it’s an innocent kind of meanness — I want people to sense that she became this way because of the environment she grew up in.” Hayami said she actually loves Karin, noting that “characters like her are what drive the story forward,” and teased that viewers who keep watching will eventually see another side of Karin. Osaka analyzed Yota as someone “blinded by love — he’s so devoted to Karin that he’s convinced everything she does is right,” and said Yota will change after encountering Reiya, encouraging fans to watch for that development.
Favorite Characters
In a discussion of favorite characters, Umehara surprised everyone by choosing Yuzu’s parents, explaining, “They’re a concentrated package of humanity’s worst traits, but that very human quality makes them fascinating.” Hayami confirmed they had even discussed this on set. In contrast, Osaka chose Yuzu’s grandparents, who treat her with warmth and kindness: “They’re the light in that family’s darkness. They support Yuzu at an almost saintly level — I find myself thinking ‘good for you, Yuzu’ whenever they appear. I hope they get more screen time to heal everyone’s hearts.”
Closing Remarks
Umehara closed by saying, “I think everyone will be curious about how Reiya, who appears at the end of episode one, will get involved with Yuzu going forward. Please look forward to Oni no Hanayome, starting this week.” Hayami wrapped up the event by noting, “As the story progresses, more characters appear and relationships become more complex. Every character changes little by little, and watching those changes drive the story forward is one of the great pleasures of this series.”
Staff
- Original Novel: Kureha (Starts Publishing Bunko)
- Manga: Togashi Jun (noicomi / Starts Publishing)
- Original Cover Illustration: Shiratani Yuu
- Director: Omiya Kazuhito
- Series Composition: Kamakura Yumi
- Main Character Design: Tanaka Hikari
- Character Design: Shigekuni Hiroko
- Art Director / Art Setting: MAI MAI
- Color Design: Shibata Akiko
- Photography Director: Ishizuka Tomoyuki
- Editor: Ito Junichi
- Music: Yokoyama Katsu
- Sound Director: Wakabayashi Kazuhiro
- Studio: Colored Pencil Animation Japan
Cast
- Shinonome Yuzu — Hayami Saori
- Kiryuin Reiya — Umehara Yuichiro
- Shinonome Karin — Iwami Manaka
- Kozuki Yota — Osaka Ryota
- Toko — Senbongi Sayaka
- Nekota Tokichi — Hanae Natsuki
- Araki Takamichi — Ban Taito
- Oniyama Okawa — Shimazaki Nobunaga
- Oniyama Okako — Endo Aya
- So — Terasawa Momoka
- Ao — Kobashi Miyu
(แชร์แล้วไปกดรับที่หน้าภารกิจ · วันละ 1 次)
