Grow Up Show: The Sunflower Circus Troupe Releases Character Trailers
The character trailers are the first substantial look at the series since its announcement, confirming the cast and visual direction for a production that pairs the director of a major romantic comedy franchise with a new studio label.
Reporting from 2 sources: Anime Trending, The Fandom Post.
The original anime "Grow Up Show: The Sunflower Circus Troupe" has released a set of character trailers. The promos focus on the acrobat twins Aoi and Akane Yura, illusionist Imari Ogano, acrobat Isuzu Ikazuchi, flyer Oka Kawasumi, and protagonist Mizuka Tsurumaki. The series is set in 1950s Japan, during the economic boom, when circus troupes travel the country competing for a spot in the "Circus Collection" festival. The story follows Mizuka, a circus prodigy who joins the financially struggling Himawari Circus, led by ringmaster Maria. Kanta Kamei, director of the "Saekano" series, is directing the anime. Takeshi Kikuchi is the series composer and scriptwriter, and Kurehito Misaki is the original character designer. The animation is produced by A-1 Pictures and its Psyde Kick Studio label. The cast includes Tomoka Noda as Mizuka, Rie Kugimiya as Maria, and Shiori Kurosaki as Oka Kawasumi. The anime was announced in July 2025 and is set to premiere in July 2026.
The character trailers pair the cast into three promotional videos: Imari & Isuzu, Mizuka & Oka, and Aoi & Akane. The production credits include several roles the initial announcement did not detail. Kazutoshi Makino is the character designer and chief animation director. Satsuki Takahashi is the assistant director. Masaki Inada, who worked as CG action supervisor and Blender supervisor on "NieR:Automata Ver1.1a," is the action supervisor. Ayane Matsumoto, character designer for "Hyakusho Kizoku-the farmer's days," is the picture book designer and effects designer. Junko Yamada handles time period research. Illustrator Munashichi is the image board artist. Yugo Kanno, known for "STEEL BALL RUN Jojo's Bizarre Adventure," composes the music.
The full cast list adds several performers beyond the leads. Reo Osanai voices Imari Ogano. Nanako Ando voices Isuzu Ikazuchi. Tomori Kusunoki voices Aoi Yura. Yuko Natsuyoshi voices Akane Yura. Yuna Kamakura voices Shizuku Sakawa. Yuka Iwahashi voices Svetlana. Ai Kayano voices Rin Mamiya.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.