HIDIVE Acquires The World Is Dancing for Summer 2026 Simulcast
The acquisition gives HIDIVE a high-profile historical drama with significant cultural authenticity credentials, including a Noh master as choreography supervisor, positioning the service as a destination for period pieces alongside its existing simulcast lineup.
Reporting from 3 sources: Anime News Network, Anime Corner, OtakuKart Anime.
HIDIVE announced it will stream the television anime adaptation of Kazuto Mihara's manga The World Is Dancing as part of its Summer 2026 simulcast season. The series, which explores the origins of Noh theater through the eyes of a young boy who would become the art form's co-founder Zeami, will debut on June 29 with an early premiere of its first episode. A second episode will have its world premiere during Anime Expo 2026 on July 2. The anime is produced by Shochiku and CyberAgent, with animation by Cypic (formerly Cygames Pictures). Toshimasa Kuroyanagi directs, with character design by Keigo Sasaki. The voice cast includes Yumiri Hanamori as Oniyasha, Simba Tsuchiya as Ishiya, Maaya Uchida as Kogane, and Romi Park as Zōjirō. The production has enlisted Kanze-school Noh performer Reijiro Tsumura as a supervisor for Noh choreography, with additional choreography by Kaiji Moriyama and Mikiko Kawamura. HIDIVE will stream the series exclusively in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
The series received a Special Award at the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2026. John Ledford, President of HIDIVE, said in a statement: "We're excited to present the highly-anticipated historical drama The World Is Dancing as part of HIDIVE's Summer 2026 line-up of exclusive simulcasts series. Told through the 12-year-old eyes of real-life Noh co-founder Zeami, The World Is Dancing presents a fictionalized dramatization of the birth of Noh that combines stunning animation together with mesmerizing elements from this classical theatrical art. Audiences will be captivated from the very first frame as they are transported back 600 years and immersed into the medieval world of 14th century Japan. The World Is Dancing is not to be missed!"
Additional cast members include Katsuyuki Konishi as Kan'ami, Haruki Ishiya as Jūnigorō, Takahiro Sakurai as Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Nobuo Tobita as Nijo Yoshimoto, Mamiko Noto as Nariko, Inori Minase as Chiharu, Hazuki Seto as Satsuki, Yōji Matsuda as Inuo, and Miyuki Sawashiro as Shirabyoshi. The opening theme song "shusho" is performed by Macaroni Empitsu. Satoshi Nemoto is credited for calligraphy and title lettering.
The anime will debut on Tokyo MX and KBS Kyoto in Japan on July 2 at 10:00 p.m. JST, then on Sun TV at 24:00 JST. It will air on BS Asahi and TVQ Kyushu starting July 3. Kazuto Mihara's manga ran in Kodansha's Morning magazine from March 2021 to October 2022, spanning six compiled volumes. Kodansha USA Publishing released all six volumes digitally in English.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.