A Fan Offer That Became a Collaboration
The pairing did not come from a record label's planning meeting. According to a report from Japanese entertainment news site Comic Natalie, Botchi Boromaru attended a Hinatazaka46 concert, came away impressed by three members' stage presence, and personally reached out to them about singing on the track. In his comment, he described the finished song as a lovely, heart-fluttering pop tune sung from the perspective of a jealous girl.
Which three members made the cut is the hook. Their names will be revealed during the premiere broadcast on July 17, so fans of the idol group and fans of the anime get the answer at the same moment. The song itself hits streaming and download services the next day, July 18, 2026.
Second Season, Second Ending Theme for Botchi Boromaru
Botchi Boromaru also handled the first season's ending theme, "Kamakura STYLE," which earned a Best Ending Sequence nomination at the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. Bringing him back for Season 2 keeps the show's musical identity intact while the guest vocals add something new.
He won't be alone on theme duty. The Season 2 opening theme is "Onigoto" by singer and actor Kento Nakajima, revealed alongside the season's main promotional video earlier this month.
The Elusive Samurai Heads Into Season 2
The Elusive Samurai (Nige Jōzu no Wakagimi) adapts the historical action manga by Assassination Classroom creator Yūsei Matsui. The series ran in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump from January 2021 to February 2026. It follows Hōjō Tokiyuki, the young heir of the Kamakura shogunate, who survives the regime's violent collapse and turns his singular talent for running away into a weapon. He fights back alongside allies like the eccentric priest Suwa Yorishige.
CloverWorks (Spy x Family, Bocchi the Rock!) returns to produce the second season, with Yūta Yamazaki back as director.
Looking Ahead
Season 2 premieres Friday, July 17, 2026, at 11:30 PM on Fuji TV's late-night noitaminA anime block, with AT-X broadcasts following from July 24. In Japan, episodes stream on Prime Video the same night, with other platforms joining from July 21. Internationally, Crunchyroll simulcasts the season; it also streamed Season 1 with an English dub.
For readers who want the source material, Matsui's manga is published in English by Viz Media, with digital chapters available on MANGA Plus. The full announcement is in the Comic Natalie article, published a week before the ending theme's guest vocalists are revealed.