A New Occult Tale from the Nura Creator
Hiroshi Shiibashi, best known as the creator of Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, is returning to the anime world with a different kind of supernatural story. Iwamoto-senpai no Suisen (岩元先輩ノ推薦), his ongoing manga in Shueisha's Ultra Jump magazine, is getting the TV anime treatment at Studio Deen (KonoSuba, Fate/stay night). Animate Times reported the new key visual, third PV, and complete broadcast details on June 12.
The series is set in 1910s Japan, where the Imperial Japanese Army has established a school called Army Seihō Middle School. Far from a standard military academy, Seihō is a covert institution built to collect and research paranormal phenomena for military use. Third-year student Iwamoto Kodō (岩元胡堂) travels the country under army orders, investigating the supernatural. Everywhere he goes, he encounters people with extraordinary abilities. His mission: hand them a "letter of recommendation" to his school. His true motives remain unclear.
The newly released key visual gathers six central characters: Iwamoto, Haramachi Kai (原町海), Amaba Sōichirō (天羽総一郎), Sazame Ryū (佐々眼流雨), Okuaki Oni (奥秋雄弐), and Kitsujō Bōkyō (橘城某居), amid falling red petals. The third PV, set to THE JET BOY BANGERZ's opening theme "BUDDING," is packed with ability clashes and introduces new characters who stand in Iwamoto's path.
The Voice Cast
Taito Ban (坂泰斗), who voices Sung Jinwoo in Solo Leveling, leads the cast as protagonist Iwamoto Kodō. Alongside him, Yūki Sakakibara (榊原優希) plays Haramachi Kai and Kento Itō (伊東健人), known for Hirotaka Nifuji in Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku, voices Amaba Sōichirō.
The supporting cast includes Akira Ishida (石田彰), instantly recognizable as Kaworu Nagisa in Evangelion, as the enigmatic Kitsujō Bōkyō. Gen Satō (佐藤元), who played Chrome in Dr. Stone, voices Sazame Ryū. The cast also includes Katsuya Fukunishi (福西勝也) as Okuaki Oni, Takuma Nagatsuka (永塚拓馬) as Aonuma Shizuma (青沼静馬), and Shinnosuke Tokudome (徳留慎乃佑) as Awadama Mizuhi (淡魂瑞火).
On the music side, THE JET BOY BANGERZ, an EXILE TRIBE group under LDH JAPAN, perform the opening theme "BUDDING." Fellow EXILE TRIBE act WOLF HOWL HARMONY handles the ending theme, "Koko ni Iru."
Behind the scenes, Toshifumi Kawase (川瀬敏文) directs, with Keiichirō Ōchi (大知慶一郎) on series composition, Atsuko Nakajima (中嶋敦子) on character design, and Yoshiaki Dewa (出羽良彰) and Tōru Ishizuka (石塚徹) composing the score.
Looking Ahead
Iwamoto-senpai no Suisen premieres Saturday, July 4, 2026 at 22:30 on TOKYO MX, with Sun TV airing the same night at 23:00. BS Fuji follows on Tuesday, July 7 at 24:30. Advance streaming launches the same day as the broadcast, July 4 at 23:00, on d Anime Store, Anime Times, and Lemino. Other streaming platforms begin carrying the series from July 7.
No international streaming partner has been announced yet. Crunchyroll, Netflix, and other global platforms have not confirmed the title as of this writing. The source manga, currently at 13 volumes with volume 14 due July 17, has not been licensed in English, though Shiibashi's previous series Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan was published by Viz Media. Fans outside Japan will want to watch for Summer 2026 anime licensing announcements in the coming weeks.