Bandai Namco Filmworks announced on Wednesday the television anime adaptation of Jun Wakatsuki‘s Promise Me the Spotlight (Watashi o Center ni Suru to Chikaimasuka?) manga, and presented a teaser visual.

Wakatsuki also drew an illustration to celebrate the anime announcement:

Kodansha‘s K MANGA service publishes the manga and describes the series:

“If you can really make me the Center…then we can get married.” Meet Mizuki Natsuno, the least popular member of the nationally acclaimed idol group, Melty Strawberry. She has an eternal fan in Koichi Okuta, who is always pouring heart and soul into supporting her. Normally, a fan would never get to interact with their idol beyond the stage. But one thing led to another, and Koichi now finds himself living together with Mizuki in his own house. He vows to make her the new Center of Melty Strawberry, sparking an unconventional tag-team between a devoted fan and his idol. Together, they attempt to elevate Mizuki’s career from obscurity to stardom!

Wakatsuki launched the manga in Kodansha‘s Shonen Magazine Edge magazine in 2022. The manga moved to Kodansha‘s Magazine Pocket app when Shonen Magazine Edge ended publication in 2023. Kodansha will publish the manga’s sixth compiled book volume on July 9. 

Source: Press release 

Disclosure: Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc. (Sunrise) is a non-controlling, minority shareholder in Anime News Network Inc.

The official website for the television anime of Chie Shinohara‘s Red River (Sora wa Akai Kawa no Hotori) shōjo manga announced on Wednesday that Minami Takayama and Kazuhiko Inoue have joined the anime’s cast as the protagonist Yuri’s mother and father, respectively. Takayama previously voiced Yuri, and Inoue previously voiced the co-lead character Kail, in a drama CD for the manga.

Viz Media describes the manga’s first volume:

Yuri, a pretty Japanese girl, is ecstatic after passing her college entrance exam and having her first kiss with her childhood friend-turned boyfriend. However, her luck soon changes. She starts to notice that water becomes agitated whenever she goes near it. One night, hands appear out of a puddle on the street and drag her into the water! Transported to an ancient village in the Middle East, she is then captured by armed troops and taken to the Queen’s palace for a human sacrifice.

The cast includes:

Kōsuke Kobayashi (Waccha PriMagi!, Alice or Alice) is directing the anime at Tatsunoko Production. Yoriko Tomita (The Elusive Samurai, My Dress-Up Darling) is overseeing the series scripts, and Kenji Fujisaki (YU-NO: A girl who chants love at the bound of this world., Blood Lad) is designing the characters. Yoshihisa Hirano is composing the music, while Hiroto Morishita is the sound director. Team Kawadon is credited for sound production. Hiroki Nanami is performing the anime’s opening theme song “Akatsuki no Sora” (Dawn Sky).

Historical researchers include Kimiyoshi Matsumura and Daisuke Yoshida, who are members of the Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology as part of the Middle Eastern Culture Center in Japan.

The anime premiered in NTV ‘s “AnichU” programming block on July 7 at 25:35 (effectively, July 8 at 1:35 a.m.), and on BS NTV on July 8. Crunchyroll is streaming the anime as it airs in Japan.

Viz Media started releasing the manga in English in 2004, and released all 28 volumes between 2004 to 2010. The company then started re-releasing the manga in 3-in-1 omnibus editions in October 2024, and released the seventh omnibus volume on April 21.

Shinohara originally serialized the manga from 1995 to 2002 in Shogakukan‘s Shōjo Comic (Sho-Comi) magazine.

The manga inspired a stage play by the famed all-female Takarazuka Revue troupe in 2018.

Sources: Red River anime’s website, Comic Natalie