The World Is Dancing has revealed a new trailer, key visual, additional cast members, and its official July 2 premiere date. The upcoming historical anime is based on Kazuto Mihara’s manga of the same name and tells the story of the boy who would eventually become Zeami, the legendary creator of Noh theatre.
The newly released trailer also previews the anime’s opening theme song, “shusho,” performed by Japanese rock band Macaroni Empitsu. Alongside the music reveal, the production confirmed several new cast additions, including Takahiro Sakurai as Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Nobuo Tobita as Nijo Yoshimoto, Mamiko Noto as Nariko, Inori Minase as Chiharu, and Hazuki Seto as Satsuki.
Produced by animation studio Cypic, The World Is Dancing adapts Mihara’s six-volume manga that originally ran in Kodansha’s Morning magazine. Despite its short run, the series gained attention for its historical setting and its take on the origins of Noh theatre.
The story takes place in 1374 during the conflict between Japan’s Northern and Southern Courts. It follows Oniyasha, a young sarugaku performer who spends much of his childhood questioning why people dance at all. After witnessing a performance that deeply moves him, he slowly begins shaping the art form that would later become Noh.
The trailer focuses heavily on Oniyasha’s meeting with shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, one of the most influential figures in the history of Noh. Takahiro Sakurai, who voices Yoshimitsu, said he initially knew very little about Noh theatre himself and described the anime as an accessible entry point into the art form.
Noh is one of Japan’s oldest traditional performing arts, combining dance, music, chanting, and masked performances into slow, highly stylised stage plays. The art form dates back to the 14th century and became widely associated with playwright and performer Zeami, who helped shape Noh into the form still recognised today. Unlike modern theatre or anime, Noh performances focus heavily on movement, atmosphere, and symbolism, often telling tragic or spiritual stories through minimal action and carefully controlled performances. The World Is Dancing builds its story around a fictionalised version of Zeami’s early life, back when he was still known as Oniyasha.
Director Toshimasa Kuroyanagi is leading the adaptation. He previously directed The Great Passage and Backflip!!. Keigo Sasaki is handling character designs, while Sawako Kawamitsu is in charge of series composition and scripts.
The anime also includes choreography supervision from professional Noh performers and dancers, including Tsumura Reijiro, Kaiji Moriyama, and Mikiko Kawamura.
The main cast includes Yumiri Hanamori as Oniyasha, alongside Simba Tsuchiya, Maaya Uchida, Romi Park, Katsuyuki Konishi, and Haruki Ishiya.
The World Is Dancing begins broadcasting and streaming in Japan on July 2, 2026.
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