A lot of anime is coming out in winter 2026, but none has me more excited than the much-anticipated arrival of Hana-Kimi. To say that the original shojo manga created by the late Hisaya Nakajo was a defining part of my manga-reading experience in high school would be an understatement. And after what feels like a far-too-late wait, Hana-Kimi has finally received the anime treatment. The question that remains is whether the wait is worth it. Based on the first episode, I’d say we’re off to a strong start.
What is Hana Kimi about?
The episode starts with Mizuki Ashiya (Aya Yamane/Katelyn Barr) chopping off her hair. It carries all the drama delivered through simple action before launching us to the young teen arriving late to her first day of school. The caveat? Mizuki is now attending the all-boys school, Osaka High School, where her crush and idol, Izumi Sano (Taku Yashiro/Wyatt Baker), attends. You have to admit, Mizuki really goes for her dreams.
Once she arrives at school, it’s literally a comedy of bad first impressions. From literally running into her idol to an embarrassing class introduction and Mizuki awkwardly shooting her shot with Izumi within minutes of getting comfortable, there’s a lot to facepalm and cringe at. That’s the point, though, as this establishes Mizuki’s “act first, think later” kind of mentality. Even when she thinks she has everything thought out, it’s not long before she might mess things up.
Hana-Kimi Episode 1 spends the bulk of its time rightfully introducing Mizuki (and the audience) to the cast of characters that make up Osaka High. Almost immediately after meeting Izumi, Mizuki meets the ultra-blonde Shuichi Nakatsu (Kikunosuke Toya/Dallas Reid), whose conversation topics immediately give insight into the kind of things teenage boys think about. I’ll leave it at that.
The premiere sets the tone and establishes the main ensemble.
Despite his occasionally crass subject matter, Shuichi is incredibly friendly and super helpful, adopting an older brother vibe with Mizuki. Counter to Shuichi’s energy is Nakao Senri (Reiji Kawashima/Justin Briner), the school’s idol…well, until Mizuki arrived from America. With his school idol spot threatened, Nakao wastes no time spitting venom at Mizuki, who literally just arrived and has no idea what’s going on. It makes for a fascinating contrast and instantly sets up future drama.
Another element that adds a spot of drama is the knowledge that Mizuki is incredibly good at running. This immediately puts a target on her back, with the school’s various team captains trying to entice her to join their sports team. However, she can’t join anything for obvious reasons. Yet, this discovery leads to one of the more hilarious moments in Hana-Kimi Episode 1.
We also get to meet Minami Nanba (Yuichiro Umehara/Joshua Waters), the Resident Advisor of Mizuki’s dorm and general ladies’ man, and Hokuto Umeda (Jun Fukuyama/Reagan Murdock), the school’s doctor. While not much is divulged about the two, the latter quickly emerges as a threat by the end of Hana-Kimi Episode 1 after Mizuki finds herself in the doctor’s office after an incident with a ball to the head.
Mizuki struggles to keep her real identity a secret.
One thing Hana-Kimi Episode 1 makes abundantly clear is that Mizuki’s identity as a girl is always at risk of being discovered. Part of what helps is the immediate capture of Mizuki’s naive personality and general lack of foresight in her pursuit of Izumi. She’s not particularly graceful, nor is she good at being like a teenage boy. Yet because of students like Nakao, who have a more effeminate appearance and personality, there’s some leeway for her to blend in.
The choice by Signal.MD to design and animate the characters in the rounder, softer art style Nakajo transitioned into as the manga series progressed helps flesh out the femininity in the facial features that Mizuki can’t quite escape. That makes it easier for characters like Izumi and Shuichi to point out how she looks like a girl. It also adds more stakes almost immediately for Mizuki not to get found out before she even gets a chance to settle into her new school.
With Hana-Kimi Episode 1 ending on such a high oh-my-gosh moment, it keeps the energy and suspense high ahead of the next episode. While I already know where the series is going (even after roughly a decade of finishing the manga myself), there’s something delightful about how the first episode’s ending can spark so much tension. There’s something to be said for capturing that energy early on, especially for those familiar with the story, so I’m more than sold.
Hana-Kimi Episode 1 is now streaming on Crunchyroll. Watch the trailer below.
Images courtesy of Signal.MD and Crunchyroll.
REVIEW RATING
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Hana-Kimi Episode 1 - 8/10
8/10
