by The anime series “My Childhood Friend Won’t Be a Romantic Comedy” is a harem romantic comedy about a single high school boy as the protagonist. On April 3, 2025, it was announced that it would be adapted into a TV anime.
The original work is a manga of the same name serialized by Shinya Miren on the manga app “Magazine Pocket” (Kodansha), operated by Kodansha. Currently, 18 volumes of the comic have been published.
In this article, we’ve compiled all the information we currently know about the anime series “Childhood Friend Won’t Be a Romantic Comedy,” including the broadcast date, cast, and Staff. We’ll also provide predictions about the scope of the original work and the streaming service.
What is the anime “Childhood Friend and I Don’t Want to Become a Romantic Comedy”?
The main character is a high school boy named Sakai Yonosuke (E-Yu). E-Yu is troubled by the fact that his two childhood friends, Minamo Shio and Hiodoshi Akari, are too cute. Even though they don’t seem to have any interest in him, they cling to him just because they’re childhood friends, which makes him feel uneasy.
“If they find out that I’m the only one looking at the two grown-ups with dirty eyes… that would be so embarrassing!” Eyu thinks to himself, but in fact, he has a secret that he can’t even tell his two childhood friends…? Then, his younger sister-type childhood friend Tsukimi Luna and the lively, sporty childhood friend Hinata Haru show up, and things get even more hectic around Eyu.
When will the anime “Childhood Friend Won’t Be a Romantic Comedy” start airing? On which channel?
The anime series “My Childhood Friend Won’t Become a Romantic Comedy” is scheduled to begin airing in January 2026. As of December 1, 2025, the exact date and time have not yet been announced. The broadcasting station has also not been announced.
Is there video streaming? Is it available for free?
As of December 1, 2025, distribution information has not been announced. Like many new anime, it is expected to be distributed on ABEMA, Prime Video, d Anime Store, Hulu, Netflix, and other platforms.
In particular, since CyberAgent is involved in the production of the anime “My Childhood Friend Won’t Become a Romantic Comedy,” it is likely to be distributed on ABEMA, a service provided by a group company.
Will it be distributed for free?
As distribution information has not been announced, it is not yet clear whether it will be available for free streaming. However, ABEMA offers free broadcasts and limited-time free streaming of the latest episodes of many new anime. Therefore, if “Childhood Friend Won’t Become a Romantic Comedy” is available on ABEMA, it may be possible to watch it for free.
How many episodes are there? How much of the original manga will be adapted into an anime?
The number of episodes and seasons for the anime “Childhood Friend Won’t Be a Romantic Comedy” has not been announced. The extent of the anime adaptation is also unknown. The original manga is essentially a one-shot, so it is difficult to predict the extent of the anime adaptation from the story alone.
In most anime, a season covers about 4 to 5 manga volumes. If one season has around 12 episodes, it will cover 4 to 5 volumes; if two seasons have around 24 episodes, it will probably cover 8 to 10 volumes.
Information on the production company, Staff, and voice actors for the anime “Childhood Friend and I Won’t Become a Romantic Comedy.”
The production company behind the anime “My Childhood Friend Won’t Be a Romantic Comedy” is Tezuka Productions. They’ve also produced anime adaptations of other Kodansha romantic comedies, such as “My Girlfriend is My Girlfriend” and “Megami no Cafe Terrace.” The Staff also shares many members, including director Satoshi Kuwabara.
The main character, E-Yu, is played by Takehiro Urao. The official website for the anime series “Childhood Friend Won’t Be a Romantic Comedy” commented, “The story depicts the kind of lovey-dovey moments with a childhood friend that every boy dreams of at least once, and it’s so satisfying. I thought it was such a dream-filled work!!”
One of her childhood friends, Shio Mizumo, is played by Rin Kusumi. She expressed her enthusiasm for the role, saying, “Shio’s straightforward and earnest personality really moved me,” and “I hope to express her charm to the best of my ability!”
The other childhood friend, Hii Tou, is played by Serizawa Yuu. Regarding her role as Tou, she commented, “Tou-chan can’t be honest at all, or rather, what she always says and what she really feels are completely different, so I’m always trying to find out what Tou-chan is really thinking as I play her!” and “When her girlish side overflows, she’s surprisingly cute, so please pay attention to her!”
Hiratsuka Sae, who plays the younger sister childhood friend Tsukimiruna, said, “Runako is the youngest of the childhood friends, but she also has a slightly devilish, mysterious, and mature side to her, making her a charming girl with a contrasting personality!” She added, “I’ll do my best to bring Runako’s cuteness to everyone!!”
Yamamoto Yuuki, who plays Hinata Haru, the sporty childhood friend, commented, “She’s boyish and doesn’t know love at first, but you won’t be able to take your eyes off her as she blossoms with each episode…!” “In this production, every character tries their best and falls in love to the best of their ability. Because of this, sometimes things don’t go as planned, so I hope you’ll enjoy those parts as well.”
The main staff and voice actors for the anime “My Childhood Friend Won’t Become a Romantic Comedy” are as follows:
Staff
Original Story: Shinya Miren’s “My Childhood Friend Won’t Become a Romantic Comedy” (serialized in Kodansha’s Magazine Pocket)
Director: Satoshi Kuwabara
Series Composition: Mitsuki Hirota
Script: Mitsuki Hirota, Mayumi Morita
Music: Yuki Hayashi
Character Design: Reina Iwasaki
Art Director: Masaaki Saito
Color Design: Yumi Yuya
Director of Photography: Toshiya Kimura (T2 Studio)
Editor: Wataru Uchida (Conquest)
Sound Director: Satoshi Motoyama
Sound Production: Bit Groove Promotion
Animation Production: Tezuka Productions
Cast:
Kaisennosuke: Takehiro Urao
, Mizumoe Shio: Rin Kusumi
, Kaido: Yu Serizawa,
Don’t Look at the Moon: Sae Hiratsuka,
Haru Hinata: Yuyuki Yamamoto
What is the theme song for the anime “My Childhood Friend Won’t Be a Romantic Comedy”?
The ending theme will be “Amanojaku” by singer-songwriter Hikari Kodama. The opening theme has not yet been announced as of December 1, 2025.
Regarding the song, Kodama commented, “I tried to capture in the song the complex emotions of a man who realizes he has feelings for a childhood friend who is so close to him, but is also embarrassed about being honest, his awkwardness, and the sadness of continuing to think of her by his side.”
A part of the ending theme can be heard in the first main PV for the anime “Osananajimi to wa Romantic Comedy Ni Nai.”
The anime series “Childhood Friend Won’t Be a Romantic Comedy” will begin airing in January 2026. The broadcasting station, streaming information, and whether it will be available for free streaming have yet to be announced. The anime adaptation’s length has not been revealed, but it is expected to cover 4-5 volumes if it is a one-season series and 8-10 volumes if it is a two-season series.
I’m looking forward to the day when we can see the cute childhood friends moving and talking in the anime. Let’s wait with excitement for the broadcast to begin.
