The highly anticipated anime film, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: A lonely dragon wants to be loved, premiered in Japan on June 27, 2025, unveiling its non-credit opening, additional voice cast members, and a new visual. Produced by the renowned Kyoto Animation, the movie continues the beloved slice-of-life story of dragons and humans.
The Melodic Opening: “Namida no Parade”
The film’s vibrant non-credit opening features the theme song “Namida no Parade” (Parade of Tears), performed by the musical group fhána. This marks a continuation of fhána’s involvement with the Miss Kobayashi‘s Dragon Maid series, as they previously performed theme songs for the television anime.
Expanding the Dragon Maid Family: New and Returning Voices
The movie introduces several new voices to its ensemble. Fumihiko Tachiki joins the cast as Kimun Kamui, Kanna’s father and the leader of the Chaos Forces. Nobunaga Shimazaki takes on the role of Azad, another new character. Notably, Shiori Sugiura steps in as the voice of Ilulu, replacing Tomomi Mineuchi. Singer Sachiko Kobayashi also joins the cast as Felicitas, a dragon in Kimun Kamui’s army, and performs the film’s ending theme song, “Days of Us” (Bokutachi no Hibi).
The returning main voice cast includes Mutsumi Tamura as Kobayashi, Yūki Kuwahara as Tohru, and Maria Naganawa as Kanna. Other returning cast members are Yūki Takada as Elma, Minami Takahashi as Lucoa, Daisuke Ono as Fafnir, Yūichi Nakamura as Makoto Takiya, Emiri Katō as Riko Saikawa, and Kaori Ishihara as Shōta Magatsuchi. Shinya Takahashi and Azusa Tadokoro also voice fairies in the film.
A Striking New Visual Unveiled
To commemorate the film’s theatrical release, a special collaboration visual was posted by the movie’s official X (formerly Twitter) account. This visual was co-drawn by Coolkyousinnjya, the original author of the Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid manga, and Miku Kadowaki, the anime’s character designer. The artwork prominently features Kanna, Kobayashi, Tohru, and Iruru by Coolkyousinnjya, alongside Kimun Kamui and Azad by Kadowaki, depicted in a confrontation that hints at the brewing conflict within the story. An earlier key visual was also unveiled at AnimeJapan 2025.
Film Details and Narrative
The film, officially titled Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: A lonely dragon wants to be loved, continues directly after the events of the second season of the TV anime. Tatsuya Ishihara, who directed the second season, returns to helm the film at Kyoto Animation. Yuka Yamada provides the script, and Miku Kadowaki serves as both character designer and chief animation director. The late Yasuhiro Takemoto is credited as “series director”.
The plot centers on Kanna Kamui, whose peaceful life with Miss Kobayashi and the other dragons is disrupted by the arrival of her father, Kamun Kamui. He attempts to force Kanna to return to the Dragon World to rectify a past mistake, leading to a brewing war between Chaos and Harmony. Kanna finds herself torn between her loyalty to her friends and her father’s demands, while Miss Kobayashi endeavors to mend Kanna and Kamui’s broken bond. The film explores whether they can prevent the war from engulfing both worlds as Iruru uncovers a hidden manipulative force.
The movie officially premiered in 199 theaters across Japan on June 27, 2025, including immersive 4DX and MX4D screenings. Crunchyroll has acquired the worldwide theatrical rights for the film, excluding Asia, and plans to release it in North America with Japanese audio and English subtitles. More details on international territories and release dates are expected to be announced later.
