Kadokawa has unveiled a teaser video and visual for the upcoming TV anime adaptation of Harunadon’s light novel series, “Even a Replica Can Fall in Love” (Repurika Datte, Koi o Suru). The announcement confirms the main cast and staff, along with a planned 2026 premiere.
The romantic drama, which follows a replica who falls in love while substituting for her human counterpart, was initially announced for an anime adaptation during the “Dengeki Bunko Winter Festival 2025” livestream event on February 16, 2025.
Key Details from the Teaser Unveiling
The newly released teaser provides the first look at the animated world of “Even a Replica Can Fall in Love” and solidifies key production information. The anime is set to be produced by Studio Voil.
Main Cast Highlights
Sumire Morohoshi has been cast to voice both the protagonist, Nao, who is the titular replica, and her original, Sunao Aikawa. Sunao Aikawa is depicted as a second-year high school student who often uses her replica, Nao, to attend school in her stead when she is disinclined to go herself.
Production Staff Revealed
The main staff bringing the light novel to life includes:
- Director: Ryuichi Kimura, known for his work on series such as Aikatsu! and Mononogatari.
- Series Composer & Co-Scriptwriter: Tomoko Shinozuka, who has previously worked on scripts for You Are Ms. Servant. She will be co-writing scripts with Misaki Morie.
- Character Designer: Eiji Abiko, recognized for his designs in Mr. Osomatsu seasons 3 and 4, and Cells at Work! Code Black.
The Story of “Even a Replica Can Fall in Love”
The anime is based on the light novel series written by Harunadon and illustrated by raemz, which began publication under ASCII Media Works’ Dengeki Bunko imprint in February 2023. Yen Press publishes the series in English and describes the premise as: “When she doesn’t feel well, when there’s a test, when she doesn’t want to go to school…I take her place. I’m her replica. I’m not meant for anything else. But that changed when I fell in love. I wear my hair up so the boy I fell for knows it’s me. We skip school and promise to meet again tomorrow, and every day after. I’m her replica. Everything about me is borrowed and empty, but my heart is mine.”
The light novel series has released four volumes as of July 2024, with a fifth volume scheduled for August 8, 2025. It also received the Grand Prize at the 29th Dengeki Novel Prize in 2022. A manga adaptation, illustrated by Momose Hanada, began serialization in Dengeki Maoh magazine in April 2023.
