The highly anticipated television anime adaptation of Syundei’s boys-love manga, Go For It, Nakamura! (also known as Ganbare! Nakamura-kun!!), has officially been delayed from its initial 2025 release window to 2026. The postponement was announced on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, with “production circumstances” cited as the reason for the delay. Despite the overall delay, fans will have an early opportunity to see the series, as an advance screening of the first two episodes is scheduled for August 24, 2025, in Tokyo, Japan.
Production Circumstances Lead to Postponement
The decision to push back the anime’s premiere to 2026 was made by the production committee, who issued a statement on July 30, 2025, informing fans of the change. While specific details regarding the “production circumstances” were not elaborated upon, such delays are common in the anime industry and can stem from various factors including animation schedules, staffing, or unforeseen creative challenges. Crunchyroll, which had previously announced plans to stream the series in 2025, will still simulcast the romantic comedy when it eventually airs in 2026 across various regions including North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, and CIS.
Early Glimpse: Advance Screening Event
To soften the blow of the delay, an advance screening event for the first two episodes of Go For It, Nakamura! will be held on August 24, 2025. This event offers a sneak peek at the adaptation and will take place in Tokyo, Japan. The anime’s official staff has apologized to fans who were eagerly awaiting the 2025 premiere and stated that a revised broadcast schedule will be announced on the anime’s official website and social media channels soon.
Diving Into the World of ‘Go For It, Nakamura!’
The Go For It, Nakamura! anime is based on Syundei’s popular Boys’ Love (BL) manga, which began serialization in Akaneshinsha’s Opera magazine in December 2014, with new chapters continuing into June 2015. A single compiled volume of the manga was released in May 2017, followed by a sequel titled Go For It Again, Nakamura! (Motto Ganbare! Nakamura-kun). Yen Press, the English publisher, describes the manga as a “hilarious Boys’ Love manga about one young man’s attempts to keep it together in front of his crush.”
Plot Overview
The story centers on Okuto Nakamura, a shy, closeted high school student who develops a crush at first sight on his classmate, Aiki Hirose. Despite his strong feelings, Nakamura is extremely introverted and struggles with social interactions, often leading to comedic failures in his attempts to get closer to Hirose. The narrative explores Nakamura’s journey as he tries to build confidence and navigate his feelings for Hirose, with the series ultimately culminating in the development of a reciprocal friendship between the two boys. The manga is noted for its comedic tone and its art style, which some describe as similar to manga from the 1980s and 1990s.
Key Staff and Cast
The television anime adaptation is being produced by Studio Drive. Aoi Umeki, known for co-directing and co-character designing Pop Team Epic, is helming the series as director, and is also responsible for writing the scripts and designing the characters. Naoki Yoshibe serves as assistant director, while Yasuko Aoki of Studio Monado is handling the series composition and co-scriptwriting. Ayana Tsujita is composing the music for the series.
The main voice cast for the anime includes:
- Chiaki Kobayashi as Okuto Nakamura
- Yuki Sakakihara as Aiki Hirose
Additionally, veteran voice actors Kappei Yamaguchi and Junko Takeuchi, who previously lent their voices to an audio drama adaptation of the manga, are also enlisted in the anime cast for as-yet unrevealed roles.
