Aniplex, in collaboration with A-1 Pictures and its newly established animation label Psyde Kick Studio, has officially announced an original anime project titled Grow Up Show: Himawari no Circus-dan (Grow Up Show: The Sunflower Circus Troupe). The announcement was made on July 14, which is observed as “Sunflower Day” in Japan. The new series is slated to debut in 2026.
Production Details and Creative Team
The anime will be produced by A-1 Pictures, with significant involvement from its new internal label, Psyde Kick Studio. Psyde Kick Studio was created to foster “freer and more original expression” within A-1 Pictures, aiming to combine the concept of a “sidekick” with “psycho” and “psychedelic” to encourage new and diverse creative endeavors. Grow Up Show marks the first project to feature this new label under its credits.
The core creative team behind Grow Up Show has also been revealed. Kanta Kamei, known for directing Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend, will be helming this project as the director. The original character designs are being provided by Misaki Kurehito, who was also responsible for the original illustrations for the Saekano light novels. Takeshi Kikuchi, recognized for his work on Skeleton Knight in Another World, is in charge of the series composition and scriptwriting.
Early Glimpses and Future Information
Prior to the full announcement, Aniplex teased a mysterious original anime by A-1 Pictures and Psyde Kick Studio with a teaser image featuring a sunflower. Following the official reveal, a teaser visual drawn by Fukasaki was released, depicting a girl surrounded by circus motifs such as juggling, ball juggling, and trapeze. A promotional video utilizing the same visual has also been released on YouTube.
While the debut year has been set for 2026, additional information regarding the story details and cast will be confirmed at a later date.
