Chiaki appears in the main cast of Yusanchi! from Yu-hachi, which debuts October 5 inside Fuji TV's Nonstop! and Kansai TV's Shunkan Live Toretate!, with streaming on FOD, TVer, and Fuji TV's anime YouTube channel. Other 2026 series have separately announced Chiaki among their casts ahead of October premieres.
Chiaki's 2026 work is spread across several announced series rather than one production. In June, the anime adaptation of The Salty Koharu Has a Soft Spot for Me named Chiaki among six new cast members and set an October 2026 premiere, directed by Fumihiro Yoshimura at Tezuka Productions. In July, the television anime of Heir to a Monstermancer announced Chiaki as Hakura, reprising the role from a voice drama released with the first novel volume in 2024, with Chihiro Kumano directing at Project No.9. The same month, NHK added six actors to the cast of its period drama Zenigata Heiji starring Kazuya Kamenashi, though the updates did not tie a role to this Chiaki.
August brought two more credits. The second season of A Wild Last Boss Appeared! revealed Chiaki Takahashi as Scorpius among seven new cast members, with an October premiere on Tokyo MX, BS Asahi, and Kansai TV, and streaming one week early on ABEMA and U-NEXT. A talk event for the 1998 anime serial experiments lain, closing the SEVESKIG presents "let's all love lain" screening on September 9 at Ikebukuro HUMAX Cinemas, listed writer Chiaki J. Konaka among the returning staff.
The most recent announcement, in September, places Chiaki in the main cast of Yusanchi! from Yu-hachi, an omnibus short anime adapting three Yu-hachi manga. It debuts October 5, airing within Fuji TV's Nonstop! and Kansai TV's Shunkan Live Toretate!, with streaming on FOD, TVer, and Fuji TV's anime YouTube channel after each episode. Across these stories the name Chiaki appears as a voice actor, a writer, and an actor, and only the Yusanchi! announcement identifies Chiaki directly among a main cast.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.
Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/chiaki.
CC BY 4.0.
Chiaki J. Konaka announced at Spain's Japan Weekend Madrid that Yoshitoshi ABe's stalled Despera anime project is getting a manga in 2027. He posted a visual on X on Monday. Konaka said the manga's setting and era will differ from the original project announcement, and that it is not related to Serial Experiments Lain. The anime has been on hold since director Ryutaro Nakamura died in 2013.
Toho announced on Sunday that the second cours of the Though I Am an Inept Villainess anime will premiere in January 2027 under the title The First Royal Outing arc. Three cast members join the new arc: Yuichi Nakamura as Kou Keikou, Reirin's eldest brother; Shunichi Toki as Kou Keishou, her second-eldest brother; and Chiaki Kobayashi as Unran, described as the young leader of a village in the southern territories. A key visual and character visuals were released alongside the news. The arc moves the story to early autumn for the Harvest Festival, held in the southern lands ruled by the Shu clan. With no consort as guardian, Keigetsu continues preparations under pressure, while Reirin supports her and looks forward to her first royal outing. An unforeseen accident interrupts the ritual, Keigetsu's spell runs out of control, and the two swap bodies again. After the swap, Reirin is abducted. The staff returns from the first cours, which premiered on July 12.
Fanworks announced on Friday that Yusanchi! from Yu-hachi, an omnibus short anime adapting three Yu-hachi manga, will debut on October 5. It airs within Fuji TV's Nonstop! on Mondays and Fridays at 11:00 a.m., and within Kansai TV's Shunkan Live Toretate! on Mondays and Fridays at 3:30 p.m., with streaming on FOD, TVer, and Fuji TV's anime YouTube channel after each episode airs. The main cast is Chiaki, Hina Kawata, Fuka Izumi, Ryota Suzuki, Kenta Sasa, and Tomo Miyazawa.
A talk event featuring original staff of the 1998 TV anime 'serial experiments lain' will close the special screening event 'SEVESKIG presents 'let's all love lain''. Producer Yasuyuki Ueda, writer Chiaki J. Konaka, and illustrator Yoshitoshi ABe will appear after the final screening on September 9 at Ikebukuro HUMAX Cinemas. The talk will also be live-streamed in audio format.
The official website for the A Wild Last Boss Appeared! television anime unveiled the second season's first promotional video on Tuesday, confirming an October premiere and introducing seven new cast members. The trailer also previews the opening theme song "Melodic Impact" by the rock band Suspended 4th. Newly announced cast include Ryōta Suzuki as Karkinos, Chiaki Takahashi as Scorpius, Takahiro Sakurai as Castor, Shinpachi Tsuji as Mizar, Momoko Seto as Mass-Produced Libra, Yūichirō Umehara as Terra, and M.A.O as Luna. Yūya Horiuchi returns to direct at Wao World, with Kazuyuki Fudeyasu again handling series scripts. Character designer Maiko Ebisawa returns, joined by several first-season episode chief animation directors and new designer Akiko Satō. The season will debut in October on Tokyo MX, BS Asahi, and Kansai TV, streaming one week early on ABEMA and U-NEXT. The first season streamed in September 2025 and aired in October 2025. The light novel series, written by Firehead with illustrations by YahaKo, began on Shōsetsuka ni Narō in 2015 and ended in 2017, with Earth Star Entertainment publishing the final volume in April 2019. The franchise has 1.4 million copies in circulation.
NHK has added six actors to the cast of its special period drama "Zenigata Heiji" starring Kazuya Kamenashi. The newcomers portray members of the traveling troupe Hanakage-sha and shogunate officials who hold the key to the story. The 89-minute special airs August 21 on NHK One and will be streamed on NHK Plus.
Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures announced on Friday that Damu Amato and Shirabii's novel series Heir to a Monstermancer is receiving a television anime adaptation. The announcement included a teaser visual and the main cast and staff. Manaka Iwami voices Leen, Chiaki Kobayashi voices Hakura, and Akio Ōtsuka voices Ao; all three reprise their roles from a voice drama released with the first novel volume in 2024. Chihiro Kumano directs at Project No.9, with Satoru Sugizawa handling series scripts and Akane Kasasagi designing the characters. The series won the grand prize in the 2nd Drecom Media Awards. Amato originally posted the story on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website from 2016 to 2024. J-Novel Club publishes the novels in English. A manga adaptation by Yū Satō will launch on Drecom's Drecomi+ manga website in September. Drecom will publish the third novel volume on July 10. A promotional webtoon adaptation was produced by MITA, Gudan, and Red Seven.
The anime adaptation of Kazami Sawatari and Aitiki's light novel series The Salty Koharu Has a Soft Spot for Me will premiere in October 2026. A promotional video and key visual were released, along with six new cast members including Miyu Tomita and Chiaki Kobayashi. The series is directed by Fumihiro Yoshimura at Tezuka Productions.