The television anime adaptation of Eri Ejima's manga Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games is set to premiere on July 7, 2026, after a delay from its originally planned 2025 debut, with a full cast and staff lineup revealed.
The anime adaptation of Eri Ejima's manga Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games is finally on track for a July 7 premiere after a delay from 2025. The main promotional video released on June 19 revealed four additional cast members: Yumiri Hanamori as Hana Ichinose, Nobuyuki Hiyama as Gekido, Yohei Azakami as Cafe Au Lait, and Taku Yashiro as Seshiro. The previously announced main cast includes Ikumi Hasegawa as Aya Mitsuki, Kana Ichinose as Mio Yorue, Sayaka Senbongi as Yu Inui, Shino Shimoji as Tamaki Ichinose, and Maria Naganawa as Arisa Fujimiya. Real-life fighting game player and commentator Aru voices the in-story commentator Flamberge.
Shota Ihata is directing the series at studio Diomedéa, with Wataru Watari handling series scripts, Mayuko Matsumoto designing characters, and Kana Hashiguchi composing the music. The opening theme song is "Inochi Mijikashi Tai Suru Otome yo!" by rock band Hanabie, and the ending theme song is "New Game" by halca. The anime will air on AT-X, Tokyo MX, MBS, BS NTV, and Nagasaki Broadcasting Company channels.
Crunchyroll's Anime Nights program will screen an early episode of the series on June 15 across more than 280 theaters in the United States and Canada, as part of a Sneak Peek event for three Summer 2026 titles. The anime also announced a collaboration with Street Fighter 6, including a promotional video in the Battle Hub from June 2-30 and six title cards available through July 14.
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Jun 19
The television anime adaptation of Eri Ejima's manga Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games revealed four additional cast members and a main promotional video on Friday. Yumiri Hanamori joins as Hana Ichinose, Nobuyuki Hiyama as Gekido, Yohei Azakami as Cafe Au Lait, and Taku Yashiro as Seshiro. The trailer previews both the opening theme song "Inochi Mijikashi Tai Suru Otome yo!" by rock band Hanabie and the ending theme song "New Game" by halca. The anime is set to premiere on July 7 across AT-X, Tokyo MX, MBS, BS NTV, and Nagasaki Broadcasting Company channels. Shota Ihata is directing the series at studio Diomedéa, with Wataru Watari handling series scripts, Mayuko Matsumoto designing characters, and Kana Hashiguchi composing the music. The previously announced main cast includes Ikumi Hasegawa as Aya Mitsuki, Kana Ichinose as Mio Yorue, Sayaka Senbongi as Yu Inui, Shino Shimoji as Tamaki Ichinose, and Maria Naganawa as Arisa Fujimiya. Real-life fighting game player and commentator Aru voices the in-story commentator Flamberge. The anime was delayed from its originally planned 2025 debut.
Jun 1
Crunchyroll announced on June 1 that its Anime Nights program will hold a Sneak Peek event on June 15, screening early episodes of three upcoming Summer 2026 anime titles before their July premieres. The one-night-only theatrical event will take place at 7:00 PM local time across more than 280 theaters in the United States and Canada, including chains such as AMC, Regal, Cinemark, Alamo Drafthouse, Harkins, Landmark Cinemas, and Cineplex. All screenings will be presented in Japanese with English subtitles. The featured titles are Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games, Skeleton Knight in Another World Season 2, and Clevatess Season 2. Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games, based on the manga by Eri Ejima, will premiere on Japanese channels on July 7. Skeleton Knight in Another World Season 2, adapting the light novel series by Ennki Hakari, and Clevatess Season 2, based on the manga by Yuji Iwahara, both premiere in July. Crunchyroll teased additional series to be announced closer to the event. The Anime Nights program previously screened Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid: A Lonely Dragon Wants to be Loved and an OVERLORD 10th anniversary event in 2025.
May 30
The staff for the Young Ladies Don't Play Fighting Games anime revealed that Halca performs the ending theme song "New Game." The anime also announced a new collaboration with Street Fighter 6, including a promotional video in the Battle Hub from June 2-30 and six title cards available through July 14. The anime premieres July 7.