The teaser PV for the TV anime Gender “Mona Lisa” no Kimi e. has been released, revealing that Tomoyo Anzai will voice the protagonist Hinase Arima. The PV also confirms that animation production is handled by Shaft, and key staff details including director Kana Harufuji have been announced.
Based on the manga by Yoshimura Sen, serialized on Square Enix’s Gangan ONLINE, Gender “Mona Lisa” no Kimi e. has surpassed 1 million copies in circulation. The story is set in a world where, from around age 12, a person’s body begins to change into the gender they desire, settling as male or female by age 14. The protagonist, Hinase Arima, remains the only person who has not developed a gender even at 18. The series follows Hinase as they confront their own identity and navigate love, becoming a talked-about youth ensemble drama.
The teaser PV, which debuted worldwide on August 1 at AnimagiC in Mannheim, Germany, showcases the world of the series and the anime’s unique use of turquoise blue to represent emotions.
Cast and Staff Comments
Tomoyo Anzai, who plays Hinase Arima, commented: “I will never forget the shock I felt when I first encountered this work during the audition. It made me think not only about Hinase, but also about myself and about humanity. Since it was a story that never left my mind, I am honored to be involved as Hinase, and I feel a renewed sense of responsibility.” She added, “The roles are all very difficult, and the content is complex, so I am carefully and sincerely recording with director Harufuji and the production and cast to find the best way to express it. It is really reassuring that the original author, Yoshimura-sensei, comes to the recording sessions every time! As a fan of the original, I am really looking forward to this story brought to life by Shaft’s wonderful animation. …I made it sound difficult, but there are also healing, laughter, and heart-thumping moments! Please watch without being too tense.”
Director Kana Harufuji commented: “When I read the original, the first thing that jumps out at me is the beautiful two-color printing. Expressing in anime the sparkle of emotions that are usually invisible, represented in turquoise, is a very rewarding challenge. We are experimenting and making mistakes to bring the story of the characters drawn with the original’s beautiful brushwork to the screen, so I hope many people will watch it.”
Composer Yuki Hayashi, who is handling the background music, said: “I have created each piece with care to accompany the delicate emotions of ‘living true to oneself’ and ‘facing others’ that this work depicts. I hope that the atmosphere carefully portrayed in the original will be layered with voice, visuals, and music in the anime, and reach everyone as a new charm! I would be happy if this work becomes something that gently accompanies someone’s heart. Please look forward to the broadcast.”
Staff and Cast
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Cast | Tomoyo Anzai (Hinase Arima) |
| Original Work | Yoshimura Sen (Gender “Mona Lisa” no Kimi e. published by Gangan Comics ONLINE; the kanji for “Yoshi” is written as “土” under “口”) |
| Director | Kana Harufuji |
| Character Design / Chief Animation Director | Nobuhiro Sugiyama |
| Music | Yuki Hayashi |
| Animation Production | Shaft |
| Production Committee | CyberAgent |
The manga is published by Square Enix, with all 10 volumes currently on sale.
© Yoshimura Sen / SQUARE ENIX・Gender “Mona Lisa” no Kimi e. Production Committee
