The anime film Doko yori mo Tooi Basho ni Iru Kimi e is set to open in theaters in Japan on October 9, 2026. Ahead of the release, new details have emerged about the character design and chief animation direction by Hechima, specifically the secrets behind the film’s youthful expressions. A newly unveiled line-art cut of Tsukigase Kazuki, described as having ‘nuance in every single line,’ has also been revealed.
The film is based on the popular youth novel by Abe Akiko, published by Shueisha Orange Bunko. Abe won the 22nd Honya Taisho in 2025 for Kafune, and Doko yori mo Tooi Basho ni Iru Kimi e is a story in which the wavering feelings and secrets of boys and girls intertwine in complex ways. The work gained attention mainly on TikTok and has now been adapted into an anime film.
The director is Wada Junichi, known for delicate emotional depiction in the HIGH CARD series. The script is written by Kuwamura Sayaka, who has penned many fresh love stories including Sutorobo Ejji and Josee to Tora to Sakana-tachi. Character design and chief animation direction are handled by Hechima, an illustrator active in games and light novels who is also involved in the currently talked-about Chou Kaguya-hime!.
Singer-songwriter Tota, who has overwhelming support from the same generation for her clear singing voice and relatable lyrics, wrote the theme song ‘Olive’ as well as the in-film song ‘Hourenka’ (Balsam). Animation production is by the long-established studio TMS Entertainment, with Dai 6 Studio handling the animation. The moving story begins with the encounter between Tsukigase Kazuki, a high school boy carrying a certain secret, and Nanao, a mysterious girl found collapsed on the beach. The story gently and beautifully weaves together ‘Kamikakushi no Irie,’ ‘a certain secret,’ ‘Marebito,’ and ‘1974’ into a single thread. What feelings will be delivered once everything connects?
Hechima’s Character Design Approach
Tsukigase Kazuki
Akishika Nanao
When bringing Abe’s characters to animation, Hechima says the most important thing was ‘to project the image of the original work as much as possible.’ Among the designs, Kazuki and Nanao each contain small details that reflect their personalities.
For Kazuki, the design consciously shows that while the characters around him wear their uniforms a little loosely, he is the only one wearing his properly. Nanao, who has come from 1974, was given the order of a ‘white one-piece dress.’ While researching the clothing of that era, Hechima kept asking what kind of dress would express Nanao’s nature, and built the design through that process.
Abe, the original author, watched the finished film and commented on the characters Hechima brought to animation. In the novel, Abe had written Kazuki so that he did not show emotional ups and downs very much, but in the film she said, ‘The boy named Kazuki looked very clear.’ She also said that even though he is a character she wrote, he is a boy named Kazuki with a different flavor, and while watching she thought he was kind of cute (laughs), sharing the appeal unique to the film version of Kazuki.
Nuance in Every Line
Line art cut (Tsukigase Kazuki)
The film delicately depicts the emotions of teenagers, including Kazuki and Nanao, whose distance shrinks through a summer encounter—feelings that cannot be fully expressed in words alone. Hechima explained, ‘I was conscious of each character’s complicated inner life, and I stuck to the nuance in every single line.’ Hechima also commented, ‘After watching the main feature, it might be interesting to look back and match things, thinking that this feels like this place.’
A corrected line-art cut of Kazuki, on which Hechima worked as chief animation director, was also specially released. Viewers are encouraged to pay attention to the characters’ delicate expressions when they see the film.
The anime film Doko yori mo Tooi Basho ni Iru Kimi e opens in theaters on October 9, 2026.
Cast and Staff
| Cast | Ishibashi Hiiro, Nagase Anna, Tsuchiya Shinba, Uesaka Sumire, Hatano Wataru, Okamoto Nobuhiko, Matsuoka Yoshitsugu / Fujiki Naohito (guest appearance) / Tamaki Hiroshi |
|---|---|
| Original Work | Abe Akiko, Doko yori mo Tooi Basho ni Iru Kimi e (Shueisha Orange Bunko) |
| Director | Wada Junichi |
| Script | Kuwamura Sayaka |
| Character Design & Chief Animation Director | Hechima |
| Art Director | Onishi Minoru |
| Art Setting | Sakamoto Ryuu |
| Director of Photography | Kimura Toshiya |
| Color Design | Utagawa Ritsuko |
| Editing | Sakamoto Kumiko |
| Sound Director | Hata Shouji |
| Sound Effects | Izumo Noriko |
| Sound Production | HALF H・P STUDIO |
| Music | Nakamura Koji |
| Theme Song | Tota ‘Olive’ (RECA Records) |
| In-Film Song | Tota ‘Hourenka’ (Balsam) (RECA Records) |
| Animation Production | TMS Entertainment / Dai 6 Studio |
| Distribution | Shochiku |
| Production Executive | Shochiku, Pony Canyon |
| Production | ‘Doko yori mo Tooi Basho ni Iru Kimi e’ Production Committee |
| Copyright | ©Abe Akiko / Shueisha / ‘Doko yori mo Tooi Basho ni Iru Kimi e’ Production Committee |
Book and Manga
Doko yori mo Tooi Basho ni Iru Kimi e (Shueisha Orange Bunko)
616 yen
(Prices and availability are as of the article’s publication date.)
Doko yori mo Tooi Basho ni Iru Kimi e 2 (Young Jump Comics Digital)
792 yen
(Prices and availability are as of the article’s publication date.)
