The official website for the television anime adaptation of Kyu Takahata and Yuji Kaba’s Now That We Draw manga announced on October 8, 2026, that rock band project shallm will perform the series’ opening theme song [5]. Vocalist lia wrote the original track, titled “Kimiiro Hirari”, specifically for the upcoming romantic comedy series [1]. The group debuted the song during a live performance in Tokyo, sharing the news directly with fans on their autumn tour [2]. It’s an unusual reveal method that energized the venue, and the animated adaptation will premiere on television in January 2027 [1].
Surprise Concert Reveal of Kimiiro Hirari
The band announced the opening song during the second half of their show at Zepp Shinjuku in Tokyo on October 8, 2026. That concert launched shallm’s second nationwide tour, titled “shallm EP TOUR “ANTI AFTER SCHOOL””, which supports their latest EP. The venue was full. lia took the stage to announce that their new song would serve as the opening theme for the upcoming anime. Fans welcomed the news. The band then played “Kimiiro Hirari” live for the first time, giving fans in the hall an early preview before the television broadcast [4].
Following Tokyo, the tour heads to three other cities across Japan later in October. The group visits Nagoya for an evening gig at ell.FITS ALL in Aichi on October 22, before playing OSAKA MUSE in Osaka on October 23 and then traveling to Fukuoka. The tour wraps up on October 30 at LIVE HOUSE OP’s in Fukuoka [4]. Ticket sales ran through play guides such as eplus, Ticket Pia, and Lawson Ticket. Many dates sold out quickly [6]. It’s a busy autumn tour run, but the band stays focused on their music as anime preparations continue [4].
The theme song selection marks another step forward for shallm, a group where vocalist lia writes both the lyrics and the music [4]. She launched the project in March 2023 with the digital release of “Mugen Hologram”, drawing listeners with her expressive voice and catchy melodies before following up with additional television theme tracks. Later in 2023, the band made its major debut with a drama theme song, and they’ve since performed at major domestic music festivals. They aren’t strangers to theme work. Now they’re bringing that experience to Hakusensha’s romantic comedy [5].
Vocalist Lia on Writing for Now That We Draw
Writing “Kimiiro Hirari” gave lia a chance to look back at how far she has come since launching shallm. She explained that she wrote the track as a continuation of her debut single “Mugen Hologram”. “The dream I started pursuing alone back then, as I’ve walked this path, I’ve met so many people, and the words and memories I received from them have always colored my dreams and pushed me forward,” lia said. Some days were tough, but the people beside her turned those struggles into treasured memories. That inspired the central lyric, “君がいたから色付いて輝いたんだ”, which translates as “because you were there, it gained color and shone” [4].
Connecting her journey to Now That We Draw felt natural after lia read the manga. “I’m truly delighted and honored to work on the opening for Now That We Draw (Kakunaru Ue wa),” lia said. “After reading the original work, I felt not only its charm as a rom-com but also the wonder of chasing dreams together with someone,” she added. “Since I’m pursuing my dreams, I could relate to the two protagonists on many levels, so I created the song while cherishing the emotions the manga gave me and hope you enjoy ‘Kimiiro Hirari’ along with the series” [2].
That shared pursuit of artistic goals sits at the heart of both the song and the manga’s story. The track captures the warmth of teamwork [2]. lia hopes that message reaches fans when the anime airs [4]. Listeners won’t have to wait long to hear the studio version once trailers debut [2].
Studio ROLL2 Staff and Broadcast Schedule
The television series is in production at Studio ROLL2 under director Shunsuke Ishikawa, who previously directed BLUE LOCK THE MOVIE -EPISODE NAGI- [3]. Veteran writer Deko Akao oversees series composition and script duties [2]. Hiromi Nakagawa designed the characters, while Momoka Izumi handles sub-character designs to adapt Yuji Kaba’s manga illustrations for television screens alongside art director Arei Saiga and photography director Hayato Kifune. Infinite produces the project [3]. The team brings valuable experience [2].
Color key artist Yurie Matsuura manages color design, while sound director Fumiyuki Go and sound effects artist Ryuta Nakahara shape the audio landscape as 3D CG director Masashi Watanabe coordinates digital assets. Mai Hasegawa of editz handles editing [3, 5]. Yoshiaki Miura composed the background music [3]. It’s a skilled crew assembled to adapt Hakusensha’s romantic comedy [2].
The production committee cast Ayumu Murase as lead character Yuki Uehara and Sayumi Suzushiro as heroine Niina Miyamoto [3]. Broadcasts begin in January 2027, with official social accounts active on X and TikTok at @kakunaru_anime. Fans can follow announcements on kakunaru-anime.com [4]. The website shares production art [5]. That January premiere window places the series directly into the winter anime schedule [1].
Pretend Romance Premise of Now That We Draw
The plot of Now That We Draw follows high school student Yuki Uehara, a quiet teenager who loves two-dimensional romance and dreams of drawing manga for a living despite having zero real dating experience. Uehara creates what he considers the perfect romantic comedy heroine—a shy, innocent, and pure character. When he presents his work to an editor at his dream publishing company, the editor coldly rejects the manuscript and says the romantic scenes lack any sense of realism or believable emotional weight [1]. That harsh rejection leaves Uehara crushed and ready to give up his creative dreams [5]. He can’t imagine drawing without editorial encouragement [1].
Just as Uehara is about to quit, classmate Niina Miyamoto spots his dropped manuscript. Uehara thought Miyamoto was simply a flashy, outgoing gyaru who lived in a completely different world, but he learns that she secretly dreams of becoming a manga author too and faces identical creative criticism [1, 5]. Having received the same harsh editorial feedback about her romance drafts, Miyamoto suggests a bold solution [1]. Because neither teen has any dating experience, she proposes they start a secret fake relationship to practice romance and improve their storytelling so their upcoming manga pitches can finally succeed. “It’s super destiny! Won’t you go out with me!?” Miyamoto asks, kicking off their unusual partnership [5].
Their arrangement leads to comic disasters because neither teen matches the fictional types they write. Miyamoto isn’t the quiet, modest heroine Uehara imagined, and Uehara isn’t the charming hero from her shojo concepts. They clash constantly. Yet their shared dedication to drawing keeps them working side by side as they try to make their manga dreams come true [1]. It’s a charming look at creative youth that combines high school comedy with real-world manga craft [2].
Manga Publication History and English Volumes
The manga began serialization in February 2023, created by writer Kyu Takahata and artist Yuji Kaba [2, 4]. Japanese readers quickly connected with the series’ mix of humor and sincere manga craftsmanship, supporting regular book releases in Hakusensha’s Young Animal magazine and digital releases across Young Animal Web [1, 4]. Hakusensha published the eighth compiled volume on September 29, 2026, marking steady momentum for the work [1].
Seven Seas Entertainment licenses the manga for English readers across North America and international markets. The English editions brought Uehara and Miyamoto’s story to an overseas fanbase that keeps growing ahead of the winter anime debut, with Seven Seas publishing six volumes in English to date [1, 2]. Seven Seas released the fifth English volume on July 28, 2026, and readers can find recent chapters online. Having translated volumes in stores lets western readers catch up before the show premieres [1].
Securing an opening theme by shallm adds excitement for the winter anime season, joining other recent theme reveals like Kroi performing the opening theme for Steel Ball Run as Studio ROLL2 readies the broadcast premiere [1]. Experienced voice actors lead the television cast [3]. Readers won’t have to wait long. The television broadcast starts in January 2027 [1].
- ONLINE NEWS Anime News Network. (2026, October 8). shallm Perform Opening Theme Song for ‘Now That We Draw’ Anime. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Kristov, J. P. (2026, October 9). Now That We Draw Reveals Opening Song. Anime Corner. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Douglas. (2026, October 8). Now That We Draw Anime Reveals Opening Theme Song by shallm. Final Weapon. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Skream Editorial Department. (2026, October 8). shallm’s new song, ‘Kimi Iro Hirari’, announced as opening theme for TV anime ‘Kaku Naru Ue wa’. Skream! Japan & International Rock Portal. [Article Link]
- WEBSITE Kakunaru Ue wa Production Committee. (2026, October 8). TV Anime Kakunaru Ue wa Official Website. [Article Link]
- WEBSITE Eplus. (2026, October 8). shallm Ticket Information. [Article Link]
