The Ichijōma Mankitsu Gurashi! TV anime continues to ramp up promotion with its latest update. The official staff introduced four new characters on February 8th, 2026, alongside a fresh teaser trailer that gives fans a glimpse of the series' lighthearted, eccentric tone. The show, based on Kumako Hisama's four-panel manga, is set to premiere in April 2026. Watch the trailer down below:
The newly revealed characters expand the colorful ensemble living and working at Hedgehog, the manga café that doubles as a girls' dormitory:
Michika Narumi: A first-year student at a different high school from protagonist Meiko's, she works part-time at a cat café located in the same building as Hedgehog.
Majikarumomorin Gōda: An 18-year-old who somehow ends up residing at Hedgehog, adding to the motley crew of residents.
Gao: A streamer who runs the GaoChube channel, bringing modern online culture into the mix.
Beruna: Gao's maid who secretly acts as a spy, hinting at layers of intrigue amid the everyday chaos.
These additions join the core cast members: Meiko Morita, the countryside girl who relocates to Tokyo for an elite girls' academy; Rie Amamiya, the wealthy heiress who manages Hedgehog and has a passion for yuri and boys' love manga; Marika Suzuki, a popular streamer known online as Marica Belltree; and Neo Nakano, a professional gamer competing in world championships.
As a a fun tie-in, the character Marica Belltree has launched her own YouTube channel as a VTuber. Her debut livestream is scheduled for February 17th, 2026, giving fans a chance to interact with her virtual persona ahead of the anime's launch.
The story is centered on Meiko Morita, who moves from the countryside to attend a prestigious all-girls academy in Tokyo. In exchange for free tuition through volunteer work, she ends up living and working at Hedgehog, a manga café that also serves as the school's dormitory. There she encounters a cast of quirky personalities, leading to comedic situations filled with manga culture, streaming antics, gaming rivalries, and a dash of "somewhat sexy" humor.
The manga began serialization in Houbunsha's Manga Time Kirara magazine in December 2018 and has released four compiled volumes as of July 2025. Known for its slice-of-life comedy and ecchi elements, the series captures the charm of everyday absurdities in a shared living space.
Production is handled by PRA, with Toshinori Watanabe (Tokyo Ghoul:re, Mix: Meisei Story) directing. Fumiya Uehara designs the characters and serves as chief animation director alongside Minefumi Harada, Yūki Yabata, and Saori Sakiguchi. Additional key staff includes costume designers Fumiya Uehara and Michiko Ōtani, art designer Shino Tanaka, art director Minami Nakazato, color designer Hiroko Umazaki, 2D works by Yumeta Company, director of photography Yasushi Kimura, and editor Keisuke Yanagi. Yayoi Tateishi directs the music, with MONACA composing the score.
The teaser trailer showcases the vibrant art style and playful energy of the source material, highlighting the close-quarters living at Hedgehog and the interactions among its residents. While brief, it teases the mix of wholesome comedy and mild fanservice that defines the series.
Ichijōma Mankitsu Gurashi! fits squarely in the Manga Time Kirara tradition of cute, relaxing comedies with a hint of ecchi, much like other adaptations from the magazine such as K-On! or Laid-Back Camp. Its focus on a manga café setting adds a unique layer of otaku culture and shared living dynamics, promising plenty of character-driven humor.
With the April premiere approaching soon, excitement is building for this fresh entry in the slice-of-life genre. The recent character reveals and teaser provide more reasons for fans of cozy yet cheeky comedies to mark their calendars. Whether it's Meiko's adjustment to city life, the streaming exploits of Marica and Gao, or the everyday antics at Hedgehog, the series looks ready to deliver lighthearted fun in a tiny tatami-sized package. Are you ready for it?