The anime adaptation of Keigo Maki's Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie manga premiered today on the ANiMAZiNG!!! TV block, and just as the anime is released we have word that the animation studio behind it is closing due to staff members coming down with COVID-19.
Anime studio Doga Kobo revealed through its website earlier this week. The official Shikimori Twitter account followed up yesterday that they are in the process of figuring out how to handle future episodes of the anime. They have yet to officially confirm if the series will see delays or not. They stated that "the Shikimori production committee is determined to carry on with the production of the show with the health and safety of the staff and cast as our top priority." Details regarding future broadcasts are to be announced via the official website and their social media accounts.
There has been no details regarding possible delays on Doga Kobo's other anime projects RPG Real Estate and Chiikawa. Both have already begun broadcasting with RPG Real Estate streaming alongside Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie on Crunchyroll.
The studio has been closed since April 6th and will remain closed until April 17th. Currently employees are not allowed access to the inside of the building. Those that have tested negative for COVID-19 are being allowed to work with other staff members one-on-one, which is allowing some production to move forward.
Doga Kobo has apologized, stating "We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and ask for your understanding."
The Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie anime is based upon the Japanese romantic comedy manga series of the same name. The series, written and illustrated by Keigo Maki, has been serialized on Kodansha's Magazine Pocket app and website since February 2019. It follows Izumi and Shikimori, a typical love-dovey high school couple. That all changes when Shikimori turns into a heroine!
The anime voice cast includes Saori Onishi (Sonny Boy) and Shuichiro Umeda (The World Ends with You The Animation), Misato Matsuoka, Rina Hidaka, and Nobuhio Okamoto (My Hero Academia).
Shikimori seems like the perfect girlfriend: cute, fun to be around, sweet when she wants to be…but she has a cool dark side that comes out under the right circumstances. And her boyfriend Izumi loves to be around when that happens! A fun and funny high school romance with a sassy twist, perfect for fans of Nagatoro-san and Komi Can’t Communicate!