ReLIFE Anime's Main Staff Announced

The fifth volume of Yayoiso's ReLIFE manga (cover pictured at right) announced the main staff of the manga's anime adaptation on Friday.

Tomo Kosaka (episode animation director for Giant Killing,Yowamushi Pedal) is directing the anime, and Kazuho Hyodo (Himegoto, Wanna Be the Strongest in the World, Big Windup!) and Michiko Yokote (Shirobako, Princess Tutu, Big Windup!) are in charge of the series scripts. Junko Yamanaka (Kamisama Kiss, Servamp) is adapting Yayoiso's character designs for animation.

TMS Entertainment is producing the adaptation, and the "ReLIFE Kenkyūjo" (Laboratory) is the production committee.

Kensho Ono (Kuroko's Basketball's Kuroko, Magi's Hakuryū Ren) will star in the series as Arata Kaizaki, and Ai Kayano(anohana's Menma, Your Lie in April's Nagi Aizato) will costar as Chizuru Hishiro. The fifth manga volume also revealed anime character designs for the two main characters on Friday.​

Anime Japan will host a stage event with the cast on March 26. The stage event will reveal more cast members, visuals, and more information about the anime project.​

The manga's story revolves around Arata Kaizaki, an unemployed, single 27-year-old who has just been cut off from his parents' financial support. Unable to find a job due to his leaving his previous employer within three months, he is stuck. One night after drinking with a high school friend, Arata meets Ryō Yoake, a man who offers Arata pills to turn him back into a 17-year old so he can redo his life. After agreeing to the experiment, Arata joins a high school class, and meets Chizuru Hishiro, a socially awkward silent beauty who yearns to have friends. Through connecting with her and other classmates, Arata must find what he lacks to live a happy life in the real world within a one-year time limit.​

Yayoiso began her manga on the Comico free manga app in 2013, and it was green-lit for physical publication in 2014. Taibundo released the manga's fifth compiled volume on February 12, and the physical compiled volumes have more than 1 million copies in print.​

Crunchyroll is releasing the manga in English digitally.​

The manga is also inspiring a stage play this fall.​