Bukimi Miki's SHY Anime Release Date, Cast, Trailer, Plot And More Details
Superheroes have taken over Western pop culture during the course of the last decade, but caped crusaders aren't exclusive to Hollywood. There's been an increase in superhero content in the world of anime, too. The comedic adventures of Saitama in "One Punch Man" offer a light-hearted deconstruction of numerous superhero archetypes and ideas, while the ever-popular "My Hero Academia" feels like a passionate anime love-letter to what makes comic book heroes so endearing and captivating. If you've binged these shows and you're in need of further superhero anime content, then you're in luck, because a series based on author Bukimi Miki's manga "SHY" is in the works.
"SHY" offers a new world of powered-up heroes, but through the lens of one protagonist whose nerves might get in the way of performing her duties. The manga debuted as a one shot in the magazine Weekly Shōnen Champion in 2017. It was then serialized in 2019 and is still ongoing at the time of this writing, gaining new fans all the time. The anime adaptation is highly anticipated among readers, who are expecting big things from it. But which studio is making it, who is in the voice cast, and which director is handling the series? Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming anime version of Bukimi Miki's "SHY."
When will SHY be released?
News that an adaptation of Bukimi Miki's "SHY" was in the pipeline first broke in October 2022, when an official website for the show was launched. The announcement came with a key visual featuring the titular hero as well as a teaser trailer made up largely of still images from the manga, but no release date was confirmed at the time. However, we now know when the first episode of the anime will drop.
In September 2023, Crunchyroll revealed that "SHY" was set to premiere on October 2, 2023, almost a year to the day that the project was officially announced. "SHY will broadcast in Japan on TV TOKYO on Mondays during the 24:00 time slot beginning on October 2, 2023, and the series will also stream on Crunchyroll as part of the fall 2023 anime simulcast lineup," the anime streaming giant said in a statement, confirming that fans in the States will get the show on the same day. The midnight premiere means that, while the show technically debuts on October 2, it will effectively be October 3.
What is the plot of SHY?
When we think of superheroes, images of larger-than-life demigods often come to mind. These are beings who, at their best, inspire hope, and, at their worst, stoke fear. But what if Superman acted more like his timid Clark Kent demeanor in a world of heroes? At its core, that's what Bukimi Miki's "SHY" anime explores with Japan's top hero. The official website of the anime describes a world in the 21st century where superheroes mysteriously appear and work hard to achieve a status of world peace, preventing a global war.
Japan's hero happens to be 14-year-old student Teru Momijiyama, who has a severe problem with being in front of people. That fear makes everything a little more challenging for her alter-ego, Shy. Dealing with supervillains is hard enough when you're an extrovert, but try doing it with crippling shyness. "SHY" will feature Teru doing her best to become worthy of the title of Japan's bastion of peace, and the upcoming anime will delve into her sheepish nature and insecurities about being the center of attention.
Who is starring in SHY?
When the anime adaptation of "SHY" was first announced back in 2022, it was also revealed that voice actor Shino Shimoji would be playing Teru Momijiyama and her bashful super-powered alter ego Shy. Anime and gaming fans should already be familiar with some of Shimoji's work since she's voiced roles in other anime series such as Luca in "The Case Study of Vanitas" and Akari Ōzora in "Aikatsu." In the world of gaming, Shimoji's voice is used for the characters Pyra and Mythra in "Xenoblade Chronicles 2" and Akiha Tohno in "Melty Blood: Type Lumina."
In addition, Shimoji already has a bit of experience tackling more reserved characters like Shy. In the anime "Shadows House," the actor played the reticent character Shirley as well as her living doll Ramu. On the "SHY" anime's official site, Shimoji expressed how much she admires that Shy perseveres in her heroic endeavors despite her timid nature. Fans should be in for a treat as Shimoji aims to properly bring the character to life from the pages of the manga.
In terms of the supporting cast, there are several experienced voice actors on board. The main antagonist Stigma will be voiced by Mutsumi Tamura ("The Ancient Magus' Bride"), the villainous Tzveta will be voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro ("Demon Slayer"), and the playful hero Keheheh will be voiced by Rina Hidaka ("Boruto: Naruto Next Generations"). The cast also includes Nao Tōyama as Iko Koishikawa, Tomokazu Sugita as Ebio (aka Shrimpy), Mamiko Noto as Spirit, Shinichiro Miki as Stardust, Sayumi Suzushiro as Lady Black, Ayumu Murase as Mian Long, and Kikuko Inoue as Unilord.
Is there a trailer for SHY?
With the initial 2022 announcement of Bukimi Miki's "SHY" anime, audiences were treated to a glimpse of the series to hype up anticipation. However, the teaser didn't offer much beyond a few still images and a quick look at how the main character will look in the anime. In 2023, the first actual trailer for the show was released, giving eager fans much more to go on. It opens with Shy timidly introducing herself as Japan's hero and then runs through the fellow bastions of peace that she will encounter during her battle with Stigma, the main villain of the story. By the end of the trailer, she's far more confident, both in her abilities and as a person.
As the release date drew closer a second trailer dropped, putting the spotlight on the antagonists. In this clip, we get to see the big bad Stigma (who is actually a small boy) up close. The leader of the villainous organization Amalareiks, Stigma is calm and childlike in an unnerving way. He created various rings that can be used to create black crystals that are used as weapons, as is shown in the second trailer. Both trailers went down well with fans, who took to the comments section on YouTube to express their gratitude. "I absolutely loved reading SHY, havent read it in a while but I'm so happy its getting the anime adaptation it deserves," @tacoxboi1912 said.
Which studio is making SHY?
The anime adaptation of Bukimi Miki's "SHY" is being handled by the studio Eight Bit, which was founded in 2008 by former staff members of the studio Satelight, best known for its contributions to the "Macross" franchise. Eight Bit's first project was also a "Macross" one (they took on the film "Macross Frontier: Itsuwari no Utahime") but in recent years the studio has been stepping out from under the shadow of Satelight to produce some unique and popular shows. Arguably the best known of those shows is "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime," based on the manga of the same name by Fuse.
More recently, Eight Bit made the popular soccer anime "Blue Lock," a story about a maniacal man who wants to reinvent Japanese soccer with the goal of winning the FIFA World Cup. All the best young soccer players in the country are invited to the Blue Lock institution where they are told to forget everything they know about the Japanese game — the country's style of play is too nice, according to the enigmatic Ego Jinpachi, and the stars of the future must learn to be more selfish if they're going to be successful on the international stage. Protagonist Yoichi Isagi is conflicted about this new approach, but he has no choice but to join the program if he wants to make the national team one day. It's one of the best anime shows of 2023.
Both shows are beautifully animated, and it seems as though Eight Bit has brought its A-game to "SHY," as well. In the comments section under the first trailer, fans hailed the crisp animation. "I'm totally hyped for this! It feels different from the usual hero protagonists in shows and animes, in a good way, of course," said @CherryyGhost. "The animation is also just STUNNING!!"
Who is directing SHY?
The anime adaptation of Bukimi Miki's "SHY" is being directed by Masaomi Ando, who made his debut as an episode director on "Fairy Tail" back in 2010. He's taken charge of several full series since then, most notably "Scum's Wish," "School-Live!" and the acclaimed "Astra Lost in Space." The show has a stellar rating of 8.08 on My Anime List, where users have praised everything from the cliffhangers and plot twists to the complex story. "I haven't been this invested and looking forward to every episode of a show since Death note and Steins Gate," said user Espio74.
Speaking to Otaquest, Ando revealed that squeezing the story of Kenta Shinohara's manga into just 12 episodes was quite the challenge, even with an hour-long opening episode. The manga is very dialogue dense and there are a lot of complicated ideas in its pages, but Ando was able to get the gist of the story across without losing the heart and soul of the source material. This will no doubt be music to the ears of "SHY" fans, who are keen to see the manga get the anime adaptation they believe it deserves.