Shikizakura

Alternate Title

シキザクラ

Synopsis

High school student Kakeru Miwa gets involved in a battle between powered suits called Yoroi and Oni that appear from another world to prey on humans. Onis manifest themselves in the world by possessing humans, and the only thing that can protect the people are Yoroi, which combine ancient knowledge with the latest technology. Determined to become a hero, Kakeru puts on a Yoroi by chance and becomes a member of a team fighting against the Oni to protect a shrine maiden named Oka Myojin who is destined to save the world.

Background

Shikizakura is an original sci-fi battle TV anime being co-produced by Chukyo TV and animation studio Sublimation. The anime was first announced in October 2018 and features Shin'ya Sugai as chief director and Go Kurosaki as director, with Naruki Nagakawa handling series composition, Manabu Nakatake handling character designs, and Saito Takumi composing the music. The anime’s opening theme song is "BELIEVE MYSELF" by Asaka, and the ending theme song is "Shikizakura" by May'n. The anime had its world premiere in July 2021 at Anime Expo Lite, where the first episode was screened. It will premiere in Japan in October on Nagoya TV, Nippon TV, and other channels and will span 12 episodes.

Characters

Kakeru Miwa (Voiced by: Yudai Noda)
A high school student who yearns to be a hero. He can’t overlook those in trouble, but his efforts are often useless due to his lack of ability. Though he is thought of by others as someone who doesn’t think about anything, inside he burns with anger toward an unreasonable fate. He decides to become a real hero after getting involved in a battle with an Oni.

Oka Myojin (Voiced by: Miho Mashiro)
A young girl born in Aichi Prefecture who comes from a family of shrine maidens who have performed the Shikizakura ritual for generations. She has the power to send Oni back to their world. She is always calm and seldom shows violent emotions, but she shows a different emotion when performing her role as a shrine maiden. She is unfamiliar with worldly affairs, having grown up in a bubble, and she lacks common sense, so she often gets pushed around. She is currently working hard to learn how to use a smartphone.

Kippei Nagatsu (Voiced by: Daisuke Nakamoto)
Born in Aichi, he is Kakeru’s best friend from childhood and is like a brother to him. He loves all kinds of subcultures, including the occult, tokusatsu, and anime. Though he was initially introduced to them by Kakeru, once they began to research them together he got hooked. He is trying his best to make his high school debut as a popular kid, but so far hasn’t been very successful.

Ryo Hattori (Voiced by: Shoto Mizukami)
Born in Mie, he is a descendant of the Shinobi clan, which has been protecting the shrine maidens for generations. He continues to serve as Oka’s bodyguard and is constantly training in sword fighting and various other physical skills. He is a coolheaded realist with quite a dry personality, but he gets emotional when it comes to Oni. He is a reliable leader who protects Oka against the Oni.

Kaede Naruse (Voiced by: Eri Sakazaki)
Born in Gifu, she is a former member of the track and field team (high jump) and is a gymnast. She competes with Oni using her physical abilities cultivated through her club activities. Though usually crass and unpredictable, she also has the heart of a maiden. She and Haruko were childhood friends and best friends, but they have since grown apart. She speaks in a Gifu dialect when she gets angry. She is proud of the fact that she never gets fat no matter how much she eats.

Haruko Yamada (Voiced by: Natsuki Ochiai)
Born in Gifu, she is a self-described ordinary high school girl. She isn’t good at asserting herself, and due to this has been protected by her childhood friend Kaede since she was a child. She becomes the manager of the track and field team in order to help and support Kaede. She loves animals, especially koalas.

Ibara (Voiced by: Shingo Yoneyama)
Hometown unknown. In ancient times, he was an Oni who rampaged through Japan making a name for himself before being sealed inside a jewel by a shrine maiden and becoming a Yoroi. Over the years, most of his memories have been lost, with only his anger and destructive impulses remaining.

Benio Myojin (Voiced by: Miki Yakata)
Born in Aichi Prefecture, she is a platinum blonde cool beauty. She is the eldest daughter of the Myojin family, the family of shrine maidens who seal Oni, and Oka’s older sister. Although not as powerful as Oka, she excels in martial arts and leads a different team than Kakeru and the others to defeat Oni. She dotes on Oka, never failing to say good morning or good night, but gets depressed when Oka doesn’t reciprocate.

Ukon Kijima (Voiced by: Yuto Arai)
Born in Mie Prefecture, he is a lighthearted charlatan who flirts with any young woman he sees. He is soft-spoken and good at opening up to others, but he never shows his true feelings. He is loyal to Benio and supports her in defeating Oni. Though he is a very capable fighter, he doesn’t like to be at the forefront of battle and instead acts as a strategist.

Issa Inuzuka (Voiced by: Iwori)
Born in Mie Prefecture, he is a warrior type who lives for battle. He supports Benio with his extraordinary power and plays a key role in the fight against the Oni. He is often misunderstood due to not talking much, but he is a man of compassion and loyalty who will do anything for those he approves of. He is heartbroken that Kakeru and the others are involved in the battle.

Endo (Voiced by: Mushimegane)
A veteran stage actor. He believes that realism is the most important aspect of a play. No matter what role he plays, he always thoroughly prepares for it, which has earned him the respect of those around him, though some say he goes too far. As a result of becoming too engrossed in a certain role, the image of a koala appeared to him as a hallucination and began speaking to him.

Koala Hallucination (Voiced by: Toshimitsu)
A hallucination that appears to Endo and talks to him.

Hardcore Middle-Aged Fan (Voiced by: Jiro Sato)
A middle-aged man living in Aichi Prefecture who loves hero shows. He goes to see all the shows that open nearby and is what you’d call a hardcore fan. It's said that the staff judge the quality of the show by looking at his facial expressions. He seems to be having some difficulties lately...

Music

• Opening Theme Song: "BELIEVE MYSELF" by Asaka
• Ending Theme Song: "Shikizakura" by May'n

• Anime Site (Japanese)
• Twitter (Japanese)

• Original Creator: Sublimation
• Chief Director: Shin'ya Sugai
• Director: Go Kurosaki
• Series Composition: Naruki Nagakawa (Storyriders)
• Draft Design: Ryoga Inoue (K&K Design)
• Character Design: Manabu Nakatake (Yostar Pictures)
• CG Director: Makoto Sato, Yu Sato
• Art Director: Toshihiko Kojima (Plantago Games)
• Sound Director: Takumi Saitou
• Color Design: Hironori Nochi
• Director of Photography: Tadaaki Yamazaki (Studio Hibari)
• Editing: Manabu Kamino (Sony PCL)
• Sound Director/Music: Saito Takumi
• Sound Effects/Recording: Tokai Sound
• Casting: TYK Promotion
• Modeling Chief: Takashi Honda
• Producer: Tomoyasu Nishimura
• Production Cooperation: K&K Design
• Animation Production: Sublimation