Anime
"Promise Me the Spotlight" reveals teaser, cast and staff
The "Promise Me the Spotlight" anime has unveiled its first key visual, a teaser PV and the names of its main voice cast and production staff. The series will air on TV Tokyo and its six affiliate channels.
The first promotional video for "Promise Me the Spotlight" offers a preview of its opening theme, "Nanimono demo nakatta Watashi dakara", performed by Yuika. The footage also introduces Mizuki Natsuno and the other members of Melty Strawberry, the idol group at the center of the story. Bandai Namco Filmworks accompanied the release with a key visual and confirmation that the series will air on six TV Tokyo network stations.
Mizuki aims to go from least popular to center stage
The protagonist is Mizuki Natsuno, the least popular member of Melty Strawberry. Despite her low popularity, she has one devoted admirer: Koichi Okuta, her only fan at meet-and-greet events. When he promises to make her the group's new center, Mizuki sets one condition: if he succeeds, she will marry him. The story follows an unusual partnership between an idol seeking to improve her standing and the fan determined to help her reach stardom.
Gallery
Image: © Jun Wakatsuki / Kodansha / Watasen Production Committee · Image source (opens in a new tab) 
Image: © Jun Wakatsuki / Kodansha / Watasen Production Committee · Image source (opens in a new tab)
A manga that went from social media to television
The anime adapts Jun Wakatsuki's manga, published by Kodansha. The series began serialization in November 2022 in Shonen Magazine Edge magazine. Following the magazine's closure in 2023, the manga continued on the Magazine Pocket app from February 2024.
The sixth collected volume was released in Japan on July 9, 2026. The manga has surpassed 200,000 copies in circulation, including physical and digital editions. Its popularity also grew through social media: the first chapter, posted on X in 2023, received approximately 40,000 reposts and 200,000 likes, according to Anime!Anime!.
Seiji Kishi directs the TEAM TillDawn production
The adaptation has Seiji Kishi as its director and TEAM TillDawn as its animation studio. The main production team also includes Yuko Kakihara, who handles series composition, and Kazuaki Morita, who designs the characters. The confirmed key staff members are:
- Animation studio: TEAM TillDawn
- Director: Seiji Kishi
- Series composition: Yuko Kakihara
- Character design: Kazuaki Morita
The main cast features four performers voicing the members of Melty Strawberry and Mizuki's devoted fan:
- Haruna Mikawa as Mizuki Natsuno
- Taihi Kimura as Koichi Okuta
- Mai Kanno as Awayuki Shiroi
- Yukari Anzai as Hatsune Fukuba
Yuika provides the opening theme as Berrytter launches
The opening theme, "Nanimono demo nakatta Watashi dakara" ("Because I Was No One"), is performed by Yuika. The singer-songwriter's involvement had already been announced on September 21, 2026, when the anime's official account confirmed her participation. The teaser now offers the first opportunity to hear part of the song in the series' promotional footage.
Another November 4 announcement is Berrytter, a communication project dedicated to the series' characters. It launched with ten X accounts, including those belonging to Mizuki Natsuno, Koichi Okuta, Awayuki Shiroi and Hatsune Fukuba. The accounts will share moments from their everyday lives, interactions between group members and other activities related to Melty Strawberry.
The manga and anime in Spain
The original manga is published in Japan by Kodansha through Magazine Pocket. Its Spanish publishing status still needs to be checked against Listado Manga. As for the anime, we have also been unable to verify a streaming platform that has confirmed its distribution in Spain.