Slice of life, shojo anime, Hana-Kimi returned for a second season July 1st and Crunchyroll celebrated by hosting a panel with the lead Japanese voice actors at Anime Expo 2026. We spoke with Yama Aya (voice of Mizuki Ashiya) and Kikunosuke Toya (voice of Shuichi Nakatsu) before their panel at AX.
This interview was conducted with an interrupter and has been edited for clarity.
[KARI LANE] Welcome to Anime Expo! What does it mean for you to be here at AX with Hana-Kimi? And what have been your first impressions of fans at Anime Expo?
[YAMA AYA] Yeah, well, honestly, this is my first time, not just at the Anime Expo, but actually coming to the United States. And so walking around town and, you know, hearing laughing voices, I’m just, in awe of how great this is and, and then, you know, even outside of the convention center, people are waiting in these long lines, they’re excited to get in before it even starts. And, I just, I see all of their cosplay and everyone, like carrying their props and everything. And I just, I’m so impressed with how anime has really become borderless, that it has crossed over and become something international, and that makes me so happy. So to see people’s passion, how passionate they are about it, and, you know, I just, I, I, I’m very impressed. I’m actually without words.
[KIKUNOSUKE TOYA] So, well, you know, me personally, this is my first time at Anime Expo, and just seeing so many people out there doing cosplay makes me so happy. I went to a pharmacy close to the hotel and someone walked in, in full cosplay and I was kind of like, wow, these people are doing cosplay all over the place, and it was just this, amazing moment of, wow, it’s like, here this is this person right next to me in the pharmacy doing cosplay as well. (*Both Laugh*) And so I was just, you know, I’m just enchanted by that. I love it. Then we have a signing in a little bit and then also a panel coming up as well, and I’m really excited to see what kind of people I meet at those events as well.
[LANE] You mentioned seeing people out in public and away from the convention center dressed up. I was just talking with my friends yesterday about that, I wonder what it’s like for regular people in town to see cosplayers out of context, like, “ohhhhh”, you know. (*everyone laughs*) So you mentioned the panel, you have a panel later today, what do you hope fans take away from the panel?
[AYA] Well, we’re going to be doing some live recording of our voicings, and usually, we’re not doing that in front of a group of people, we’re usually in a studio and it’s enclosed. And so to do that, you know, in front of a large group of people, to do that live, I hope that, I hope that they get something very valuable from that, that they can feel that, they can feel our passion, and, how much we’re putting into that, and really take something away from that.
[LANE] Fans LOVE those, by the way. I’ve seen it on a couple panels already, and fans go wild for the live reads.
[AYA] I’m really looking forward to that!
[TOYA] I’m also looking forward to the live voicings, and of course I want everyone, who has seen Hana-Kimi to enjoy the panel, but I’d also like the people who haven’t seen it and who come to the panel, I hope that it wakes up in them an interest to see Hana-Kimi. I really hope that a lot of people can take something away, from the panel saying, wow, this is something that I, I want, that I need to be involved in.
[LANE] What does it mean to you to be part of this series, and for the show to be continuing into a second season?
[AYA] Well, the fact that so many animes are being made in Japan right now, means that a lot of them don’t actually get to a season two. So the fact that we were able to get to a season two, and, you know, even the ones that do go to season two, sometimes it’s after five or ten years. So, I mean, the fact that we really went directly from season one to season two, without even, even finishing season one completely, and that was our next thing. I mean, I hope that people can feel the passion and the love that we put into this. That we have really, focused on, really putting attention to one by one, each individual episode, and we’re so thankful for that and we hope that people can feel that, when they, when they watch it and they can feel how thankful we are that we have gotten to the situation.
[TOYA] Well, I think that, knowing that the original manga was just so popular, and the fact that I was able to play the role of Nakatsu in this, that is just beautiful for me. It’s huge, and I hope that, you know, in our doing season two, that people realize that, OK, well, we’re in this for the long run, that they can enjoy it, they can continue to enjoy it, for longer. And I also hope that, I think that the content, I think it’s relatable, you know, it’s about love and it’s about something that people can really understand. And I just really hope that a lot of people genuinely enjoy it because I think it’s great.
[LANE] Do you have a favorite line or moment from season one?
[AYA] So, yeah, well, at the very beginning, there’s an interaction between Mizuki and Sano, and Mizuki says to Sano twice, “I want to be with you.” And that made me think, what does it mean to like someone or to love someone because is this admiration, I admire you type, I want to be with you and hang out with you, or is it I like literally want to be with you because I love you or I like you. And so that got me thinking, you know, what does that mean? My answer, as I read the manga was that, you know, to like someone or to love someone, basically just means you want to spend time with them. And I think that’s kind of the answer to the conflict that comes up, in this anime is just, you know, that’s like the answer to the question. Would you like to be with someone or spend time with someone, well, maybe that is love.
[TOYA] Well, there’s a scene where, Nakatsu, he’s from Osaka, right, and so he speaks the Kansai dialect in Japanese, and he gives some, some okonomiyaki to Mizuki, and it’s not just regular, it’s actually Kansai style Okonomiyaki, and I think that that says so much because it says a lot about Nakatsu and his personality. The fact that he’s trying to cheer up Mizuki, who’s homesick, but the fact that they also made it Kansai style okonomiyaki, I just think that that was just a beautiful thing, beautiful scene. I loved it.
[LANE] So you know, besides your panel, what are you looking forward to at Anime Expo and what would you like to tell the fans?
[AYA] Well, first of all, these signings, being able to be there and have some real interaction while I’m writing and actually talking to fans, is something that I, I really want to do my best at. And, also the fact that, you know, that almost everyone, I mean, this is really the type of title that there’s really nobody who isn’t familiar with it in Japan. So, I really hope that we exceed everyone’s expectations, and that people really will want to watch it all the way to the very end, even though they may know it in a previous form.
[TOYA] This being my first time at Anime Expo, I’m wondering, what kind of booths are out there, you know, what is out there in the convention center? Who all is there? What are they all doing? What are they, you know, what’s their shtick? I just, I want to be able to make the rounds and, actually go out, and go out and about, and just say that I was actually able to see the convention center, the Anime Expo convention, and go home feeling like I had fulfilled that. And then, in terms of the anime itself, we put so much love and effort into doing the voicings, and then for season two, we’re doing the same thing, and I just really hope that people will support this and they will watch it, and that they will really enjoy it – so that we feel like, you know, our work, has really benefited people.
[LANE] Well thank you so much and congratulations! Arigato gozaimasu.
[AYA and Toya] Arigato gozaimasu.
You can watch season one and season two of Hana-Kimi on Crunchyroll.
Synopsis:
Mizuki Ashiya is on a mission: disguise herself as a boy and enroll in a male boarding school to meet her idol, high jump star Izumi Sano. But after successfully infiltrating the school, she discovers he’s suddenly quit the sport! Now Mizuki must dodge suspicion, protect her cover, and somehow reach the boy she came all this way for—all while surviving the chaos of an all-boys dorm!
— Kari Lane