Attendees of this year’s Anime Expo got to witness the dazzling premiere of A Star Brighter Than the Sun, produced by Studio KAI and adapted from the manga of the same name by Kazune Kawahara. The event had a screening of the anime’s first episode and featured a Q&A panel with director Sayaka Kobayashi (Captain Tsubasa, My Love Story With Yamada-kun at Lv999) and producer Yoko Shiraishi (The Witch and the Beast, The Water Magician).
Sae Iwata, conscious of her taller and heftier appearance compared to her other girl classmates, has a lot of emotions on her plate. One of these emotions is her major crush on Koki Kamishiro, her friend since elementary school that has grown from a small boy into a tall, radiantly handsome young man. The first episode follows the two’s friendship history and dynamic as their middle school journey ends and high school adventure begins.
Episode one’s strongest point is its humor, which landed on all its intended beats and was elevated by the AX audience’s uninhibited laughter. Though Iwata’s love for food and insecurity of her size is highlighted in several scenes — some that called for a chuckle from the audience — I appreciated how the show doesn’t seem to make fun of these qualities. Iwata’s fatness and tallness aren’t being poked at under the guise of comedic relief; instead, her sensitivity toward these traits is displayed in a fashion that is so emblematic of teenage insecurity. During this critical stage of our lives, any amount of difference from your peers can shake your self-esteem, and Iwata obviously feels this pressure. The relatability of this experience, for me, is what makes the comedy of this episode feel so heartwarming.
I also love how apparent both Iwata’s and Kamishiro’s crushes on each other are. Perhaps this is because of how much of an ikemen Kamishiro is in Iwata’s eyes, but every interaction between the pair in their middle school days makes it obvious that these feelings are far from one-sided. The animation makes a point to capture their longing — one scene features Iwata wistfully sifting through her childhood memories with Kamishiro, “pressing play” on the memories as if they were mini short films. Even within these memories, it’s clear how much Kamishiro admires Iwata’s kindness, and now as an older teenage boy, he still can’t hide his joy and his blushing around her.
Of course, they are both completely oblivious to the other’s feelings — but whereas this trope can feel frustrating in other shows, here it just feels…endearing? It’s only episode one, so there’s still lots of time to create a potentially insufferable slow burn. But I have a feeling each future episode will be just as enjoyable as the first, precisely because of the youthful portrayal of Iwata and Kamishiro’s emotions. Every moment feels so important, precious, and earnest in a way only teenagers can express. It was hard not to crack a smile during the whole premiere.
During the Q&A session, Kobayashi and Shiraishi both emphasized how crucial they found it to animate this love story through Iwata’s eyes. Capturing her perspective lay at the core of the production process. “We wanted to make sure from episode one that it felt like this story was about Sae’s feelings, [so] we had to figure out how to capture Kamishiro’s sparkle,” Kobayashi said. Ultimately, they captured Kamishiro’s sparkle quite literally, with a plethora of glittery effects decorating the background whenever he appeared in Iwata’s vision. “Since it’s from Sae’s point of view, we made Kamishiro shine even brighter — maybe even 150% brighter,” Shiraishi added.
When asked which character the production staff seemed to like more, Iwata or Kamishiro, the director and producer had conflicting answers. Kobayashi, who chose Kamishiro, said amusedly, “We often talked about if [a character like] Kamishiro would be a “yes” or a “no” as a love interest for each of us.”
“I think that Sae was actually more popular among the staff,” Shiraishi said, “because her emotions about love were relatable to the female staff.”
Toward the end of the panel, the crowd also received a special thank-you message from mangaka Kazune Kawahara for attending the premiere:
How did you like the anime A Star Brighter than the Sun?
The anime team really captured the emotional whirlwind of adolescence and brought it to life so beautifully.
They even took my rough edges and turned them into a sparkling world.
When you fall in love, your feelings can get overwhelming — you start reflecting on yourself, and sometimes it hurts or feels confusing.
But I truly believe that the feeling of loving someone is beautiful and precious, and I hope you’ll treasure it when it happens to you.
I’d be so happy if this story felt like it took you into the everyday life of ordinary high school students in Japan — like something familiar, with emotions you’ve maybe felt too, and like a story that could be happening to the person next to you.
Episode one ends with a look into Iwata and Kamishiro’s new high school environment, including glimpses of some pivotal new characters. With the backstory covered and the main storyline yet to unfold, many more adventures await our adorable duo in the episodes to come. “The title of the show’s meaning isn’t revealed till the end, so please watch till the end!” Shiraishi said.
A Star Brighter Than the Sun premieres in Japan in October 2025.
