The official website for Chihayafuru -Meguri-, a new original live-action drama sequel to Yuki Suetsugu's karuta-themed manga Chihayafuru , announced today that actor Ami Touma is cast as the new protagonist, Meguru Aizawa. She previously voiced the protagonist Kokoro Anzai in the 2022 anime feature film Lonely Castle in the Mirror . The character Meguru Aizawa is a second-year student at Umezono High School and a ghost member of the competitive karuta club, which has few members and is in danger of being discontinued. "I will play Meguru Aizawa in 'Chihayafuru -Meguri-' as my first lead role in a serial drama," Touma wrote on her official X (formerly Twitter) . "I am so happy, and at the same time, feel like my back is straightened. I will do my best to bring you a new Chihayafuru in the Reiwa era while keeping the world view of the original series created by Yuki Suetsugu-sensei." Meanwhile, Mone Kamishiraishi will reprise her role as Kanade Oe. She is known as the voice of Mitsuha Miyamizu in Makoto Shinkai's 2016 film Your Name , and is steadily building her career in live-action films, TV dramas and even musicals, including the adaptation of Hayao Miyazaki's 2001 film Spirited Away . Kamishiraishi played the character in the three-part live-action film adaptation of Suetsugu's original manga from 2016 to 2018. Kanade was a member of the karuta club in the original series. She is now a part-time teacher at Umezono High and the advisor of the competitive karuta club in the sequel drama, set 10 years after the film series. Additionally, the manga author Yuki Suetsuge shared a celebratory illustration on her official X at the same time as the cast announcement. RELATED: Chihayafuru Gets Original Live-Action Sequel Drama in July 2025 The live-action TV drama series Chihayafuru -Meguri- will begin airing in Japan in July 2025. The original manga author Suetsugu is also participating in the project helping construct the script. The original Chihayafuru manga series ran in Kodansha's monthly manga magazine BE LOVE from December 2007 to August 2022, printing over 29 million copies with a total of 50 tankobon volumes. The TV anime adaptation aired for three seasons with 74 episodes between October 2011 to March 2020. Crunchyroll streams all three seasons , and describes the series: Chihaya Ayase has spent most of her life supporting her sister’s model career. When she meets a boy named Arata Wataya, he thinks Chihaya has potential to become a great karuta player. As Chihaya dreams of becoming Japan's best karuta player, she is soon separated from her karuta playing friends. Now in high school, Chihaya still plays karuta in the hope that she will one day meet her friends again. Source: Chihahafuru -Meguri- official website , X (formerly Twitter)
