Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku!? — or Otaku ni Yasashii Gal wa Inai!?（オタクに優しいギャルはいない!?） — is finally heading to TV as a full series in 2026. The romantic comedy about an introverted “otaku-kun” and two irresistibly chaotic gyaru classmates has revealed its first teaser visual, teaser PV, main cast and staff, plus early event plans that range from an advance screening in Odaiba to a snowy appearance at the 2026 Sapporo Snow Festival.
Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku!? Brings Its Romcom Energy to TV Asahi in 2026
Based on the manga by Norishiro-chan with art by Sakana Uozumi, Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku!? has over one million copies in print and runs in Coamix’s Monthly Comic Zenon. The story follows high school nerd Takuya Seo, a.k.a. “otaku-kun,” who is obsessed with a magical girl–style kids’ show called Kira-mon. He’s the type who talks too fast when the topic turns to his favorite anime, can draw really well, and completely fumbles at school and small talk — especially around gyaru.
In 2026, that everyday disaster is heading to Japanese TV as a full anime series. The adaptation will air on the TV Asahi network and BS Asahi, with a new teaser visual and teaser PV showing off the contrast between Takuya and two very different gyaru: cool, model-like Kei Amane and sunshine-in-human-form Kotoko Ijichi.
You can already get a taste of the vibe in the teaser video on the official channel:
Watch the teaser PV on YouTube
It’s a school romcom that wears its otaku x gyaru identity right on its sleeve, down to the hashtag: #オタギャル.
Otaku-kun, Kei and Kotoko: How This School-Caste Triangle Actually Loves Nerds
At the heart of the series are three classmates who’d normally live in completely separate corners of the classroom seating chart:
Takuya Seo – the shy otaku boy who loves Kira-mon, draws fan art and melts down socially the moment he has to talk to “normies,” especially flashy gyaru.
Kei Amane – a tall, black-haired cool gyaru with model looks and a quiet vibe. She’s athletic, great at basketball, and secretly terrible at studying. She insists she’s “not an otaku” and that Kira-mon is only there because her little-sis-type, Sayo, likes it… but the teaser hints that might not be the whole story.
Kotoko Ijichi – a super outgoing, talkative gyaru who’s good at schoolwork but hilariously bad at sports. She’s the third child of five siblings, used to looking after her younger brothers like a stand-in mom, which gives her a surprisingly responsible side underneath the party-girl exterior.
Takuya starts out genuinely afraid of gyaru — they’re loud, close-talking, and everything he is not. But a chance encounter ties him to Kei and Kotoko through shared interests, and the series leans into the gap between “scary” school-caste stereotypes and the normal, kind people underneath.
Because both gyaru have their own insecurities and secret nerdy sides, the manga often reads like a gentle deconstruction of the “otaku vs. gyaru” battlefield. That “everyone is a fan of something” angle is exactly what makes this romcom click for readers who identify with either side of the classroom.
Sho Komura, Konomi Inagaki and Yu Serizawa Lead a Warm, Fast-Talking Cast
The main trio’s casting doubles down on that mix of chaos and kindness:
Sho Komura (Shou Komura) voices Takuya Seo. Komura is known for playing Percival in The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse, giving him plenty of experience with earnest, slightly clueless boys.
Konomi Inagaki plays Kei Amane. She’s starred as Serufu Yua in Do It Yourself!! and Mina in My Wife Has No Emotion, bringing a fragile, thoughtful warmth to characters who seem odd or aloof at first glance.
Yu Serizawa takes on Kotoko Ijichi. As a member of idol voice unit i☆Ris and the voice of characters like Mirei Minami in PriPara and Rae Taylor in I’m in Love with the Villainess, Serizawa is used to delivering both high-energy comedy and surprisingly emotional beats.
In their comments on the announcement, Komura mentions that playing “otaku-kun” felt almost like playing himself, with lots of lines that will feel painfully relatable for anime fans. Inagaki calls Kei “cool but secretly a very funny girl,” while Serizawa highlights how the show treats both “otaku” and “gyaru” not as punchlines, but as people with their own feelings and communities.
That’s very on brand for a story where “kindness” is the real main character – even if the Japanese title starts by insisting there are no gals like that.
Director, Series Composer and Character Designer Build a Soft, Kind-Hearted World
Behind the scenes, the anime is handled by TMS Entertainment / Studio 6, a TV Asahi–facing unit that has worked on a wide range of titles. The key staff includes:
Director: Arata Mita
Series Composition: Kazuhiko Inukai
Character Design / Chief Animation Director: Rion Matsuda
Music: Wataru Satō
Mita describes the adaptation as a project where “everyone on staff poured their own feelings into making sure the characters feel alive when they move, talk and overreact on screen,” while Matsuda notes that all of them are written as genuinely kind people, and she approached the designs almost like drawing her own kids — with soft lines and small gestures that make them feel huggable rather than idealized.
Series composer Inukai goes even further, saying that “this work is made of 100% kindness, and then another 100% kindness on top of that,” and that his goal in the scripts was to never break that gentle emotional core. That should reassure manga readers who worry about an adaptation turning their favorite series into mean-spirited slapstick.
If you’re into romcoms that tease, but don’t bully, this staff lineup is a promising sign.
Early Events from Odaiba Screening to Sapporo Snow Festival Expand the Hype
Ahead of the full 2026 broadcast, the series is already lining up real-world events in Japan:
On March 15, 2026 (Sunday), a special advance screening event titled “Otaku ni Yasashii Gal wa Inai!? ~ Otaku to Gal to Senkō Jōei-kai ~” will take place at United Cinemas Aqua City Odaiba in Tokyo. Details like participating cast and ticket information will be announced later, but expect talk segments and some kind of early episode screening.
From February 4–11, 2026, the series will also appear at the 76th Sapporo Snow Festival, one of Japan’s biggest winter events. The official festival site has already listed the collaboration, though what form it will take — snow sculpture, booth, or something else — is still under wraps.
For overseas fans planning a Japan trip, these dates line up nicely with winter break travel. Combine it with other anime pilgrimages around Tokyo or Hokkaido and you suddenly have a very on-brand “otaku-kun goes outside” itinerary.
Where to Watch the Teaser PV and Catch Up on the Manga Before the Anime Airs
While we’re still waiting on detailed broadcast slots and any international streaming announcements, there’s already plenty to explore:
Official anime site (otagal.jp)
Official accounts on X, YouTube and TikTok under the handle @otagal_official, all using the hashtag #オタギャル for new updates.
You can also test-drive the series in Japanese via Monthly Comic Zenon’s online reader:
Read sample chapters on Comic Zenon
Yen Press is bringing the manga to English readers under the title Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku!?, so you’ll have an official way to catch up before the anime premieres.
Whether you’re on team otaku-kun, team cool gyaru or team sunshine gyaru, 2026 is looking like the year this otaku x gyaru romcom jumps from manga shelves onto a much bigger stage.
©のりしろちゃん・魚住さかな／コアミックス,「オタクに優しいギャルはいない!?」製作委員会
©のりしろちゃん・魚住さかな／コアミックス
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