Tune In to the Midnight Heart

Tune In to the Midnight Heart has been serialized in the weekly magazine Weekly Shonen Magazine, published by Kodansha, since issue 42 of 2023.

As of December 17, 2025, the series has 11 collected volumes in print and remains ongoing.

The series is often abbreviated as “Mayochu”.

It is described as a romantic comedy about a male high school student and four girls in the broadcasting club, mixing school life, “voice” professions, and slow-burn romance.

The story is set in Mihama Ward, Chiba City, in Chiba Prefecture, which functions as the real-world stage for the characters’ school and hangout spots.

By October 2025, the series had surpassed 410,000 copies in circulation, including digital editions.

A television anime adaptation began airing in January 2026 on Kansai TV and other Fuji TV network stations in the late-night “Hi Anibal!!” slot.

The anime is produced by Gekko with music by Kuniyuki Takahashi and is supported by a production committee including multiple media and entertainment companies.

At its core, the series is a “voice-driven” success story romantic comedy.

Each heroine dreams of a different voice-related profession: singer, voice actor, virtual streamer, or announcer.

Writer Kyo Furuhashi has described the main appeal as the heroines being “incredibly cute” while earnestly chasing their goals.

The narrative focuses on whether these girls can succeed in their ambitions, and how “falling in love with a voice” causes misunderstandings and emotional detours.

The series balances lighthearted school comedy with career-oriented growth.

Fans get both fluffy romantic moments and surprisingly grounded episodes about auditions, training, and industry pressures.

Arisu Yamabuki

Arisu Yamabuki is the male protagonist and a second-year high school student at Furin High School.

He is academically excellent, athletic, and the heir of the wealthy Yamabuki conglomerate, and he aims to enter the University of Tokyo.

In middle school he was obsessed with the radio stream of a mysterious online broadcaster known as “Apollo.”

During a late-night rush of emotion, he blurted “I love you” to Apollo on air and has regretted that impulsive confession ever since.

Determined to take it back—or at least properly explain himself—he enrolls in the same high school that Apollo is rumored to attend.

He becomes convinced that Apollo is one of the four girls in the broadcasting club.

To figure out who she is, he joins the broadcasting club as a general gofer, doing chores while secretly investigating.

Along the way, he starts actively helping each girl pursue her dream, becoming their quiet producer and emotional support.

Arisu refers to himself either as “I” or by his family name.

He is almost comically perfect, right down to having a “perfect gut flora,” which supposedly makes his bodily routines happen at the exact same time every day, a running gag in the manga.

He has an older sister, Riina, and a younger sister, Mito.

His family’s status and resources often become unexpectedly helpful for the club’s projects and crises.

Rikka Inohana

Rikka Inohana is one of the four main heroines and the head of the broadcasting club.

She dreams of becoming a singer and writes her own songs and lyrics.

Rikka holds small live performances every Wednesday after school in the school courtyard.

Her voice and original songs are good enough to catch the attention of music industry scouts.

In middle school she formed a band with her friend Iko (a different character from Iko Kirino).

Only Rikka was scouted by the record label Peace Record, which offered her a solo debut, leading her to panic and run away.

Fearing other people’s evaluations and unable to face the idea of leaving her bandmate behind, she fled from the debut offer.

The decision led to a fallout with Iko, leaving Rikka with deep guilt and unfinished business.

Thanks to Arisu’s help, Rikka later performs a street live show that again catches the eye of Peace Record.

They offer her another chance to debut, but this time on the condition she forms a band with Nanba Hizumi, a highly skilled but ruthless bassist who had previously discarded his own bandmates to go pro.

Rikka’s story explores stage fright, impostor syndrome, and rebuilding broken friendships.

Her outwardly confident stage presence contrasts with her inner fear of being judged.

Nene Himekawa

Nene Himekawa is one of the four heroines and a broadcasting club member who wants to become a voice actor.

She has a naturally “anime-like” voice and is also active as a cosplayer.

She is a long-time fan of a manga called “Lilycos” and proudly calls herself an old-school otaku of that series.

Her birthday is April 17, and she stands about 160 centimeters tall.

As a child and teen, Nene started many different lessons and hobbies, only to quit them quickly.

This pattern was not just indecisiveness; it was a form of rebellion, as she didn’t want to be shaped entirely by her strict father’s expectations.

During a club training camp, Nene participates despite not having her father’s permission and eventually admits she has effectively run away from home for it.

She ends up staying at the Yamabuki family house, which is how Arisu’s sisters learn about the broadcasting club and the girls’ dreams.

On Arisu’s recommendation, she enrolls in the “Amaba Narration Acting Institute,” a training school seen as a fast track toward a voice acting career.

Her father initially refuses to accept her goal as serious, but after Arisu pleads with him and Nene shows her determination, he reluctantly gives his approval.

Nene’s arc is about proving to her family—and herself—that this time she won’t just quit.

Her mix of cute otaku enthusiasm and deeper emotional conflict makes her especially relatable to fans.

Iko Kirino

Iko Kirino is another heroine and a quiet member of the broadcasting club.

She aims to become a virtual YouTuber, or VTuber.

Iko often wears a hoodie with cat ears, which matches her online persona.

She speaks softly with a whispery voice, has rich emotions, but is very shy about showing those feelings to others.

Under the handle “Imperial Icon” (Emperor Icon), she already runs a VTuber channel, streaming during breaks and after school.

However, her subscriber count stagnates, and she struggles to stand out in the competitive VTuber scene.

Arisu helps her by redesigning her avatar’s facial expressions so it can emote more vividly on screen.

He also suggests new content ideas, helping her feel more comfortable and expressive in front of the virtual camera.

When she collaborates with “Momotose Ao,” a top VTuber with over three million subscribers, Iko is both inspired and star-struck.

What starts as a professional aspiration gradually turns into genuine fandom and admiration.

Iko’s story is about turning social anxiety into a strength in digital spaces.

Her contrast between off-camera shyness and on-stream charm is a big part of her appeal.

Shinobu Uzuki

Shinobu Uzuki is the fourth heroine, a broadcasting club member and the school’s student council vice president.

Her dream is to become a television announcer.

Shinobu is diligent, bright, and outwardly composed, but she has a big flaw: she often stumbles over her words.

Even during broadcasts, she tends to mispronounce or “bite” her lines, which frustrates her.

Compared to the other three girls, she feels her path is more long-term.

Becoming an announcer usually requires graduating from university first, so she worries she is not taking concrete steps toward her dream while still in high school.

She studies hard for university entrance exams and visits the University of Tokyo’s open campus with Arisu.

Inspired there, she decides to aim for the same university as Arisu.

When she later discovers that Nene has joined the Amaba Narration Acting Institute, Shinobu feels left behind.

She decides to enroll there too, seeking structured training that might help both her announcer dreams and her speech issues.

Shinobu’s arc centers on quiet pressure, perfectionism, and the fear of being “the only one not moving forward.”

Her slightly clumsy side contrasts nicely with her ideal honor-student image.

Lemon Ando

Lemon Ando is the 27-year-old teacher who serves as adviser to the broadcasting club.

The students affectionately call her “Lemon-chan.”

Lemon is lazy, conflict-averse, and tends to avoid hassle.

She initially opposes the idea of a male student joining the broadcasting club and does not want Arisu to enroll.

Despite her slacker tendencies, she cares about the students more than she admits.

Her mix of irresponsibility and hidden reliability makes her a comedic adult figure in the story.

Samejima

Samejima is a physical education teacher at Furin High School.

He strictly enforces the school rule that bans romantic relationships between male and female students, making him feared by many.

At the same time, he is easily swayed when Lemon Ando asks for favors, revealing a simple and somewhat gullible personality.

His stern public persona and soft spot for Lemon often create comedic situations.

Iko (Rikka’s former bandmate)

Iko is Rikka Inohana’s former bandmate from middle school.

They played in a band together until Peace Record scouted only Rikka for a solo debut.

When Rikka ran away from the offer and started performing only trendy, crowd-pleasing songs while avoiding judgment, Iko felt hurt and disappointed.

She saw Rikka’s change as a betrayal of their original musical ideals.

Later, during Rikka’s street live performance supported by Arisu, Iko hears Rikka’s authentic music again.

Moved by her renewed passion, Iko reconciles with Rikka, healing their strained friendship.

Seira Oizumi

Seira Oizumi is a member of the drama club at Furin High School.

She is narcissistic and extremely passionate about acting, treating every performance as life-or-death.

Her dream is to become an actress and then marry a celebrity for a glamorous life.

She critiques Nene’s acting and voice work harshly, but those critiques ultimately help Nene grow.

Riina Yamabuki

Riina Yamabuki is Arisu’s older sister.

She attends the University of Tokyo and has a petite figure that she feels self-conscious about.

Riina is an intense “big sister fan” of Arisu, bordering on extreme brother complex.

She bluntly tells the broadcasting club girls exactly what she thinks of them, sometimes in a way that hurts.

Afterward, she often feels guilty about her harsh words and breaks down crying.

This pattern makes her both intimidating and oddly endearing to the club members.

Mito Yamabuki

Mito Yamabuki is Arisu’s younger sister.

She is cheerful, friendly, and physically larger than Riina, causing many people to mistakenly assume she is the older sister.

Mito runs a social media account where she introduces cosmetics and fashion items.

Her knack for style and trends sometimes proves helpful for the broadcasting club’s public image and events.

Nanba Hizumi

Nanba Hizumi is a musician signed to Peace Record and plays bass while handling vocals.

He is rough around the edges, easygoing to the point of carelessness, but highly skilled in performance and arrangement.

He used to be part of a band called “Celestial.”

When he was scouted by Peace Record, he dropped his bandmates to pursue success, prioritizing his career over friendship.

For Rikka’s renewed debut attempt, Peace Record pairs her with Nanba as her new band partner.

Their collaboration forces both of them to confront what “success” really means and how far they are willing to go for it.

Jinnai

Jinnai is a producer at Peace Record.

In the past he quickly cut ties with Rikka when she ran away from her initial debut offer, showing his shallow and opportunistic nature.

After discovering Rikka’s improved performance at a street live, Jinnai decides to scout her again.

His interest in Rikka is driven more by potential profit than personal faith.

Shieri Mogi

Shieri Mogi is a lecturer at the Amaba Narration Acting Institute and works as a professional voice actor.

She teaches Nene and other trainees, providing guidance on technique, expression, and industry realities.

Her instruction often pushes the students out of their comfort zones.

She represents the professional standards and rigor of the voice acting world.

Akari Aiuchi

Akari Aiuchi is a member of the idol group “W Geranium.”

Within the group, her popularity is relatively low, leaving her desperate to find a unique talent.

To gain a special skill and improve her standing, she joins the Amaba Narration Acting Institute to train as a voice actor.

She deliberately tries to make Arisu fall for her because he is a rich heir, aiming to turn him into a big-spending fan.

Akari mixes sharp idol survival instincts with comedic gold-digger energy.

Her schemes bring chaotic humor into Arisu’s already complicated life.

Momotose Ao

Momotose Ao is a top VTuber affiliated with the agency “Blue-Box.”

Her channel has more than three million subscribers, making her one of the most popular virtual entertainers in the story.

She collaborates with Iko Kirino and quickly notices Arisu’s presence behind the scenes.

Intrigued by his behind-the-curtain support work, she starts taking an interest in him.

Ao’s involvement connects Iko’s small-scale streaming world to the upper tier of the industry.

She also serves as a living example of what long-term effort and branding can achieve for a VTuber.

Tune In to the Midnight Heart is written and illustrated by Masakuni Igarashi and published by Kodansha under the Kodansha Comics label.

The series is serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine.

As of December 17, 2025, the following volumes have been released:

Volume 1: Released December 15, 2023.

Volume 2: Released February 16, 2024.

Volume 3: Released April 17, 2024.

Volume 4: Released June 17, 2024.

Volume 5: Released September 17, 2024.

Volume 6: Released November 15, 2024.

Volume 7: Released January 17, 2025.

Volume 8: Released March 17, 2025.

Volume 9: Released June 17, 2025.

Volume 10: Released September 17, 2025.

Volume 11: Released December 17, 2025.

The first chapter was made available on social media, where it gained about 380,000 impressions.

This early buzz helped the series stand out among other new titles.

When Volume 1 was released, popular voice actor Kana Hanazawa provided a promotional comment.

Around the same time, a promotional video was released in which voice actor Ayane Sakura played all four main heroines, creating extra hype.

In January 2024, the manga received reprints due to strong demand.

In April 2024, the release of Volume 3 was celebrated by streaming the TV anime of Igarashi’s earlier work, Senryu Girl, for free on Kodansha’s “Full Anime TV” YouTube channel.

In 2024, the series ranked 14th in the Comics category of the “Next Manga Awards 2024.”

This recognition highlighted it as a rising series to watch.

Production and Broadcast

The television anime adaptation of Tune In to the Midnight Heart was announced on March 14, 2025.

The series began airing in January 2026 on Kansai TV and other Fuji TV network stations in the “Hi Anibal!!” late-night anime block.

The anime is based on the original manga by Masakuni Igarashi.

Masayuki Takahashi directs the series at animation studio Gekko.

Yukie Sugawara handles series composition, shaping the overall scenario for the anime.

Tomoyuki Shimoya serves as character designer, adapting the manga’s art for animation.

Sub-character design is handled by Sei Yasumura, Yurika Someya, Akihiro Kikuchi, and Miki-O.

Yuki Soncho is responsible for costume design, reflecting each character’s personality through outfits.

Prop design is done by Miki-O, Mahiru Shintani, Azusa Masai, Haseko, Konoha, Erika Ueda, Ayako Oki, Yota Shino, and Yuma Takahashi.

The color design is credited to Akatsuki Nagasaka.

Art direction is led by Masakazu Miyake with art setting by Yukiko Uegaki.

The director of photography is Sota Hiroshima, with Akio Hayashi serving as assistant photography director.

Editing is handled offline by Ayako Tan and online by the studio qooop.

The 3D CG director is Chikara Nomoto, with Ami Hayashi supervising 3D and CG layout.

The 2D design and UI work is produced by Yumeta Company.

Music is composed by Kuniyuki Takahashi and produced by Takashi Murakami and Yuri Misumi under the label MONACA.

Sound direction is by Yuichi Morita, with Yusuke Watanabe as sound production producer.

Sound production is jointly handled by Gekko and INSPION Edge.

Producers include Takashi Murakami, Yusaku Asami, Hirokuni Taniguchi, Kanji Ogo, Ayumi Iwasaki, Nobuhiko Kurosu, Ryosuke Murase, and Fumihiro Ozawa.

The animation producer is Minoru Hirata.

NBC Universal Entertainment Japan manages overall production.

The anime is produced by the “Tune In to the Midnight Heart Production Committee,” a partnership of several companies.

Broadcast-wise, the anime airs every Tuesday from 23:00 to 23:30 on Kansai TV and other full-network Fuji TV stations, with closed captions.

It also airs on BS Asahi on Fridays in the “Anime A” block and on AT-X with additional repeats.

Streaming is available first on services such as d Anime Store, U-NEXT, and Anime Houdai starting Tuesday nights.

Other platforms like Amazon Prime Video, DMM TV, FOD, ABEMA, Hulu, AnimeFesta, Bandai Channel, J:COM Stream, TELASA, milplus, Ponta Pass, Kansai TV’s own service, and TVer offer on-demand viewing.

Some platforms, including Nico Nico Channel, provide limited-time free access to the latest episodes.

Nico Nico Live also hosts simulcast-style group viewings on Monday evenings.

Blu-ray releases are scheduled across four volumes in 2026, each bundling three episodes.

Additional CDs related to the anime, including character and soundtrack releases, are also planned.

Voice Cast

The anime’s voice cast includes:

Arisu Yamabuki: voiced by Rikuya Yasuda.

Rikka Inohana: voiced by Momoko Seto.

Nene Himekawa: voiced by Rumi Okubo.

Iko Kirino: voiced by Sayumi Suzushiro.

Shinobu Uzuki: voiced by Miku Ito.

Lemon Ando: voiced by Kana Hanazawa.

Samejima: voiced by Taisuke Nakano.

Iko (Rikka’s former bandmate): voiced by Yuki Wakai.

Seira Oizumi: voiced by Moe Kahara.

Momotose Ao: voiced by Nao Toyama.

The variety of well-known and emerging voice actors reflects the series’ strong emphasis on voice performance.

The cast’s chemistry and delivery are a key part of the anime’s charm.

Theme Songs

The opening theme song is “Shoot for the Moon” performed by Suisei Hoshimachi.

The lyrics and arrangement are by Nanahoshi Orchestra, with composition by Riku Iwami.

The ending theme song is “Trace of Voice” performed by Soala.

The song’s lyrics are by Soala, composed by Soala and Chihiro Tamaki, and arranged by Chihiro Tamaki.

These songs mirror the show’s themes of aiming high and following the path of one’s own voice.

They are prominently featured in promotional materials and episode credits.

Episode Structure (Early Episodes)

The anime adapts the manga in multi-part episodes that often include several small arcs per episode.

The first five episodes cover Arisu’s entrance into the club, the initial focus on Nene and Iko, and the introduction of Lemon Ando.

Episode 1: “This was Arisu Yamabuki broadcasting” / “RE:START”

This episode introduces Arisu’s past with Apollo and his entry into the broadcasting club.

Episode 2: “Liar” / “Nene Himekawa Wears Her Feelings on Her Ears”

Nene’s relationship with her father and her reluctance toward commitment are highlighted.

Episode 3: “Lock It if You’re Embarrassed” / “Can’t Smile in Front of the Camera!!” / “Can’t Smile in Front of You…!”

Iko’s trouble smiling naturally as a VTuber and her emotional barriers are explored.

Episode 4: “Two Alone Until Night” / “Accomplices” / “The Adviser’s Name Is Lemon-chan”

This episode deepens Arisu’s connections and properly introduces Lemon’s attitude to the club.

Episode 5: “I Don’t Know Whose Voice It Is” / “It’s Arisu Yamabuki” / “Flyby Anomaly”

Arisu’s unique talent for recognizing voices begins to surface, hinting at his ability to find Apollo.

PR TV Program

Starting January 6, 2026, Kansai TV airs a short promotional show called Tune In to the Midnight Heart PR Club right before each anime episode.

The program features the anime’s voice actors presenting news, behind-the-scenes stories, and fun challenges.

This PR show is broadcast regularly in the Kansai region and occasionally on Fuji TV as well.

It aims to warm up viewers and build hype immediately before each week’s main episode.

Web Radio

From January 6, 2026, a live web radio program titled TV Anime “Tune In to the Midnight Heart” Furin High School Broadcasting Club ~Midnight Radio~ streams every Tuesday at 22:00 on YouTube.

The hosts are the four main heroines’ voice actors: Momoko Seto (Rikka), Rumi Okubo (Nene), Sayumi Suzushiro (Iko), and Miku Ito (Shinobu), appearing on a rotating basis.

The show features talk segments, listener messages, and in-character skits, mirroring the feel of a real after-school broadcast.

Archived episodes are distributed on the audio platform Onsen every Friday at 19:00, so fans can catch up later.

The web radio strengthens the connection between fans, characters, and voice actors.

It also extends the series’ core concept: sharing feelings through voices late at night.