「最後の最後まで良い作品だったなと、胸に花を咲かせてください」──「Anthos*」山下誠一郎さん、濱野大輝さん、伊東健人さん、駒田 航さん、土岐隼一さん、増田俊樹さん、堀江 瞬さん登壇『華Doll* -Reinterpretation of Flowering-』スペシャルトークイベント詳細レポート

“Please Let a Flower Bloom in Your Heart, Feeling It Was a Wonderful Work Until the Very End”
Anthos* Cast Members Seiichiro Yamashita, Daiki Hamano, Kento Ito, Wataru Komada, Shunichi Toki, Toshiki Masuda, and Shun Horie Appear at Hana-Doll* -Reinterpretation of Flowering- Special Talk Event — Official Event Report

On Sunday, January 25, 2026, the Hana-Doll* -Reinterpretation of Flowering- Special Talk Event was held at Nissho Hall in two sessions.

The event featured cast members portraying Anthos*: Seiichiro Yamashita (Mahiro Yuki), Daiki Hamano (Ryoga Kagekawa), Kento Ito (Lihito Toudo), Wataru Komada (Chise), Shunichi Toki (Kaoru Kisaragi), and Toshiki Masuda (Haruta Kiyose). Shun Horie (Setsuna Yashiro) also appeared on stage as the special MC.

In addition to a retrospective talk on the TV anime and a live voice acting performance, the event included the announcement of the production of the Anthos*-focused fan book 『Hana-Doll* The Anthos* Anatomy』. The event was filled with highlights, and this report covers both Session 1 and Session 2.

Celebrating the Grand Finale! Hana-Doll* Anime Special Talk Event Kicks Off

Following the broadcast of the TV anime in spring 2025, the Hana-Doll* story concluded with the release of the drama CD Human or Doll: Answer on Friday, December 26, 2025. This special event was held to commemorate the Blu-ray release of Hana-Doll* -Reinterpretation of Flowering-.

As the event began, the seven cast members portraying Anthos* took the stage. The venue, filled with anticipation, erupted in applause as the special talk event officially commenced.

The program opened with greetings and self-introductions from the cast. As this marked the first Hana-Doll* event of 2026, Kento Ito delivered New Year's greetings to Antholic fans in attendance, saying, “Please continue to support Anthos* this year as well.

The first segment, the Anime Retrospective Talk, began under the moderation of special MC Shun Horie. Session 1 reviewed Episodes 1–6, while Session 2 looked back on Episodes 7–12.

Discussing Episode 1, which for the first time in the series' history depicted the characters' appearances before the implantation of the seeds, Toshiki Masuda reflected on the visual before-and-after transformation, commenting that it must have been a deeply moving scene for fans who had followed the story since the drama CDs. Wataru Komada also noted that the anime was the first time the transformation had been portrayed so clearly, describing it as a shocking difference.

Meanwhile, Shunichi Toki shared that he initially felt Kaoru showed little change before and after the implantation. Reflecting now that the story has concluded, he suggested that Kaoru may have already been "kept alive" during that time, hinting that the lack of visible change may have served as foreshadowing.

In Episode 2, the discussion turned to the complete nutritional meal consumed by Anthos. When asked whether they could accept eating only that meal from the next day onward, Daiki Hamano jokingly asked whether secretly eating snacks would still be allowed, drawing laughter from the audience.

Additionally, referencing the red rose from the classic The Little Prince, which was paid homage to in Episode 3, the cast was also asked, "What is the one thing you treasure most?" Kento Ito answered, "It's a little embarrassing, but I would say the fans. My gratitude for them continues to grow each year," further energizing the audience.

Episode 4, which depicted Lihito confronting Chise and Chise revealing his inner feelings, highlighted the depth of their relationship. Komada explained that he had initially been told only that the "two shared a special bond", with no further answers provided, which led him to carefully interpret every line. Ito added that the emotions they direct toward each other are completely opposite, noting the difficulty of portraying Lihito's subtext-heavy dialogue.

Episode 5 portrayed the flowering of Lihito, Kaoru, and Ryoga, while emphasizing Haruta's frustration at not yet flowering. Masuda reflected that moments when one falls out of step with others often occur when something is deeply important, adding that portraying Haruta's self-critical emotions became a personal turning point for him as an actor.

Episode 6 revealed Mahiro as the son of Hajime Amagiri and depicted a confrontation between Mahiro and Ryoga. Hamano explained Ryoga's feelings, stating, "Ryoga's actions stemmed from his desire to support Mahiro." He added, "It was Ryoga's first attempt to confront Mahiro with his true feelings. That sense of frustration felt both raw and complicated, but I wanted to bring a sense of intensity and passion to the performance." Yamashita described Mahiro as someone born with certain expectations but struggling internally with a lack of talent or skill, emphasizing the character's inner conflict.

Episode 7 depicted Anthos receiving supplies while living in their dormitory. When asked what items they would request if they were living under the same conditions, Komada answered "a Twister game," Ito said "a thick book," Yamashita chose "a pet," Hamano suggested "a HiAce van," Toki selected "a cake," and Masuda chose "a high-end gaming PC," each naming items they felt could help create opportunities for bonding.

In Episode 8, an impressive scene was depicted in which Haruta and Kaoru, who were raised in contrasting environments, clashed with their true feelings. Toki revealed the delicate balance he was conscious of in his acting, saying, "Throughout all the episodes, I felt Kaoru's strong will to firmly convey to the other person that 'This is something I want to communicate.' However, rather than delivering a one-sided message, in this scene as well, I wanted to respond after receiving Haruta's feelings."

In connection with Episode 9, which depicted an episode where Anthos goes camping, Hamano, who is known for his love of camping, was asked, "If Anthos* were to go camping, which roles would you assign to each member?" Masuda was chosen to handle fire-starting, which requires patience; Komada, known for his strength, was put in charge of setting up the tents; Toki, a former kendo club member, was assigned to chopping firewood; and Hamano himself, along with Yamashita, was selected to take charge of cooking. In addition, Ito was appointed to recreation, bringing along a guitar, while Horie was assigned to dance, introducing a lineup that promised a lively camping trip.

Episode 10, which depicted Mahiro's recording session, prompted discussions about the anime's theme song performed by the cast. While Lihito's vocal ad-lib (FAKE) drew praise, Ito revealed a behind-the-scenes story, saying, "There was a temporary vocal track, but the staff told me, 'Try doing it with a bit of ad-lib.'"

Toki also added that working on Hana-Doll* helped him develop the skill of harmonizing with previously recorded vocals.

Regarding Episode 11, which finally depicted Mahiro's flowering, Yamashita shared a heartfelt reflection, commenting, "If you keep struggling, the flower will eventually bloom." He also spoke about participating in the same scene in the stage production, Hana-Doll* THE STAGE -Another Universe-, as the voice of Mahiro's older brother, Chihiro, and how portraying Chihiro in the anime further deepened his understanding of Mahiro's emotions. He added, "The anime offers expressions and direction that can only be achieved through animation, and both versions were truly wonderful," highlighting the unique appeal of the animated adaptation.

Episode 12 introduced Setsuna. Reflecting on his participation, Horie shared that he had initially been told Setsuna would appear without voice, and humorously described his surprise upon learning he would voice the character. He expressed happiness at being able to participate in the anime, even in a single scene.

Memorable Scenes Revived Through Live Voice Acting

The live voice acting segment featured carefully selected memorable scenes. Session 1 covered Episodes 1–8, while Session 2 covered Episodes 8–12, vividly bringing iconic moments to life through the cast's performances.

In the Episode 1 scene depicting Mahiro and Kaoru's first meeting, Toki delivered an energetic greeting of "Ojamashima~su!" that offered a slightly different nuance from Kaoru's usual demeanor. The moment quickly warmed the atmosphere of the venue and stood out as a highlight unique to live voice acting.

The Episode 8 emergency staircase conversation between Mahiro and Ryoga was also performed. Yamashita revealed that while recreating Mahiro's voice, he covered his mouth with his hand to mimic Mahiro speaking while pressing his face against Ryoga's chest.

In Episode 12, Horie made his long-awaited appearance in Setsuna's introduction scene. "Since the original recording, I was told that 'Setsuna should be emotionless,' so I performed the role while being mindful of keeping the delivery as neutral as possible," he shared, explaining his approach to portraying the character.

In addition, numerous memorable scenes—ranging from the moments when Rihito, Chise, and Mahiro reach their flowering, to emotional highlights and comedic exchanges—were brought to life one after another through the cast's vivid live performances.

Next was a Q&A segment featuring questions submitted in advance by Antholic.

When asked about their first impressions of the work, Hamano commented, "The character designs were stylish and striking." Ito added, "It felt ahead of its time," touching on the project's forward-thinking nature. Reflecting further on scenes depicting fans participating in fan meetings through comments within the story, Yamashita remarked, "Supporting through streaming and live broadcasts is commonplace now, but at the time, it really felt ahead of the curve."

In response to the question, "What aspects became clearer through the anime adaptation?", Komada answered, "The sense of distance." He explained that visually depicting the distance between characters deepened his understanding, adding, "The songs released after the anime may have a slightly different emotional tone."

When asked whether they made any new discoveries through the anime dubbing scripts, Ito responded, "The drama CD scripts didn't include stage directions, so it felt like comparing answers. The anime scripts include notes such as 'irritated,' which supplement the characters' emotions." Regarding stage directions, Horie added, "Learning how old the characters were in past scenes was something unique to the anime scripts," sharing newly gained insights.

Additional clarification was also provided by the official team in response to a question about hidden codes within the anime. While slightly separate from the anime itself, it was revealed that the theme song CD design was created with inspiration from "a certain film," and that the design was structured so that decoding the hidden clues embedded within it would lead to the answer.

In this way, Hana-Doll* features hidden codes and puzzles scattered throughout various elements connected to the work. By revisiting the video content and printed materials, fans may discover something new.。

In response to the question, "What have you gained from encountering Hana-Doll*?", Yamashita shared his deep attachment to the work, saying, "It's a special project to me, and it feels like I've gained more brothers. I feel a strong bond with my fellow cast members." He added, "It also helped train me in singing. In the later songs, there's a part where Mahiro and Ryoga speak in English, and I thought, 'Are you serious?', but the reason I felt motivated to take on that challenge was because of Hana-Doll*." Horie continued, reflecting, "It felt like we kept raising the bar for one another, and the overall quality kept improving. I was truly happy to have been able to work with everyone," as he spoke about what each of them gained through the project.

"Please Let a Flower Bloom in Your Heart, Feeling It Was a Wonderful Work Until the Very End"

As the event, which had progressed in a warm and friendly atmosphere, approached its finale, the much-anticipated prize giveaway was held. Using a format in which ticket stubs from the event were drawn from a box without revealing their contents, the cast members themselves selected the winners. Across both the first and second sessions, three lucky attendees received admission bonus bromide sets signed by the cast, drawing warm applause from the audience.

During the announcement segment, information about the currently available Blu-ray volumes, opening and ending theme CDs, and the online lottery sold through Gacha King was introduced once again. Additionally, it was announced that beginning Saturday, March 7, a fair featuring the bonus item, Anthos* Unreleased Q&A Sheet (7 types), will be held at the official Hana-Doll* online shop, select animate stores, and the animate Online Shop. Sample merchandise scheduled for sale at the fair was displayed on stage, drawing admiration from the cast. Additionally, during the event period, a new made-to-order product, the Loulou*di ART work object, featuring large-scale visuals from the Loulou*di CD jacket artwork, is scheduled to be released. Not only Antholic, but Loumiel as well are encouraged to look forward to it.

The announcement of the production of the Anthos*-focused fan book Hana-Doll* The Anthos* Anatomy was also revealed, prompting enthusiastic applause. During the announcements in the first session, Ito, Masuda, and Hamano imitated the onstage mascot android, PLANTs, changing their voices to deliver announcements while moving PLANTs' arms in sync with their speech. This playful performance wrapped the audience in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

To close the event, each cast member delivered messages to fans.

Horie reflected, "I joined the project partway through, but I'm truly glad to have encountered this content," and expressed his gratitude, adding, "It was because everyone warmly welcomed the character Setsuna Yashiro that we were able to see it through to its conclusion."

Komada commented, "First of all, I would like to give a big round of applause to Hana-Doll* for setting its goal and running through to the finish," once again celebrating the conclusion of the work. He added, "I believe there is still plenty of potential for the number of 'thinking reeds' to continue growing in the future," expressing his hopes for what lies ahead.

Ito described Lihito as "the character I've argued with the most in my head throughout my voice acting career," and shared his feelings toward the character, adding, "I think I'll continue to think about Lihito Toudo from here on as well."

Yamashita commented, "I've always felt like I was walking side by side with Mahiro Yuki," touching on the similarities he shares with the character. He added, "There were many times when the drama that Hana-Doll* has woven inspired my own voice acting work and gave me encouragement."

Hamano expressed his feelings by drawing a parallel to the work, saying, "The time I spent connecting with the members of Anthos* and with Antholic through Ryoga will remain within me like a 'bud'."

Toki shared his feelings, saying, "We've been having such a fun time talking, but somewhere in the back of my mind, the thought 'Ah, it's coming to an end' has been there the whole time." He added, "I want to cherish for the rest of my life all the feelings and experiences I gained while walking alongside Kaoru."

Masuda commented, "I believe everything we wanted to convey is contained within the work itself. I hope you will listen to the drama CDs and trace, step by step, the path we have built over the years." He concluded with words fitting of Hana-Doll*, saying, "Please let a flower bloom in your heart, feeling it was a wonderful work until the very end."

At the final cue from Horie, all cast members bowed deeply and thanked the audience. Amid enthusiastic applause, the special talk event came to a close.

［text:Yuhi Shibayama　translate:Darien Merriett (MOVIC)］

TV Anime Hana-Doll* -Reinterpretation of Flowering- Blu-ray & Opening/Ending Theme Song CD Now On Sale!

The Blu-ray volumes 1 and 2 of the TV anime Hana-Doll* -Reinterpretation of Flowering- are now on sale and receiving great acclaim.
In addition to the standard editions, deluxe editions are also available for each volume. The deluxe editions include a sleeve featuring specially designed illustrations, as well as luxurious bonus items such as a booklet filled with extensive background settings, a soundtrack CD, a set of three can badges, and a set of three visual cards.
If you have not yet picked up your copy, be sure to check them out!

For more details:
■Volume 1
■Volume 2

Additionally, the opening and ending theme song CDs are now on sale!
The TV anime series and its theme songs are also available on streaming services, so please enjoy watching and listening to them across various platforms.

Details:
■OPCD
■EDCD
■Anime Streaming Services

Online Lottery for the TV Anime Hana-Doll* Now Available and Receiving Great Acclaim!

The online lottery for the TV anime Hana-Doll* is now available on Gacha King and is receiving great acclaim!
Be sure not to miss it!

■Details

Hana-Doll* -Eternal Bloom- Fair Update!

Starting Saturday, March 7, the Hana-Doll* -Eternal Bloom- Fair has been confirmed to be held at select animate stores, animate Online Shop, and the Hana-Doll* Official Online Shop.
The fair bonus item will be the Anthos* Unreleased Q&A Sheet (7 types in total)!

■Fair Details

Additionally, it has been announced that eight types of the made-to-order product Loulou*di ART work object will be newly added for Loulou*di at the event.
For further updates, please check the official website and official social media channels of the Hana-Doll* series.

Production Confirmed for the Setting Materials Collection Hana-Doll* The Anthos* Anatomy!

Production has been confirmed for the fan book Hana-Doll* The Anthos* Anatomy, which spotlights Anthos*! The book is scheduled to include a wealth of content, such as previously unreleased and first-time information by original creator R/0, commentary on MV and CD artwork, a gallery of Anthos*’s beautiful visuals to date by character designer Teita, and a DVD from the talk event “Human or Doll” Hana-Doll* Thinking reeds Event 2025, held in August 2025.
Details are expected to be announced around March.

Information

■Hana-Doll* Official Website
■Hana-Doll* Official X
■Anthos* Members Official X
■TV Anime Hana-Doll* Official X