Great news for fans of deep and reflective stories! CyberAgent has officially announced the production of a TV anime adaptation for the manga Just Like Mona Lisa (Seibetsu “Mona Lisa” no Kimi e), the original work of Tsumuji Yoshimura. To raise expectations further, it has been confirmed that acclaimed studio SHAFT will handle the animation.

The choice of a European convention for the global trailer premiere is not coincidental: Just Like Mona Lisa has solid international presence thanks to the English publication by Square Enix, and the decision to present the project in Germany before Japan speaks to the global reach the team sees in this story. No confirmed release date or additional cast/crew details yet; that’s expected to be revealed at the August 1 panel.

To celebrate this announcement, creator Tsumuji Yoshimura shared a special illustration.

The manga concluded its publication in Gangan Online by Square Enix in December 2022 after four and a half years of serialization, compiled in ten volumes that exceed one million copies in circulation. The choice of SHAFT to adapt the work is significant: the studio has a history of approaching stories with high emotional and visual impact, and the introspective nature of Just Like Mona Lisa fits well with that sensibility.

About Just Like Mona Lisa

Just Like Mona Lisa is a manga by Tsumuji Yoshimura published in Gangan Online by Square Enix between May 2018 and December 2022. The story takes place in a world where children are born without a defined gender: around age twelve, people begin to develop into the gender they desire, completing the process usually before age fourteen. The protagonist, Hinase, chooses to remain without a defined gender even after turning eighteen, a decision that sets him apart from his childhood friends Ritsu and Shiori, who have already made theirs. The narrative explores love, self-discovery, and personal choice as Hinase navigates relationships and social expectations in a world that still demands clear definitions.

Does the announcement of SHAFT as the studio give you more confidence that the adaptation will capture the manga’s tone, or would you rather wait for the trailer to get excited?