If you ever tried drawing your own manga in school notebooks and realized creating a good story is a headache, this premiere will hit you right in the heart. Shinei Animation has just released the first promotional trailer for Draw This, Then Die! (or Kore Kaite Shine for Japanese purists), confirming that this gem about artistic passion will land on our screens next July 3. And if the visual style doesn’t hook you immediately, the trailer lets us hear “Isho,” the electrifying opening by the talented Tatsuya Kitani, which injects all the emotional vibe into the difficult journey of becoming a mangaka.

A heavyweight cast to master the art of manga

Making a series about creative processes and youth dreams is a challenge, so the production committee decided to open their wallets and assemble a seiyuu team that’s insane. They mixed true titans of the industry with the most beloved female voices of today to bring this group of passionate drawers to life:

• Akira Sekine as Ai Yasumi.
  Known for being the Princess in Princess Principal and Ana Yamada in The Dangers in My Heart.
• Saori Hayami as Rei Teshima.
  The unmistakable voice of Yor Forger in Spy x Family and Shinobu Kocho in Demon Slayer.
• Inori Minase as Hikaru Sekiryu.
  Our beloved Rem in Re:Zero and Hestia in DanMachi.
• Atsumi Tanezaki as Nana Teramura.
  Legendary today for voicing Anya Forger in Spy x Family and Frieren.
• Kikuko Inoue as Hebichika-sensei.
  The eternal goddess Belldandy in Oh My Goddess! and Macrophage in Cells at Work!.
• Yukana as Hana Kongoji.
  Immortalized in otaku culture as C.C. in Code Geass.

Tears, sweat, and ink on a remote island

Under the meticulous direction of Hiroaki Akagi, the plot promises to squeeze all the emotions behind artistic creation. The story takes us to the remote island of Izu Oshima to follow Ai Yasumi, a high school student who lives and breathes her favorite stories. Far from being just another generic school slice-of-life, the original work by Minoru Toyoda is brutally honest and swept away winning the top prize in the 2023 Manga Taisho Awards and winning the recent 2025 Shogakukan Manga Awards.

Here we’ll see the reality of the industry: the dreaded creative blocks, the suffocating pressure to create something worthwhile, and the strong friendships forged when you join other passionate artists. It’s basically a love letter to creators, showing the rewards and emotional hits of bringing a project to life from scratch.

Will you give this inspiring story a chance this summer or stick to the safe bet of pure shonen action?