Rin Kusumi, Yū Serizawa, and Cast Discuss Their "Real Views on Romance"! Report from the Advance Screening Event of the Anime "You Can't Be In a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends!"

On December 12, 2025, a "Talk Event with Episodes 1 & 2 Advance Screening" for the TV anime "You Can't Be In a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends!" was held at United Cinemas Aqua City Odaiba.

"You Can't Be In a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends!" is a romantic comedy series by Shinya Misu currently being serialized in "Magazine Pocket." It depicts a sweet yet frustrating romance with childhood friends who can't be honest with their feelings. The TV anime will air sequentially starting January 5, 2026, on TV Tokyo's 6-station network, AT-X, and BS Nippon Television, with the fastest web streaming beginning on d Anime Store and AnimeFesta. Animation production is handled by Tezuka Productions, with Director Satoshi Kuwabara serving as the director.

At this event, four heroine cast members appeared: Rin Kusumi (as Shio Minamo), Yū Serizawa (as Akari Hiodoshi), Sae Hiratsuka (as Runa Tsukimi), and Yūki Yamamoto (as Haru Hinata). MC Taichi hosted the event, which became an exciting hour featuring the advance screening of the main episodes, behind-the-scenes stories about the work, talk segments, and discussions about "romance stories" and "rom-com clichés" by the female cast.

Episodes 1 & 2 Premiered on the Theater Screen

At the advance screening, Episodes 1 and 2, which set the story in motion centered around Shio (Shio Minamo) and Akari (Akari Hiodoshi), were shown. The cast appeared to welcoming applause from fans eagerly awaiting the broadcast. Yamamoto brought a fan with Takehiro Urao's (as Yonosuke Sakai) picture, who was absent from the event, which warmed the atmosphere of the venue. Regarding the characters, Kusumi commented, "Shio and Akari are proactive, earnest, and kind," while Serizawa said, "Shio is the type who makes straightforward moves, while Akari can't quite make her move." When the topic turned to Urao's behavior at the recording studio, behind-the-scenes stories emerged such as "Urao-san doesn't stay in 'Eーyū (Yonosuke Sakai)' mode, but sits in the back doing gymnastics sitting position" and "He sits in the corner watching over the four of us," showing their well-coordinated exchanges.