Yuki Iwai of Haraichi Passionately Discusses "Replica" and "Nippon Sangoku"! Deep Diving into Spring Anime and Masterpieces on "SHIBUYA ANIME BASE"

On Friday, May 1, from 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM, episode #84 of "SHIBUYA ANIME BASE" (known as "Shibu-Ani") was broadcast live on the ABEMA Anime Channel. With Tenshin Hantaro joining as a guest, the episode was packed with highlights, including information on new spring anime and a special feature on a classic masterpiece celebrating its 20th anniversary.

The first half of the program aired the second part of the segment "Iwai Watched It! Recommended Spring Anime 2026," continuing from last week. The first title introduced was "Even a Replica Can Fall in Love", which currently airs every Tuesday at 24:30 on ABEMA. It is a bittersweet youth love story triggered by an alter ego. Iwai was incredibly excited during the scene where a secret is shared, exclaiming, "It makes my heart race!" regarding moments like, "It's so heartbreaking that the protagonist is fully aware they are just a replica," and "On days when she hopes Sanada-kun will talk to her, she wears her hair in a half-up style." He highly praised the emotional weight of the protagonist being unable to enjoy fun experiences like school trips due to being a replica, as well as the fast-paced plot development where her true identity is discovered as early as episode 3. Shugo Nakamura, who voices Haruka Yoshii in this series, expressed his joy, saying, "I'm so happy he's watching it so closely!"

The next title introduced was "Nippon Sangoku The Three Nations of the Crimson Sun," a heavy sci-fi historical drama depicting the re-unification of a collapsed Japan. Iwai pointed out "the first episode, which is condensed despair" as his top recommendation, passionately discussing the shocking plot twist where the protagonist's modest happiness with his beloved wife is unreasonably stripped away. Furthermore, Tenshin, a guest who claims to be a fan since the original manga's release, boasted about his long-time fandom, saying, "I've been saying it would get an anime adaptation ever since Volume 1 came out three years ago," and highly praised the work. Iwai enthusiastically talked about the appealing contrast between the protagonist, who fights with "intelligence," and the characters who fight with "martial strength."