Fanfare of Adolescence

Alternate Titles

群青のファンファーレ
Gunjo no Fanfare

Synopsis

Yu Arimura is a 15-year-old child actor and idol who has been in the entertainment world since a young age, but after witnessing horse racing for the first time, a new dream is born within him and he decides to become a pro jockey. At the entrance exam to a horse racing school, he meets his rivals and classmates, who are all full of personality. There’s an elite rider from England, a competitive lone wolf, an honor student with abundant horse riding experience, a thoroughbred who grew up in a horse racing family, a horse racing otaku, a gutsy girl who aims to become a working jockey, and a kind boy born and raised on an island who has no horse riding experience to speak of. What kind of growth will they achieve during their three years filled with countless trials and obstacles to overcome in an environment where not everyone will make it in the end? The story of these boys who put everything on the line to become jockeys begins!

Background

Fanfare of Adolescence is an upcoming original TV anime being produced by Lay-duce. The project was first revealed through a teaser shown in August 2021 during the program BS11 Keiba Chukei. The anime is being created in cooperation with the Japan Racing Association (JRA) and is based on interviews conducted at the actual JRA racing school and will depict the school, the life of jockey candidates, and the realities of the horse racing and jockey world.

It is being directed by Makoto Kato and features Team Fanfare in charge of series composition, Naohiro Fukushima as the head writer, Hiro Kanzaki handling character designs, Tomokatsu Nagasaku as the chief animation director, and Hiroyuki Sawano composing the music. The anime’s opening theme song is “Move the Soul” by boy band JO1, and the ending theme song is “Outsiders” by SawanoHiroyuki[nZk] with Junki Kono and Sho Yonashiro from JO1. The anime will premiere in Japan on April 2, 2022 on Tokyo MX, BS11, Gunma TV, and Tochigi TV.

Characters

Yu Arimura (Voiced by: Shogo Yano)
Yu is a 15 year old from Tokyo and the center of the famous idol group Mr. Doctor. He has been active in the entertainment industry since a young age, but after tiring of idol life, he sees a horse race for the first time and becomes enamored with the sport. He then applies for and is accepted into the JRA horse racing school.

Shun Kazanami (Voiced by: Shimba Tsuchiya)
Shun is a 15 year old from the Izu Islands. He was raised in an environment without any TVs and grew up listening to horse races on the radio. Though he had no horse riding experience prior to entering the JRA horse racing school, he displays an innate sense for the sport. He is carefree and innocent.

Amane Grace (Voiced by: Natsuki Hanae)
Amane is a 15 year old from England. He is half English on his father’s side. His father is a former jockey and is currently renowned for being an owner and breeder. Growing up in a rich family, he is an elite rider who moved from country to country before coming to Japan.

Aki Kyoriki (Voiced by: Yojiro Itokawa)
Aki is a 15 year old from Gifu Prefecture, where his father is a local jockey. He enrolls at the JRA horse racing school with the goal of becoming a leading jockey with the JRA. He has a strongly competitive spirit. His hobby is listening to music.

Hayato Hosho (Voiced by: Toshiyuki Toyonaga)
Hayato is a 16 year old from Hokkaido. Though he has been a skilled rider since elementary school and has won riding competitions, he flunked the horse racing school entrance exam the first time and finally was enrolled at the school after taking it a second time. He is highly responsible and has a serious personality.

Sojiro Sakuraba (Voiced by: Tatsumaru Tachibana)
Sojiro is a 15 year old from Shiga Prefecture. He comes from a notable family who runs the Sakura Garden Stables and is well-versed in horse racing, with his father being an animal trainer for jockeys, his older brother being a stable boy, and his second brother being a current rider. Thinking that it was only natural that he become a rider as well, he enrolls at the JRA horse racing school. He is easy-going and self-confident.

Kota Maki (Voiced by: Chiaki Kobayashi)
Kota is a 15 year old from Fukushima Prefecture. He has liked horse racing ever since he was little and would accompany his grandfather to the racing track. Being enthusiastic about the sport, he enrolls at the JRA horse racing school. He is a bright and reliable hard worker and is a horse racing otaku who remembers all the stats from past major races.

Eri Shimotsuki (Voiced by: Inori Minase)
Eri is a 15 year old from Kyoto Prefecture. He enrolls at the JRA horse racing school thinking that he could win prize money if he were a jockey. His family used to run a factory farm, but gave it up. Currently, his parents run a restaurant in Kyoto. He has a mature personality.

Yutaka Asahi (Voiced by: Takahiro Sakurai)
Yutaka is 31 years old and works as an instructor at the horse racing school teaching Yu and the others. He has a peculiar way of speaking and is elusive.

Kazuo Nohira (Voiced by: Hiroki Touchi)
Kazuo is 45 years old and works together with Yutaka at the horse racing school teaching Yu and the others. Due to his strict teaching style, his students are afraid of him.

Tako Kitami (Voiced by: Lynn)
Tako is 25 years old and is an employee at the talent agency Yu belonged to. She goes undercover at the horse racing school to film a documentary.

Naoko Saionji (Voiced by: Masako Katsuki)
Naoko is the president of the talent agency that Yu belonged to when he was an idol. He raised Yu as his foster parent.

Yoshihisa Kuji (Voiced by: Daisuke Namikawa)
Yoshihisa is a graduate of the horse racing school and is currently a jockey. He meets Yu by chance while visiting a racing track.

Kosei Nambara (Voiced by: Shoya Kimata)
Kosei is 17 years old and is a member of the idol group Mr. Doctor that Yu belonged to. He is a mischievous mood maker.

Masaki Azuma (Voiced by: Shosei Ohira)
Masaki is 18 years old and is a member of the idol group Mr. Doctor that Yu belonged to. He is calm and acts like a leader.

Music

• Opening Theme Song: “Move the Soul” by JO1
• Ending Theme Song: “Outsiders” by SawanoHiroyuki[nZk] with Junki Kono and Sho Yonashiro

• Anime Site (Japanese)
• Twitter (Japanese)

• Director: Makoto Kato
• Series Composition: Team Fanfare
• Main Writer: Naohiro Fukushima
• Character Design: Hiro Kanzaki
• Chief Animation Director: Tomokatsu Nagasaku
• Art Director: Tomoe Ookubo
• Color Design: Reiko Iwasawa
• Director of Photography: Keiichi Saito (Production I.G)
• Editing: Shota Migiyama (TROYCA)
• 3DCG: Peakys
• Racehorse 3D Modeling/Motion Assistance: Koei Tecmo Games Co., Ltd.
• Sound Director: Masanori Tsuchiya
• Sound Production: HALF H·P STUDIO
• Music: Hiroyuki Sawano
• Animation Production: Lay-duce