Kirio Fan Club

Kirio Fan Club is described as a “one-way love comedy,” focusing on unrequited crushes, over-the-top delusions, and obsessive “fan activities” directed at one ordinary boy.

The franchise follows Aimi Miyoshi and Nami Sometani, best friends and rivals who run their own private “fan club” for Ken Kirio, a not-very-talented, not-very-popular soccer player with a hidden trauma.

The manga ran online in the digital magazine COMIC Ruelle, published by Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha, and was collected into six volumes.

A spin-off volume and multiple adaptations, including a 2025 live-action drama and a 2026 anime series, have helped the series grow a strong cult following.

Aimi Miyoshi and Nami Sometani are high school second-year students and best friends who share a secret: they both are head-over-heels in love with their classmate Ken Kirio.

They are also rivals in love, but neither of them can even manage to talk to him properly.

Instead of straightforward romance, they form a kind of private “fan club” where they watch Ken from afar, share bizarre fantasies, and hype each other up through intense “oshi” (fan) behavior.

They obsess over everything about him, even his embarrassing sides, and treat their one-way affection as a hobby they enjoy together.

Ken looks like the classic cool, quiet boy, but in reality he is not good at soccer, his grades are mediocre, and he is not particularly popular.

Aimi and Nami love him precisely because of these clumsy, human traits, but Ken’s withdrawn personality is rooted in a past trauma that slowly comes to light.

At the same time, both Aimi and Nami carry secrets they cannot reveal to each other, which puts tension under the surface of their friendship.

As the story progresses, more classmates are drawn into their orbit, and the dynamic shifts from simply “watching” Ken to actually interacting, confronting feelings, and dealing with the fallout of their obsessions.

Aimi Miyoshi

Aimi Miyoshi is a student at Tokyo Metropolitan Ekoma High School, starting as a second-year and later becoming a third-year.

She is one of the two leads, deeply in love with Ken Kirio, and is portrayed as emotional, intense, and wildly imaginative when it comes to her fantasies.

She and Nami are inseparable friends, yet also direct rivals for Ken’s affection, which creates a constant push and pull between camaraderie and jealousy.

Aimi tends to voice more extreme, sometimes almost unhinged “what if” scenarios about Ken, which form a lot of the series’ comedic core.

Nami Sometani

Nami Sometani is Aimi’s classmate and closest friend, and like Aimi she is in love with Ken Kirio.

She often plays the more grounded counterpart to Aimi’s wild imagination, but she shares the same obsessive devotion.

Nami’s rivalry with Aimi is complicated by genuine affection, making their relationship a mix of girl’s friendship comedy and emotional drama.

She also has her own secret and inner conflicts that shape how honestly she can confront both her feelings and Aimi’s.

Ken Kirio

Ken Kirio is the quiet classmate who becomes the center of the “fan club.”

He plays in the boys’ soccer club at Ekoma High School, but he is not a star athlete and is far from a perfect “prince” type.

Ken’s calm, cool appearance hides the fact that he is not particularly skilled at soccer, has average academic performance, and blends into the background at school.

His current personality is influenced by a trauma in his past, which slowly gets revealed and becomes key to understanding why he keeps emotional distance from others.

Hayato Momose

Hayato Momose is Ken’s friend and a fellow boys’ soccer club member at Ekoma High School.

He is a popular, outgoing student and serves as a contrast to Ken’s quieter nature.

Hayato is well-liked in their grade, often acting as a mood-maker and bridging the gap between different groups of students.

His relationships with Ken and other characters bring more traditional high school social energy into the story.

Satsuki Muraoka

Satsuki Muraoka is a friend of Ken and Hayato and the ace of the girls’ basketball team.

She is athletic, confident, and admired by her peers.

Satsuki’s crush on Hayato adds another overlapping layer of affection and rivalry into the romantic tangle.

Her presence helps broaden the story beyond the initial trio of Aimi, Nami, and Ken.

Seira Tashiro

Seira Tashiro is one year younger than Aimi and Nami and works as the manager of the boys’ soccer club.

She secretly “supports” Aimi and Nami as her own “favorites,” making her a kind of meta-fan inside the story about fans.

Seira’s perspective highlights how unusual and entertaining Aimi and Nami’s fan behavior looks from the outside.

She often observes the chaos with affection and becomes a quiet but important emotional supporter.

Mitsuru Manda

Mitsuru Manda is Aimi and Nami’s classmate at Ekoma High School, known for being obsessed with occult rituals and “curses.”

His fascination with magic and rituals often leads to strange and comedic situations in class.

Mitsuru’s eccentric personality brings extra absurdity to scenes involving the core group.

He sometimes becomes unintentionally involved in the girls’ schemes or emotional blow-ups.

The Kirio Fan Club manga is written and illustrated by Ponchan, the Fish of the Earth.

It is published by Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha under the Ruelle Comics imprint.

The series began serialization in the digital magazine COMIC Ruelle on June 24, 2022 and continued until August 9, 2024.

Across about two years, it ran for a total of 45 main chapters plus 1 extra chapter.

All chapters were collected into six tankobon volumes.

The story is set primarily in the Tama area of the Tokyo metropolitan region and at a local high school.

Volume Publication

Volume 1 was released on December 15, 2022, introducing Aimi, Nami, Ken, and the basic “fan club watching from afar” premise.

This volume also establishes the comedic tone with extremely exaggerated fantasies about Ken.

Volume 2 was released on May 18, 2023 and continues to develop the relationship triangle.

It explores more of the classmates’ reactions and expands the cast.

Volume 3 came out on October 19, 2023 and deepens the characters’ emotions and backstories.

Hints of Ken’s trauma and the girls’ hidden secrets become more prominent.

Volume 4 was released on April 18, 2024, pushing the characters into situations where they cannot avoid confronting their feelings.

Group events and school activities force more direct interaction and awkward moments.

Volume 5, released on July 18, 2024, moves toward the later stages of the story’s emotional arcs.

Confessions, misunderstandings, and the strain on friendships take center stage.

Volume 6, the final volume, was released on September 19, 2024 and concludes the main storyline.

It wraps up the romantic tensions, reveals the secrets behind Ken’s trauma and the girls’ pasts, and resolves the long-running “one-sided fan club” premise.

Spin-off: Kirio Fan Club FC

A spin-off and tribute collection titled Kirio Fan Club FC was released by Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha under the Ruelle Comics label.

The book was published as a single volume on April 17, 2025.

This spin-off gathers additional side stories, contributions, and tribute works related to the main series.

It features guest creators such as Tsuzui, Yama Wayama, and others, adding different artistic takes on the characters and themes.

A live-action drama adaptation of Kirio Fan Club was produced by Chukyo TV and aired nationwide in Japan via the Nippon TV Network Association.

The show ran in the Wednesday “Platinum Night” late-night drama slot from April 3, 2025 (airing late night on April 2) to June 5, 2025 (late night on June 4).

The series aired as a continuous late-night drama and had a total of 10 episodes, each about 30 minutes long.

It was produced by CTV MID ENJIN with production cooperation from Nippon TV AX-ON.

The drama was directed by Hatsuki Yokoo and written by screenwriter Nanoha Ito.

Music was composed by Soichi Ueda, giving the series its own live-action emotional flavor.

Awards

On November 14, 2025, the drama received the Encouragement Prize in the Television category at the 63rd Galaxy Awards, organized by the Broadcast Critics Conference NPO.

This award recognized the show’s originality and its heartfelt, offbeat approach to teenage love and fandom.

Main Drama Cast

Aimi Miyoshi is played by actress Mizuki Kayashima.

In the drama, Aimi remains a second-year then third-year student at Tokyo Metropolitan Ekoma High School and is openly in love with Ken.

Nami Sometani is played by model and actress Riko.

She is portrayed as Aimi’s close friend and rival, sharing the same crush on Ken.

Ken Kirio is played by actor Mizuki Inoue.

He appears as the quiet boys’ soccer club member who unknowingly becomes the target of the girls’ fanatical affection.

Ekoma High School Drama Characters

Mitsuru Manda is portrayed by Jiei Wakabayashi.

He is Aimi and Nami’s classmate with a strong interest in curses and occult rituals.

Hayato Momose is played by Rio Komiya.

He is Ken’s friend and a fellow soccer club member, presented as a popular student in their grade.

Satsuki Muraoka is portrayed by Yuna Hoshino.

She is the ace player on the girls’ basketball team and a friend to Ken and Hayato.

Seira Tashiro is played by Aine Hara.

She is a first-year student, manager of the boys’ soccer club, and a “fan” of Aimi and Nami themselves.

Noriyuki Tanaka, the homeroom teacher of Aimi, Nami, and Ken’s class, is played by Roy Kishima.

He oversees the class where much of the drama unfolds.

Other Drama Characters

Kanta Morino is played by comedian Akira Ohashi (known as Akira 100%).

He manages a family restaurant that appears as a recurring location in the show.

Nozomi Nagata is portrayed by Taichi Sakai and appears from episode 5 onward.

He is introduced as Ken’s close friend, with a mysterious background that gradually becomes clearer.

Toraunosuke Miyoshi, Aimi’s grandfather, appears in episode 8 and is played by actor Takao Gozu.

His presence adds family depth and another perspective on Aimi’s behavior and growth.

Drama Staff

The drama credits Ponchan, the Fish of the Earth as the original creator, based on the manga published by Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha.

Hatsuki Yokoo directed, and Nanoha Ito wrote the scripts for all episodes.

Music for the series was composed by Soichi Ueda.

The chief producer was Miwa Kurita from CTV MID ENJIN, while Megumi Hoshino from AX-ON served as producer.

Programming duties were handled by Toru Tsujimura of Chukyo TV, with public relations by Masashi Ozawa, also of Chukyo TV.

The show was produced by CTV MID ENJIN with cooperation from Nippon TV AX-ON and was officially produced and copyrighted by Chukyo TV.

Drama Theme Songs

The opening theme is “Hanauarai” (Flower Fortune-Telling) performed by singer Miisa Shimizu and released through Universal Music Japan.

It is a straightforward pop song about one-sided love, matching the drama’s central theme.

The ending theme and main theme song is “Loafer.” performed by Mizuki Kayashima, who also stars as Aimi.

The song, written and composed by Honoka Takahashi of the band Legal Lily, marks Kayashima’s debut as a singer.

Drama Broadcast Details

The drama aired every week in the Wednesday Platinum Night slot, broadcast Thursday 0:24–0:54 (late night Wednesday).

Due to special programming on the preceding show on the final week, the last episode was shifted five minutes later and aired from 0:29 to 0:59.

The program was a Chukyo TV production distributed across the full Nippon TV network.

It maintained standard Japanese broadcast specifications, including stereo sound and closed-caption subtitles.

Drama Streaming

From April 2025, the drama became available on multiple streaming platforms.

For catch-up streaming with advertisements, it was offered on TVer and Locipo.

For subscription-based, all-you-can-watch streaming, the series was distributed on Hulu, U-NEXT, and Lemino.

These services allowed viewers to watch the full show beyond the limited catch-up period.

An anime adaptation of Kirio Fan Club is produced by Satelight, a well-known animation studio.

The series began airing in April 2026 in the “Super Animeism TURBO” programming block on Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS) and other TBS network stations.

The anime broadcasts on Thursday late night (formally Friday 0:26–0:56) across 28 TBS-affiliated stations throughout Japan, excluding prefectures without TBS network stations.

The series also airs on the satellite channel AT-X, which provides additional repeat broadcasts.

Anime Cast

Aimi Miyoshi is voiced by Nene Hieda.

Her performance emphasizes Aimi’s emotional swings and intense fan energy.

Nami Sometani is voiced by Shion Wakayama.

She brings a balance of subtle feelings and comedic timing to Nami’s role.

Ken Kirio is voiced by Gakuto Kajiwara.

He portrays Ken’s quiet surface and deeper emotional turmoil.

Mitsuru Manda is voiced by Yuya Hirose.

Hirose delivers Mitsuru’s occult-obsessed lines with comedic flair.

Hayato Momose is voiced by Jin Ogasawara.

His voice suits Hayato’s outgoing and popular personality.

Satsuki Muraoka is voiced by Ayasa Ito.

She gives Satsuki a mix of athletic confidence and emotional warmth.

Seira Tashiro is voiced by Fuka Izumi.

Her performance captures Seira’s supportive, slightly admiring gaze toward Aimi and Nami.

Anime Staff

The original creator credit goes to Ponchan, the Fish of the Earth, based on the manga.

The anime director is Soya Toyama, who leads the overall visual and narrative approach.

Aya Satsuki handles both series composition and scriptwriting, ensuring a consistent structure across episodes.

Character designs for the animation are by Nami Hayashi, who adapts the manga’s art style for screen animation.

Art setting is handled by Katsuhisa Takiguchi, while the art director is Daisuke Suzuki, shaping the background look of the school and city.

Color design is by Haruko Nobori, supporting the series’ bright yet slightly offbeat mood.

Go Shimura serves as director of photography, and Shuji Matsumoto is in charge of editing.

Sound direction is led by Toshiki Kameyama, with sound effects by Masami Kitakata and sound production by Studio Sound Bee.

The music is composed by Tomoki Kikuya, with music production by Pony Canyon.

Music producer Ryoji Yoshiyama oversees the musical side of the project.

Chief producers include Yuki Watanabe, Toshihiro Maeda, Hideaki Hata, Sayo Kabe, Yasushi Yoshida, Masako Iwamoto, and Kazuhiko Morikawa.

Producers include Minami Fukushima, Arisa Bijan, Yoshifumi Arakaki, Mai Wada, Iria Hirata, Fuko Gushiken, and Keiichiro Ota, with Kenichi Takano as the animation producer.

The anime is produced by Satelight under the “Kirio Fan Club” Production Committee.

The committee structure brings together multiple companies including the broadcaster and music label.

Anime Theme Songs

The opening theme is “FANCLUB”, performed collaboratively by the band Skirt and the group ODD Foot Works.

Lyrics and composition are by Wataru Sawabe, Pecori, and Kiichi Arimoto, with arrangement by ODD Foot Works.

The ending theme is “Harmony”, performed by singer aiko-style artist a-ko (a performer known as “a-ko”).

She wrote and composed the song herself, with arrangement by Eiji Nakamura.

Both songs underline the mix of chaotic fandom and genuine emotional connection that defines the series.

“FANCLUB” emphasizes the obsessive, upbeat side, while “Harmony” leans into quieter feelings and relationship shifts.

Anime Episodes

The anime episode list begins with Episode 1: “Dear Ken Kirio.”

In this first episode, the audience is introduced to Aimi and Nami’s “fan club” activities and the way they watch Ken from afar.

Episode 1’s storyboard is by director Soya Toyama.

Direction is by Toru Hamasaki, with a large team of animation directors including Tomoko Kitagawa, Kim Doyoung, Keiko Kono, Tomoka Tamaya, Kanji Nagasaka, Akiyoshi Miya, and Mioneko Sato, and Nami Hayashi as chief animation director.

The first broadcast date for Episode 1 was April 3, 2026.

Subsequent episodes continue weekly in the same time slot.

Anime Broadcast and Streaming

On terrestrial television, the anime airs on MBS and the full network of TBS-affiliated stations in the Super Animeism TURBO slot.

All stations broadcast with closed-caption subtitles and linked data broadcasting features for interactive viewing.

On AT-X, the anime airs on Fridays from 22:30 to 23:00, with scheduled repeat broadcasts for viewers who miss the initial airing.

This CS (satellite) broadcast covers all of Japan.

Online, new episodes are available from Friday 1:00 a.m. onward (late night Thursday).

Free, ad-supported limited-time streaming is provided on services like ABEMA, TVer, and Niconico Channel, where the latest episode can be watched for a limited period.

Subscription-based “all-you-can-watch” streaming is offered on a wide range of platforms, including AnimeFesta, Anime Hodai, ABEMA, FOD, MBS Dougaizm, J:COM STREAM, DMM TV, TELASA, d Anime Store, Bandai Channel, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Flatto Douga, milplus, and U-NEXT.

These services let viewers watch episodes at their own pace without time limits during the distribution period.

On some services such as J:COM STREAM, TELASA, Niconico Channel, Bandai Channel, and milplus, the anime is also available via pay-per-view.

ABEMA Anime Channel additionally offers a scheduled linear broadcast from 1:00 to 1:30 on Fridays, with catch-up options.

The anime is also part of Niconico Live’s 2026 spring anime lineup, where episodes are streamed as live events.

This creates a shared viewing experience, with fans commenting in real time.

Anime Blu-ray Releases

The anime is scheduled for release on Blu-ray in two volumes.

The first volume, Upper, is planned for release on July 29, 2026, and will contain Episodes 1 to 6 with the catalog number PCXP-51269.

The second volume, Lower, is planned for release on August 26, 2026, containing Episodes 7 to 12 with the catalog number PCXP-51270.

These releases typically include extras such as booklets, bonus videos, or commentary, appealing to dedicated fans.

Kirio Fan Club is primarily set in the Tama region of the Tokyo area, focusing on everyday life at Tokyo Metropolitan Ekoma High School.

This gives the series a grounded, suburban high school vibe rather than a glamorous city-center setting.

The story plays with the idea of “fan culture” applied not to celebrities or idols, but to a completely ordinary boy.

Aimi and Nami’s exaggerated devotion and fantasies parody real-world fandom, while also sincerely celebrating how “liking someone” can energize your life.

At the same time, the story digs into anxieties, trauma, and the fear of changing relationships.

Ken’s past and the hidden secrets of Aimi and Nami give emotional weight beneath the comedy.

The series combines romantic comedy, friendship drama, and school life with a slightly offbeat, sometimes absurd tone.

Both the manga and adaptations lean into expressive visual gags, intense internal monologues, and emotionally raw moments.

Official manga page: Kirio Fan Club on the COMIC Ruelle and COMIC Jardin site of Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha.

Official drama site: Kirio Fan Club on the Chukyo TV website.

Official anime site: TV Anime “Kirio Fan Club” official homepage.

Official anime social media accounts include X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and TikTok under the handle kirio_fc.