Fans of the yuri romantic comedy “There’s No Freaking Way I’ll Be Your Lover! Unless…” (WataNare) can rejoice, as a sequel, titled There’s No Freaking Way I’ll Be Your Lover! Unless… ~Next Shine~, has been officially announced for a limited theatrical release in Japan starting November 21st, JST. The follow-up will consist of five episodes and is slated for a future television broadcast.
The announcement comes after the successful run of the first anime season, which premiered in July 2025. The sequel promises to continue the complicated romantic entanglements and personal growth of protagonist Renako Amaori.
The Story Continues: What to Expect from ~Next Shine~
The original series introduces Renako Amaori, a former socially awkward middle schooler determined to reinvent herself in high school. She befriends the popular Mai Oduka, only for Mai to confess her romantic feelings. Renako finds herself in a dilemma, further complicated by the affections of another popular classmate, Ajisai Sena.
The synopsis for There’s No Freaking Way I’ll Be Your Lover! Unless… ~Next Shine~ delves deeper into Renako’s internal struggles. The former gloomy girl, who successfully debuted in high school and joined the popular clique, now faces confessions from both Mai Oduka, the “school’s ultimate prince,” and Ajisai Sena, the “beloved angel of the campus.” Unable to immediately answer their affections, Renako agrees to help her friend Kaho with a cosplay event, using it as an excuse to delay her decision. However, witnessing Kaho’s passion begins to stir something within Renako, prompting her to question what she truly wants and whether her initial “no freaking way” attitude towards being someone’s lover might not be so impossible after all. This sequel will explore Renako’s journey to self-love and understanding her true desires.
Production Team and Voice Cast Return
The beloved cast and crew from the first season are set to return for There’s No Freaking Way I’ll Be Your Lover! Unless… ~Next Shine~.
Key Staff
Studio Mother will once again be handling the animation production. The main staff includes:
- Director: Natsumi Uchinuma
- Series Composition & Script: Naruhisa Arakawa
- Character Design: kojikoji
- Music: Yoshiaki Fujisawa
Main Voice Cast
The familiar voices bringing the characters to life will also be reprising their roles:
- Renako Amaori: Kanna Nakamura
- Mai Oduka: Saori Onishi
- Ajisai Sena: Yukari Anzai
- Satsuki Koto: Kana Ichinose
- Kaho Koyanagi: Takako Tanaka
The Original Light Novel and Manga
The anime series is an adaptation of the popular yuri light novel series written by Teren Mikami and illustrated by Eku Takeshima. Shueisha has been publishing the light novels under their Dash X Bunko imprint since February 2020. A manga adaptation, with art by Musshu, has also been ongoing on Shueisha’s Dash X Comic section of the Niconico Seiga website since May 2020. Both the light novel and manga are licensed for North American release by Seven Seas Entertainment, who describe the story as a “high school yuri comedy about fake dating, real dating, competitive dating—and one very overwhelmed girl who’s accidentally doing all three at once?!”
The original light novels explore themes of self-discovery, social anxiety, and navigating complex romantic relationships in high school, all of which are expected to be further developed in the upcoming theatrical sequel.
