The upcoming anime adaptation of Hirokazu Yasuhara’s manga, Cultural Exchange With a Game Centre Girl, has revealed its premiere date and a main promotional video. Fans can mark their calendars for July 6, 2025, when the slice-of-life romantic comedy will debut on television.
From Manga to Screen: A Cross-Cultural Romance
Cultural Exchange With a Game Centre Girl (Japanese: ゲーセン少女と異文化交流, Hepburn: Gēsen Shōjo to Ibunka Kōryū) began as a series of online posts by Hirokazu Yasuhara on Twitter and Pixiv in December 2019. The manga was then serialized by Fujimi Shobo on the Niconico Seiga website under their DraDra Sharp brand beginning in May 2020. As of December 2024, the manga has been compiled into nine tankōbon volumes.
Story
The story centers around Renji Kusakabe, a young man working part-time at a game arcade. One day, he encounters Lily Baker, a British girl who is struggling with a crane game. Lily is in tears because she can’t win the “Manly Koala” stuffed toy, no matter how many times she tries. Renji, feeling sorry for her, lends a helping hand and wins the toy for her.
Lily is startled by Renji’s unexpected gesture but later gives him a message card with the message “Be My Valentine!”. This encounter sparks an unlikely friendship and cross-cultural exchange between them.
Production Team
The anime adaptation is produced by Nomad. The staff includes:
- Director: Toshihiro Kikuchi
- Series Composition: Yasunori Yamada
- Character Design: Rikiya Okano
- Music: Takurō Iga
- Art Director: Isamu Nishiyama
- Art Setting: Kenta Masuda (GROUND)
- Color Design: Yukiko Shigemitsu
- Editing: Mutsumi Takemiya
- Sound Director: Yasunori Ebina
- Sound Effects: Kiyotaka Kawata
- Recording Adjustment: Shunpei Takeuchi
- Sound Production: zuvo.
- Casting: Wataru Matsuoka (Full Power Production)
- Animation Production: Nomad
Meet the Characters & Cast
The anime features a charming cast of characters brought to life by talented voice actors:
- Lily Baker: Voiced by Sally Amaki
- Lily is a 13-year-old girl who moved to Japan from England. She enjoys playing at the game center but is still learning the ropes.
- Renji Kusakabe: Voiced by Shōya Chiba
- Aoi Kusakabe: Voiced by Reo Osanai
- Karin Kaga: Voiced by Asaki Yuikawa
- Hotaru Katsuragi: Voiced by Kaori Ishihara
- Momoko Mochizuki: Voiced by Ai Kayano
Theme Songs
The opening theme song, “Futari no Start Button” (ふたりのスタートボタン), is performed by Shoya Chiba and Sally Amaki in character as Renji and Lily. Sally Amaki also performs the ending theme song, “Amusing Flavor”.
Where and When to Watch
Cultural Exchange With a Game Centre Girl is scheduled to premiere on July 6, 2025, on AT-X, Tokyo MX, Sun TV, KBS Kyoto, and BS Asahi.
- AT-X: Sundays at 23:30 (JST) with repeat broadcasts on Thursdays at 29:30 (JST) and Sundays at 08:30 (JST)
- Tokyo MX: Sundays at 24:30 (JST)
- Sun TV: Sundays at 24:30 (JST)
- KBS Kyoto: Sundays at 24:45 (JST)
- BS Asahi: Sundays at 25:30 (JST)
Please note that broadcasting dates and times are subject to change.
