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Anime Just Like Mona Lisa Teaser Trailer Revealed — Chika Anzai Cast as Protagonist Arima Hinase

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With Cast Comment Released!—Animation Production by SHAFT; Director Kana Shundo and Additional Main Staff Partially Unveiled —

Tokyo, Japan, 4th Aug 2026 – CyberAgent, Inc. has unveiled the teaser trailer, main cast, and part of the staff for the anime Just Like Mona Lisa (Original Title: Seibetsu “Mona Lisa” no Kimi e). Animation production will be handled by SHAFT, with Kana Shundo (APOCALYPSE HOTEL, Saga of Tanya the Evil as Assistant Director) as Director. Nobuhiro Sugiyama (Nisekoi, March Comes In like a Lion) will serve as Character Design/Chief Animation Director, and Yuki Hayashi (My Hero Academia, Medalist) will be in charge of Music. Furthermore, Chika Anzai has been cast as the main character, Arima Hinase.

Just Like Mona Lisa is a work created by Tsumuji Yoshimura and was serialized on “Gangan ONLINE,” published by Square Enix. The series has surpassed a cumulative 1 million copies in circulation. Set in a world where everyone is born genderless, people’s bodies shift toward their desired gender when they reach around twelve years old.

The story has garnered significant attention as a coming-of-age ensemble drama portraying the main character, Hinase—who remains the only “genderless” person even at 18—navigating questions of their own identity and romance.

The teaser trailer offering a glimpse of the anime’s beautiful visual world and the highly anticipated main cast has now been revealed for the first time.

Chika Anzai Cast as Main Character Arima Hinase!

Anzai Chika has been selected to play Arima Hinase, a third-year high school student and the main character of the series, who turns eighteen while remaining the only person around them without a gender. A comment from Anzai has also been released, in which she expresses her enthusiasm for the series and describes the role as “a sobering responsibility.” (Her full comment can be found below).

Chika Anzai as Arima Hinase

Chika Anzai PROFILE:

Affiliated with avex pictures. Major roles include Chisato Nishikigi in Lycoris Recoil and Reina Kousaka in Sound! Euphonium.

Comment from Chika Anzai:


Chika Anzai

I’ll never forget the impact this story had on me when I first encountered it during the audition process.
It made me reflect not only on Hinase, but also on myself and on what it means to be human.
The story stayed with me long after I finished reading it, so it’s both an incredible honor and a great responsibility to be part of it as Hinase.
The characters are deeply complex, and the themes are equally intricate. Because of that, everyone involved—from director Shundo to the cast and production team—is approaching every recording session with great care and sincerity, always striving to find the best way to bring this story to life.

It’s also incredibly reassuring that the author, Yoshimura-sensei, joins us in the studio for every recording session.
As a fan of the original manga myself, I can’t wait to see this story brought to life through SHAFT’s stunning animation.

I may have made it sound very serious, but don’t worry! There are also plenty of heartwarming, funny, and heart-fluttering moments.
So please relax, enjoy the journey, and have fun watching!

 

Teaser Trailer World Premiere Unveiled!

The teaser PV for the TV anime Just Like Mona Lisa made its world premiere at AnimagiC, an anime convention held in Mannheim, Germany, on Saturday, August 1. The trailer allows viewers to feel the worldview of the story and the anime’s unique turquoise blue visual expression.

Teaser Trailer URL:https://youtu.be/a0C6icMZaiw


Teaser Trailer © Tsumuji Yoshimura / SQUARE ENIX, “Just Like Mona Lisa” Project 

 

Comments Arrive from Director Kana Shundo and Music Composer Yuki Hayashi!

Additionally, comments have arrived from the director, Kana Shundo, and the music, Yuki Hayashi.

Director: Kana Shundo
PROFILE: Representative works include Apocalypse Hotel (Director Debut) and Saga of Tanya the Evil: The Movie (Assistant Director).

Comment from Kana Shundo:


Kana Shundo

One of the first things that catches your eye when reading the original manga is its beautiful use of two-color artwork.

The turquoise color, which represents emotions that are normally invisible, is one of the manga’s most distinctive visual elements. Bringing that subtle emotional shimmer to life in animation has been an incredibly rewarding challenge.

We’re putting a great deal of care into bringing the beautifully illustrated characters and their story to the screen, and I hope audiences around the world will enjoy watching it.

 

Music: Yuki Hayashi
PROFILE: Soundtrack composer affiliated with Legendoor. Representative works include My Hero Academia and Haikyu!!.

Comment from Yuki Hayashi:


Yuki Hayashi

I had the honor of composing the music for the anime “Just Like Mona Lisa.”
With every piece, I poured my heart into creating music that would gently accompany the story’s delicate emotions—what it means to live true to yourself and to truly connect with others.

The atmosphere so beautifully captured in the original manga is brought to life in the anime through the combination of voice performances, animation, and music. I sincerely hope this creates a new way for audiences to experience and connect with the story.

It would make me truly happy if this series could quietly find a place in someone’s heart.
I hope you’ll enjoy the broadcast.

 

TV Anime “Just Like Mona Lisa” Overview

Official Website:https://monalisa-anime.com/en/
Official X: @anime_mona_lisa (https://x.com/anime_mona_lisa

Introduction:

What if everyone were born genderless, who would you fall in love with?
The highly anticipated TV anime adaptation of Just Like Mona Lisa by Tsumuji Yoshimura, a series that has surpassed a cumulative 1 million copies sold, is finally here.

Hinase, the main character who continues to live genderless. Childhood friends Ritsu and Shiori, who have already chosen theirs.

What is “love”? What does it mean to have something you want to cherish above all else?
Their classmates and the adults around them struggle and hesitate alongside them, weaving the story together.

What choice will Hinase make?
A breathtaking triangle of first love and youth, now brought to life in beautiful animation by SHAFT, one of Japan’s leading animation studios.

Story:

In a world where everyone is born genderless.
Their bodies shift toward their desired gender when they reach around twelve years old.

Yet Hinase alone had not changed at all and had now reached the age of eighteen.

Arima Hinase, a third-year high school student, carries the quiet unease of being the only one around them genderless, yet simply spends unchanged days with childhood friends Ritsu Kaga and Shiori Takayama, and that alone had been enough.
Then one day, when Ritsu and Shiori confess their feelings towards Hinease, their everyday life begins to change.
“Something is about to change. Their eighteenth spring has arrived.”

Cast & Staff:

【CAST】

Arima Hinase(CV:Anzai Chika)

【STAFF】

Original Story: Tsumuji Yoshimura’s “Just Like Mona Lisa” (Published by Square Enix “Gangan Comics ONLINE“)
Director: Kana Shundo
Character Design/Chief Animation Director: Nobuhiro Sugiyama
Music: Yuki Hayashi
Animation Production: SHAFT Inc.
Production Committee Lead: CyberAgent

Original Manga Information:

Publisher: Square Enix Co., Ltd.
Author: Tsumuji Yoshimura
Volumes: Volumes 1–8, along with spin-off volumes “X” and “Y,” totaling 10 volumes now available.

Media Contact

Organization: CyberAgent, Inc.

Contact Person: CyberAgent, Inc. Press Contact

Website: https://caanime.cyberagent.co.jp/en/

Email: Send Email

Address:40-1 Udagawacho, Abema Towers, Shibuya City, Tokyo

City: Tokyo

Country:Japan

Release id:47842

The post Anime Just Like Mona Lisa Teaser Trailer Revealed — Chika Anzai Cast as Protagonist Arima Hinase appeared first on King Newswire. This content is provided by a third-party source.. King Newswire makes no warranties or representations in connection with it. King Newswire is a press release distribution agency and does not endorse or verify the claims made in this release. If you have any complaints or copyright concerns related to this article, please contact the company listed in the ‘Media Contact’ section

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Press Release

Explora Books Republishes ‘Sanctuary’ by Karen East

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Explora Books announces the republication of Karen East’s Sanctuary under the Explora Books imprint, bringing renewed attention to the novel’s layered vision of a fractured near-future America. Blending speculative fiction with literary storytelling, Sanctuary returns to readers as an exploration of power, resilience, and the importance of community.

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 4th Aug 2026 – Set in Minneapolis in the early 2040s, Sanctuary imagines an America shaped by environmental decline and creeping authoritarianism. Under the government’s “Rebirth of the Cities Plan,” families are sorted into neighborhoods policed by listening devices, elderly citizens are relocated without consent, and a single accusation can strip a household of its future. Against this backdrop, journalist Janet Ryan uncovers the cost of her parents’ compliance and the rumored existence of a clandestine network helping the desperate slip beyond Homeland Security’s reach. East builds tension through the accumulation of small, chilling compromises ordinary people make to survive.

What distinguishes Sanctuary from many entries in the dystopian genre is the warmth running alongside its warnings. Interwoven with Janet’s story is life on an Anishinaabe reservation, where an elder’s passing is honored with a traditional ceremony of drumming, tobacco offerings, and the community that gathers around it. These chapters, grounded in ritual, humor, and multigenerational care, offer a counterweight to the novel’s surveillance state: a portrait of a community that has protected its resilience and sense of belonging for generations.

The result is a novel that explores both what people fight to preserve and what they fear losing.

That authenticity draws directly on the author’s own background. Karen East is a retired marriage and family therapist who spent nineteen years working with American Indian tribes across the Midwest, an experience that informs the novel’s unhurried, clear-eyed depiction of Indigenous family and community life. She has two children, a grandson, and four great-granddaughters, and lives in northern Wisconsin.

With this republication, Explora Books positions Sanctuary for readers seeking speculative fiction that offers more than a cautionary tale, presenting a story of isolation, resilience, and the communities that sustain hope in the face of uncertainty.

Sanctuary is now available in paperback and hardback through Amazon and other major online bookstores. 

About Explora Books

Explora Books is a book marketing firm located in the heart of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The company specializes in self-publishing and marketing, taking pride in its exhaustive research and creative strategies that provide wider avenues for aspiring authors to gain recognition for their works. Explora Books aims to guide authors through the complexities of self-publishing, offering convenient solutions to navigate this process. The firm fosters and redefines creativity and innovation, setting new industry standards. Explora Books is dedicated to empowering authors globally.

Media Contact

Organization: Explora Books Ltd

Contact Person: Simon Pratt

Website: https://explorabooks.com/home

Email: Send Email

Contact Number: +16043306795

Address:Jameson Offices, 838 W Hastings St w, Vancouver, BC V6C 0A6, Canada

City: Vancouver

State: British Columbia

Country:Canada

Release id:47849

The post Explora Books Republishes ‘Sanctuary’ by Karen East appeared first on King Newswire. This content is provided by a third-party source.. King Newswire makes no warranties or representations in connection with it. King Newswire is a press release distribution agency and does not endorse or verify the claims made in this release. If you have any complaints or copyright concerns related to this article, please contact the company listed in the ‘Media Contact’ section

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Press Release

Dublin World Humanitarian Day Event to Highlight Practical Skills for Helping Others

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Programme at the Church of Scientology & Community Centre of Dublin will connect international humanitarian principles with everyday community service

Brussels, Brussels, Belgium, 4th Aug 2026 — A World Humanitarian Day programme focused on community service and practical methods of helping others will be held at the Church of Scientology & Community Centre of Dublin on Saturday, 29 August 2026.

The three-hour programme, scheduled from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the centre on Firhouse Road, Dublin 24, will celebrate humanitarian service and introduce techniques that people can use when assisting relatives, neighbours, colleagues and members of their communities.

The event will place the international observance within a local context, examining how humanitarian values can be expressed not only during major disasters but also through organised community work and individual acts of practical assistance.

Humanitarian service is often associated with emergency teams operating in areas affected by natural disasters, displacement or severe hardship. At community level, however, the same principles can be seen when volunteers help an isolated resident, support a family facing difficulties, organise essential supplies or provide additional hands to a civic or charitable project.

The Dublin programme will examine skills intended to help individuals respond constructively when someone around them is experiencing stress, confusion or practical difficulty. The subjects include communication, organisation, conflict resolution and methods of providing calm and responsible support.

These areas form part of the training used by Scientology Volunteer Ministers, a religious social-service programme established in the mid-1970s by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.

The programme is based on the principle that individuals can become more effective in helping others when they are equipped with practical knowledge and are prepared to apply it responsibly.

Humanitarian responsibility is not confined to institutions, governments or international organisations,” said Ivan Arjona, representative of the Church of Scientology to the European Union, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the United Nations.

It is also expressed through citizens who notice when help is needed and who possess the skills, discipline and willingness to respond. European values of human dignity, solidarity and civic participation become meaningful when they are reflected in practical service within our neighbourhoods and communities.”

Arjona added that humanitarian education can help strengthen local resilience by enabling people to cooperate more effectively during both ordinary difficulties and larger emergencies.

From an international observance to local responsibility

The United Nations observes World Humanitarian Day each year on 19 August to recognise humanitarian personnel and the people who provide assistance to communities affected by crises.

The annual observance draws attention to humanitarian needs around the world and to the importance of protecting those who deliver assistance. It also provides an opportunity to consider the contribution of volunteers and community organisations that work outside the international humanitarian system but share the objective of reducing hardship and preserving human dignity.

The Dublin event will take place ten days after the official United Nations observance, extending its themes into a programme centred on practical community service.

Ireland has a long tradition of voluntary involvement in social care, education, sport, cultural life, neighbourhood development and support for vulnerable people. Much of that work takes place through local associations, charities, faith communities and informal networks whose members contribute their time and experience.

Such activity can become particularly important when public services or specialist organisations require additional community support. Volunteers may assist with logistics, communications, distribution, administration or direct care, depending on their training and the needs of the situation.

Practical tools for everyday situations

The methods introduced through the Volunteer Ministers programme are drawn from The Scientology Handbook, compiled from the works of L. Ron Hubbard.

Its 19 areas of study cover subjects including communication, study and learning, marriage and family relationships, children, workplace difficulties, personal integrity, organisation, setting goals and resolving conflicts.

The Volunteer Ministers training programme presents these subjects through individual courses designed to provide step-by-step methods that can be applied in everyday situations.

A person attempting to help may have good intentions but still lack the communication or organisational skills needed to improve the situation. Training can provide a clearer structure: establishing what has occurred, listening to those involved, identifying immediate priorities and coordinating useful action.

Communication is particularly important when people are distressed or when several groups are attempting to work together. Misunderstandings can delay assistance, create unnecessary tension or lead to duplicated efforts. Clear communication and defined responsibilities can make community responses more orderly and effective.

Conflict resolution is another area with direct relevance to humanitarian and civic work. Volunteers frequently encounter people with different backgrounds, beliefs and expectations. The ability to reduce hostility and restore cooperation can be essential when assistance depends on several individuals or organisations working together.

The programme also includes organisational principles that may be used when coordinating activities, distributing materials, managing volunteers or establishing a sequence of priorities.

Volunteer Ministers and humanitarian service

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers programme in Dublin forms part of an international network whose members participate in community projects and provide assistance following emergencies and disasters.

Volunteer Ministers have worked with public authorities, emergency responders, religious communities, charities and other voluntary groups. Their activities have included organising and distributing supplies, assisting at shelters and collection centres, cleaning damaged premises and supporting logistical operations.

The programme’s motto, “Something can be done about it,” reflects Mr. Hubbard’s view that people should not regard social and personal difficulties as inevitably beyond their ability to influence.

In everyday settings, this approach may involve helping a community organisation prepare an event, assisting someone who is struggling to communicate a problem, supporting a neighbourhood initiative or contributing practical work to a charitable activity.

Participation in the training is not restricted by religious affiliation. The methods are available to people of different backgrounds who are interested in developing their ability to help others.

A home for community activity in Dublin

Opened in October 2017, the Church of Scientology & Community Centre of Dublin was established as a venue for religious, cultural, educational, charitable and community activity.

The multi-acre Firhouse Road property includes an auditorium, meeting and seminar rooms, audiovisual facilities, a café and sports areas. The centre has hosted programmes organised by local associations, cultural groups, charities and organisations working in education and social betterment.

The World Humanitarian Day programme continues the centre’s emphasis on providing space for civic engagement and cooperation among people from varied cultural, national and religious backgrounds.

By focusing on skills that can be used in everyday life, the event will connect a global humanitarian observance with the practical question of how individuals can become better prepared to assist those around them.

About the Church of Scientology in Europe

The Church of Scientology, its churches, missions, groups and members are present throughout the European continent. Inspired by the religious and humanitarian work of founder L. Ron Hubbard, Scientologists support initiatives in education, drug prevention, human-rights awareness, moral education, disaster response and community betterment. Recognition of Scientology as a charitable and bona fide religion continues to grow across Europe, alongside its commitment to education, prevention, volunteer service and constructive participation in civil society.

Media Contact

Organization: European Office Church of Scientology for Public Affairs and Human Rights

Contact Person: Ivan Arjona

Website: https://www.scientologyeurope.org

Email: Send Email

Address:Boulevard de Waterloo 103

City: Brussels

State: Brussels

Country:Belgium

Release id:47848

The post Dublin World Humanitarian Day Event to Highlight Practical Skills for Helping Others appeared first on King Newswire. This content is provided by a third-party source.. King Newswire makes no warranties or representations in connection with it. King Newswire is a press release distribution agency and does not endorse or verify the claims made in this release. If you have any complaints or copyright concerns related to this article, please contact the company listed in the ‘Media Contact’ section

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Press Release

QAI Hair Launches World’s First Covalent Grafting Polypeptide to Repair Damaged Hair

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Solution based on PolyGraft-9, a highly reactive cysteine protein—developed by a former Senior Vice President of Chemistry for Redken that was discovered by his grandson

United States, 4th Aug 2026 — QAI Hair today announced the launch of a line of hair care products featuring the world’s first Covalent Grafting Polypeptide. The products’ Covalent bond Conversion Catalyst represents the final evolution of molecular hair repair, which restores hair back to its permanent natural covalent state. The line is based on PolyGraft-9, a highly reactive cysteine protein developed in secrecy but never released by the late Dr. Lee Hunter, former Senior Vice President of Chemistry for Redken. Dr. Hunter’s grandson, Kollin King, discovered the formula and is bringing it to the market.

“I was always fascinated by my grandfather’s ability to create, and I was always seeking to understand. But of course, everything he did was very secret,” Kollin explained. “It was to my surprise when I stumbled across a box of his research and found Super Tiger, looking for another formula, that I saw the science behind PolyGraft-9 and the Tiger Catalyst and it inspired me to carry on his legacy of Covalent Grafting into the next era.”

PolyGraft-9 imitates protein synthesis by growing a synthetic polypeptide into the alpha-helix (innermost layer of the hair), permanently grafting the bonds back together. This is why it is the only product that can even repair hair that has been burned or overoxidized from chemical damage to the point where it is pulling apart and gummy because it permanently replaces missing mass with Covalent Grafting Technology. 

“Most stylists would just be forced to cut the hair off after it reaches that point, but not with PolyGraft-9. Now there is a way to splice it back together with Covalent Grafting even with the most damaged hair…and when used in buffer in bleach and perming solutions, the hair comes out unscathed and in many cases in better condition than before we started,” said Marina Kenard, a stylist of over thirty years who personally worked with Dr. Hunter.

Super Tiger (QAI’s Salon Only version of Tiger Reconstruct) actually uses oxidation to enhance repair, meaning the hair is intentionally softened to enhance the Covalent Grafting. (This has never been done before, to intentionally oxidize and break the disulfide bonds in order to enhance the permanent repair) Covalent Grafting, as explained by QAI, is the process of chemically growing and permanently splicing a synthetic polypeptide (PolyGraft-9) into the alpha-helix (the innermost layer of the hair). 

Working in combination with PolyGraft-9 and the Tiger Catalyst (a Covalent Bond Conversion Catalyst), Tiger Reconstruct, Tiger Masque, Tiger Moisture Mist, and Super Tiger become more reactive with oxidation in the hair. This means that the product is enhanced with more damaged hair. The PolyGraft-9 Complex used in the Tiger products also will only bond with negative charges inside the hair, which is how the product prevents over-proteinizing. 

This result is not a mere cosmetic treatment. Rather, the process restores hair to its natural covalent state using a fundamental molecular repair solution.

QAI Hair has tested the product line extensively. Early adopting salon partners are sharing that Covalent Grafting Technology works with outstanding results in repairing damaged hair that was previously seen as too compromised to fix. 

For more information, visit https://qaihair.com/

Media Contact

Organization: QAI Hair

Contact Person: Media Relations

Website: https://qaihair.com/

Email: Send Email

Country:United States

Release id:47847

The post QAI Hair Launches World’s First Covalent Grafting Polypeptide to Repair Damaged Hair appeared first on King Newswire. This content is provided by a third-party source.. King Newswire makes no warranties or representations in connection with it. King Newswire is a press release distribution agency and does not endorse or verify the claims made in this release. If you have any complaints or copyright concerns related to this article, please contact the company listed in the ‘Media Contact’ section

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Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.

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