NHK announced on Monday that Nao Iwamoto's Marronnier Ōkoku no Shichinin no Kishi (The Seven Knights of the Marronnier Kingdom) manga is getting a television anime series that will debut on NHK Educational in October 2026. The announcement comes with a teaser visual on the anime's official website, though the teaser does not yet contain any animation.
Staff
The anime brings together a veteran production team led by director Kiyoko Sayama (Skip Beat!, Vampire Knight, To Your Eternity seasons 2-3) at animation studio J.C. Staff. Shinzō Fujita (To Your Eternity seasons 1-3, The World Is Still Beautiful) is writing and overseeing series scripts. Yuriko Maeda (chief animation director for Requiem of the Rose King, One Punch Man season 2) is handling character design, Yoshiaki Fujisawa (Apocalypse Hotel, Land of the Lustrous, Love Live!) composes the music, and Jin Aketagawa (Dr. Stone, Fire Force) serves as sound director.
About the Manga
Iwamoto launched the manga in Shogakukan's Flowers magazine in 2016. Shogakukan will ship the 11th compiled volume on June 10. The series previously topped the list of manga for female readers in the 2018 edition of Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! (This Manga Is Amazing!) guidebook.
The fantasy romance story centers on seven brothers who serve as knights of the Marronnier Kingdom. The kingdom lies at the heart of eight surrounding kingdoms, and each brother is dispatched to a different kingdom as an ambassador, embarking on adventures to find their fated partner. The brothers are named: Nemukunai (Not Sleepy), Hakuai (Benevolent), Atsugariya (Sensitive to Heat), Samugariya (Sensitive to Cold), Kemono Tsukai (Beast Tamer), Tsurugi Jiman (Sword Pride), and Harapeko (Hungry).
Iwamoto previously saw her Kingdom of Gold, Kingdom of Water manga adapted into the Gold Kingdom and Water Kingdom anime film released in January 2023. Seven Seas Entertainment releases Iwamoto's work in English.
Community Reception
The announcement has generated positive buzz among romance and fantasy manga fans, who have long praised Iwamoto's art style and character dynamics. The involvement of Kiyoko Sayama — known for her work on emotionally resonant series like To Your Eternity — has been particularly well-received, with many expressing confidence in J.C. Staff's ability to capture the manga's detailed visual aesthetic. The choice of NHK Educational as the broadcast home suggests the series will aim for a broad family audience.