Nobunaga Shimazaki just picked up one of the more unusual jobs in anime this season: playing a character his own co-star has been voicing since June. Shochiku confirmed the casting change on September 8, 2026, revealing that Shimazaki now voices Oniyasha as an adult in The World Is Dancing, stepping in as the historical figure ages up midway through the season. The switch already appeared briefly at the end of episode 10, with the full transition landing in episode 11 this Wednesday. If you have been following the story of the boy who grows up to found Noh theater, here is what the recast means, who Shimazaki is, where to stream the series, and what happens next.
Quick Answer
Nobunaga Shimazaki now voices Oniyasha as an adult in The World Is Dancing, taking over from original star Yumiri Hanamori. Shochiku confirmed the change on September 8, 2026, with the handoff first appearing at the end of episode 10 and continuing in episode 11, airing September 9. The anime streams on HIDIVE in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
What Happened: Nobunaga Shimazaki Takes Over as Adult Oniyasha
Shochiku announced that veteran seiyu Nobunaga Shimazaki, known for playing Mahito in Jujutsu Kaisen and Seishiro Nagi in Blue Lock, will voice Oniyasha as a young adult for the remainder of The World Is Dancing's first season. The character has been voiced as a boy by Yumiri Hanamori since the series premiered in June. The adult version briefly appeared at the very end of episode 10, and the full transition plays out in episode 11, which airs this Wednesday, September 9. The recast tracks the story itself: Oniyasha, the fictionalized version of real Noh theater founder Zeami Motokiyo, physically grows up as the plot moves deeper into Japan's turbulent Muromachi period.
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Key Stat: The World Is Dancing already carries festival pedigree beyond the recast news. It won a Special Award at the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2026, and its first two episodes were selected for the TV & Commissioned Film section of the Bucheon International Animation Festival (BIAF), running October 23 to 27 in South Korea.
Who Is Nobunaga Shimazaki?
Nobunaga Shimazaki was born on December 6, 1988, in Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture, and has worked with talent agency Aoni Production since his 2009 debut. He built his name on lead and supporting roles across some of the biggest anime of the last decade: Haruka Nanase in Free!, Shido Itsuka in Date A Live, Yuno in Black Clover, Shinichi Izumi in Parasyte, Yuki Sohma in Fruits Basket, and Izana Kurokawa in Tokyo Revengers, on top of Mahito in Jujutsu Kaisen and Seishiro Nagi in Blue Lock. His work has been recognized twice at the Seiyu Awards, Japan's top honor for voice actors: Best Rookie Actor at the 7th ceremony in 2013, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the 15th ceremony in 2021.
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What Is The World Is Dancing About?
The World Is Dancing adapts Kazuto Mihara's manga, serialized in Kodansha's Morning magazine from March 2021 to October 2022 across six volumes. Set in 1374, during the conflict between Japan's Northern and Southern Courts, it follows Oniyasha, the son of a sarugaku theater troupe leader, as he searches for an answer to a question that haunts him: why do people dance at all. The series is a fictionalized account of the real childhood of Zeami Motokiyo, the actor and theorist who, alongside his father Kan'ami, is credited with shaping Noh theater into the art form still performed today.
In my experience covering historical seinen titles, the ones that stick with you are rarely the ones with the biggest battles. What got me with The World Is Dancing early on was how much weight it puts on stillness, a held pose, a single beat of silence, the same qualities real Noh performance is built around. Hearing that language shift from Hanamori's boyish uncertainty to Shimazaki's more grounded delivery in that end-of-episode-10 moment is exactly the kind of small, deliberate choice this show has made all season.
Where to Watch The World Is Dancing
The World Is Dancing streams on HIDIVE across the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and premiered early on Prime Video in Japan. Muse Asia also carries the series for free on YouTube in several Asian territories. The season runs 13 episodes total, each about 24 minutes long, releasing weekly.
"The World Is Dancing is not to be missed."
Pro Tip: If you want the recast to land the way it's meant to, catch up through episode 10 before Wednesday. The handoff plays as a quiet reveal at the very end of that episode, and it loses most of its impact if you jump straight into episode 11 cold.
Fan Reactions and What Comes Next
Early coverage out of Japan and Spain has framed the switch as a deliberate generational handoff built into the show's own structure, not a behind-the-scenes shake-up. That reading lines up with how the production has handled everything else: choreography supervised by a working Kanze-school Noh performer, character designs from the Blue Exorcist team, and a festival circuit run that's still building. With BIAF screenings coming in late October and eight episodes still left in the season, Shimazaki's Oniyasha has plenty of room to make the role his own before the finale.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Nobunaga Shimazaki?
Nobunaga Shimazaki is a Japanese voice actor born December 6, 1988, in Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture, and represented by Aoni Production. He's known for voicing Mahito in Jujutsu Kaisen, Seishiro Nagi in Blue Lock, and Haruka Nanase in Free!, and he won Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the 15th Seiyu Awards.
Why did The World Is Dancing change Oniyasha's voice actor?
The anime follows Oniyasha as he grows from a child into the historical figure Zeami. Yumiri Hanamori voices him as a boy, and Nobunaga Shimazaki takes over once the story ages him into adulthood, a handoff that first appeared at the end of episode 10.
Where can I watch The World Is Dancing?
The World Is Dancing streams on HIDIVE across the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and on Prime Video in Japan. Muse Asia carries it for free on YouTube in several Asian territories. Availability for other platforms and regions can vary, so check HIDIVE first.
How many episodes does The World Is Dancing have?
The World Is Dancing runs for 13 episodes in its first season, each about 24 minutes long. It premiered early on HIDIVE on June 29, 2026, ahead of its Japanese television debut on July 2, with new episodes releasing weekly since then.
Is The World Is Dancing based on a real person?
Yes. The anime imagines the childhood and youth of Oniyasha, better known to history as Zeami Motokiyo, the actor and playwright credited with shaping Noh theater during Japan's Muromachi period alongside his father, Kan'ami. The series is adapted from Kazuto Mihara's manga in Kodansha's Morning.
What other anime has Nobunaga Shimazaki appeared in?
Beyond The World Is Dancing, Shimazaki has voiced Yuno in Black Clover, Shido Itsuka in Date A Live, Yuki Sohma in Fruits Basket, Eugeo in Sword Art Online: Alicization, and Izana Kurokawa in Tokyo Revengers, among dozens of other roles across a career that began in 2009.
Conclusion
A mid-season recast usually reads as a red flag. Here, it reads more like a payoff: The World Is Dancing built its entire premise around a boy growing into the man who would define Noh theater, so having Yumiri Hanamori hand the role to Nobunaga Shimazaki right as that transformation happens on screen is about as on-theme as a casting choice gets. Episode 11 airs Wednesday, September 9. If you've been on the fence about starting the series, this is a good week to catch up.
