"Agent of the Four Seasons: Dance of Spring" Holds Hit Prayer & Advanc

The TV anime Agent of the Four Seasons: Dance of Spring is set to begin airing in Japan from midnight on Saturday, March 28.

Ahead of its premiere, a special prayer ceremony for the show's success and an advance screening event were held on Sunday, March 15.

Read on for our translation of the official announcement below.

Plus, shop for merch, music and more from currently airing anime here!

Hit Prayer Official Report!

A prayer ceremony for the success of the TV anime Agent of the Four Seasons: Dance of Spring was held at Hanazono Shrine in Shinjuku on Sunday, March 15.

Attending the ceremony were director Ken Yamamoto, animation producer Joe Ootani (WIT STUDIO), voice actors Yuka Nukui (Hinagiku Kayo), Yoshino Aoyama (Sakura Himedaka), Shogo Sakata (Rosei Kantsubaki), and Satoshi Hino (Itecho Kangetsu), along with other staff and production members involved in the series.

Following a solemn purification ritual to cleanse the mind and body, a Shinto priest offered prayers for the success of Agent of the Four Seasons: Dance of Spring, with everyone in attendance joining in. Director Ken Yamamoto also presented a sacred tamagushi offering on behalf of the production, and the ceremony concluded in a quietly tense and reverent atmosphere.

After the ceremony, the four cast members each wrote their wishes on ema (wooden votive tablets) and dedicated them at Hanazono Shrine.

Agent of the Four Seasons: Dance of Spring Advance Screening Official Report!

Ahead of its broadcast on Saturday, March 28, a preview screening was held at Shinjuku Wald 9 on Sunday, March 15.

Following an advance screening of Episodes 1 and 2, a talk show was held featuring the cast members Yuka Nukui (Hinagiku Kayo), Yoshino Aoyama (Sakura Himedaka), Shogo Sakata (Rosei Kantsubaki), and Satoshi Hino (Itecho Kangetsu), along with animation producer Joe Ootani (WIT STUDIO).

Introduced by host and freelance announcer Saya Hiyama, the five guests took the stage to warm applause and immediately began reflecting on Episodes 1 and 2.

First, Nukui commented, "I think Episodes 1 and 2 gave you a sense of the 'winds' that shape this series," before asking the audience, "Did you all feel the spring breeze that Hinagiku brought?" prompting a round of applause in agreement. As the atmosphere in the venue relaxed, the conversation then shifted to behind-the-scenes stories from the production of Episode 1.

Ootani shared his meticulous approach, saying, "Hinagiku and Sakura are the characters we most want audiences to fall in love with, so I've been working closely with director Ken Yamamoto to carefully refine how we bring their personalities from the original novels into the anime."

Next, Hiyama introduced the topic, saying, "We’d like to hear from the Agent and Guard of Spring duo." Nukui and Aoyama then shared their impressions of their respective characters, Hinagiku and Sakura. Nukui described Hinagiku as a girl who possesses both strength and vulnerability.

She went on to explain that one of the "most important things" to Hinagiku is Sakura, the Guard of Spring, adding, "When I think about Hinagiku’s heart, I also find myself thinking about Sakura’s. I approached the recording with both of their feelings in mind."

At that point, Aoyama, who had been quietly nodding as she listened to Nukui, smiled and said, "I’m so happy!" in response. She continued, "Sakura is completely devoted to Hinagiku. I was directed to make sure there was a clear difference in how she speaks to her compared to the other characters," drawing laughter from Sakata, Hino, and the audience.

Aoyama also added, "I’m looking forward to seeing how Sakura’s feelings for Hinagiku will be expressed as the story progresses," further raising anticipation among the audience. When asked about memorable scenes featuring Hinagiku and Sakura, Aoyama learned that Nukui had been consciously working to understand Sakura’s character during recording. In response, she thanked her once again, saying, "Thank you, I’m so happy...!"

The cast also shared a behind-the-scenes detail: the series’ "key scenes" were recorded separately for each seasonal Agent and Guard pair. Hino added, "Everyone was really pouring their emotions into those sessions, it felt like we were almost handing off our souls to one another as we took turns recording."

Next, the conversation shifted to the Winter Agent and Guard duo, Rosei and Itecho. When asked about his impression of Rosei, Sakata commented, "As the Agent of Winter, he may come across as cold and composed at first, but deep down he’s very straightforward and passionate. When building the character, I thought a lot about how he arrived at this point after everything that happened in the past."

When asked what he keeps in mind during his performance, he replied, "Somewhere in my acting, I try to convey Rosei’s desire to see Hinagiku again." It was also a memorable moment when, in response to Hiyama’s question, "So you’re pining for Hinagiku?" Sakata immediately answered, "Yes!" drawing laughter from the audience.

On the other hand, Hino described his first impression of Itecho as "calm, caring, kind, and strong: a truly dependable presence." He then looked back on the kickoff meeting held before recording began, when the cast and staff first gathered together. At the time, director Yamamoto approached him with a specific request: to portray the more human side of Itecho, including the weaknesses and less flattering aspects that come with being an adult, in a realistic way.

Then, touching on a comical exchange between Rosei and Itecho in Episode 2, Hino turned to Sakata with a grin and asked, "Rosei was the hardest to play, wasn’t he?"

"That’s right," Sakata replied. "At first, I was feeling things out, wondering how far I could stray from the serious tone, but the director told me, ‘You can be more bold with it.’"

Then, when Sakata remarked, "When I saw the finished scene in the anime, it felt like a perfect fit," the audience responded with nods of agreement. It was a moment that made everyone want to go back and watch the full scene again.

After hearing plenty of insights about the four characters, the audience was treated to a special surprise: the chance to watch the opening theme ahead of its release! The cast and audience alike were glued to the screen, and as soon as the screening ended, the venue erupted in applause.

According to Ootani, when it came to the opening sequence, director Yamamoto commented, "While the story may appear complex at first glance, it’s actually quite straightforward, so we aimed to create an opening that is both visually striking and easy to follow, without feeling overly complicated. Orangestar's music is incredibly beautiful, which really inspired us as we worked on it."

It was clear that an extraordinary level of care had gone into not only the main episode, but also the opening sequence. It was also revealed for the first time that Kana Hanazawa will voice Kobai Yukiyanagi, while Nao Toyama will play Nazuna, both characters appearing in the story, prompting another round of enthusiastic applause from the audience.

After that, it was time to end the talk show. Speaking on behalf of the cast, Nukui said, "As a fan myself, I’ve been eagerly looking forward to this day.

We're finally able to share Hinagiku’s sakura-filled journey with all of you. The world of this series is incredibly warm and beautiful, yet it also holds a deep sense of cruelty. Even so, Hinagiku and the others choose to keep living. I hope you'll watch over them as they move forward and see what choices they make."

With those words, she brought the event to a heartfelt close.