The Summer 2026 Anime Preview Guide

GROW UP SHOW -Sunflower Circus-

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, during the height of Japan's economic boom, the circus was a major form of entertainment. Different circus troupes travel throughout Japan to perform and compete for a chance to participate in the world-renowned festival called "Circus Collection." One troupe called the "Sunflower Circus," led by its ringmaster Maria, travels around Japan to perform, despite struggling with financial difficulties. However, they meet a circus prodigy named Mizuka Tsurumaki. This is the story of a one-of-a-kind circus show of young girls with big dreams.

Grow Up Show: Sunflower Circus is an original anime project by A-1 Pictures' newly-established Psyde Kick Studio. The anime series is streaming on Crunchyroll on Saturdays.

RED ALERT! GROW UP SHOW IS A LEVEL 10 HOT ANIME DAD SITUATION. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

Okay, so Mizuka's trapeze dads probably won't be much beyond a background element as she lives out her sparkling youth with the all-female Sunflower Circus troupe or whatever. Still, they caught my attention at the episode's outset. Not only because they're attractive men in skintight jumpsuits (though that didn't hurt) but also because their trapeze act was genuinely impressive.

It's no surprise that the show has beautiful animation, coming from A-1, but it's striking nonetheless. Anime focusing on highly physical pursuits like trapeze can be a risky endeavor; creating a sense of weight is one of the hardest tasks for an animator, and that's one of the most important parts of making the trapeze scenes work. In order for the audience to be impressed with the characters defying gravity, you must build the sense that gravity first exists. I worried that they would rely too heavily on CG, and there is some of that, but the most impactful cuts are hand-drawn. On top of that, the show builds itself a strong visual identity through its use of warm reds and yellows.

I have to admit, as impressed as I was by the animation, I found the character designs to be less inspired. They're more or less off-the-rack cute girl anime designs, holdovers from the moe era that still pervade anime with primarily female casts made with an intended adult male audience. I also raised an eyebrow at the scene where Ouka comes to inspect Mizuka's body in the bath; not only was it a violation of her personal space, she kept remarking on Mizuka's muscle tone while holding up a perfectly unremarkable limb. If you're going to describe a character as muscular, have the guts to back it up!

Nonetheless, the beauty of the animation and the story pulled me back in. I can only describe it as the spiritual successor of P.A. Works' Working Women metaseries, despite coming from a different studio and having no main staff in common. I want to watch these girls and their circus grow and improve, to watch the wonders of the circus mediated through skilled animators. I love a slightly abrasive heroine who is drafted into an established team and takes time to be integrated.

My seasonal list is already too long! I need fewer good anime! But unfortunately, Grow Up Show: Sunflower Circus- may just have made the list.

I'm having mixed feelings about Grow Up Show's Favorite Animation trick: placing characters and props against a solid, bright color. On the one hand, it is striking. They've consistently chosen colors that make the characters in the foreground really pop. On the other hand, it's used several times in the second episode, and it doesn't seem to be for any particular purpose. It's not being used to emphasize anything, because it comes up in fairly unimportant moments. The background colors don't track with the mood of the scene, so that's not what they're doing either. It just appears to be sprinkled arbitrarily throughout the episode. I guess it looks fun, though.

In this episode, the Sunflower Circus finds its planned venue usurped by a bigger, wealthier troupe, and they must scramble to find a new spot—ending up at an orphanage. Well, wouldn't you have it, one of the kids there dreams of being a trapeze artist someday. The voice actor for the little girl, Kasumi, isn't listed, but she sounds like she was actually portrayed by a child. If that's the case, the kid did a solid job! It feels fitting to cast someone age-appropriate with this episode's plot, since it's about children and their dreams.

I do wish we'd spent some more time establishing the ensemble cast and their personalities before centering episode plots around one-off characters. As cute as this was, and as much as I enjoyed the character beat that Mizuka is one of those instinctive geniuses who has no language to describe what she's doing, any circus is going to attract a cast of colorful characters. For this episode, however, the supporting cast was largely relegated to a series of stills of them performing for a group of children. Maybe further down the line we'll get the same attention to detail to the other acts as we do to the blisters on Ouka's hands.

I have to say, of all of the anime premises that are out there, I haven't really watched anything that revolved around an up-and-coming circus—so this show already gets a point and a half from me for being original compared to most other things out there. It also gets points for having a really funny, despicable father figure who is barely on screen (but his presence can be felt throughout the whole episode).

Despite having a surprisingly cynical sense of humor, I actually really did like this premiere as it set up this sort of underdog story with a traveling circus. This idea of this young girl named Mizuka wanting nothing to do with the circus due to her upbringing while now being forced to be the one to show people just how much further they can go with the profession is interesting. I know absolutely nothing about what it means to put on act in the circus—but that's part of the reason why I look forward to watching shows like this. It's not just because I think I'll get a solid slice-of-life out of the deal, but I also get to walk away potentially learning more things that I didn't know before.

I will say though, the animation goes above and beyond to really showcase just how elaborate some of these acrobatic stunts are. Surprisingly, it didn't look like there was any CG yet the staff were able to communicate both the speed as well as the weight of flying through the air on these ropes. I do feel like the end of the episode could've done a better job of communicating exactly what some of the issues were with some of the performances. That felt like a case where the show was telling me something without fully showing it—which can be an issue that some shows like this run into.

I also appreciate that the dub not only had a solid sense of timing, but was also pretty direct in the way that it broke things down. Although, I do wonder if there was a translation issue with the running joke with Mizuka and how she described her dad. Either I'm not understanding the joke or it's supposed to be based on a play on words that is not really being communicated to me as well as I would have hoped. Still, I think there's a lot of potential here both in the style and presentation. I'm curious to know how this group of girls continue to build their careers and just how far they can go—especially since all of them seem to have a story revolving around how they got here in the first place.

I have to give the show credit, it's really planning to play the long game with Mizuka's character by doubling down on her cynicism in the second episode. It's almost funny how the rest of the troop and specifically Ouka seem to have this hopeful optimism that you would typically find in a story like this, only to be met with Mizuka's jaded realism. She is only here because she is forced to and she will not do anything more than she thinks is necessary. On the one hand, I do find that pretty novel as a good contrast to the whimsy of the circus setting itself. On the other hand, I wonder how hard the show is actually gonna double down on this idea. How long is it going be until Mizuka eventually does come around to doing the trapeze act with Ouka? Is this just a matter of delaying the inevitable or is the show actually going to do something more unique with the setup?

I'm open to either, especially since the show does have a really good sense of heart. The way that this episode in particular communicated exactly what the circus means to Ouka while also highlighting the wide-eye whimsy from a child's perspective was very sweet. I also like the background buildup with this troop's inevitable confrontation with other more established circuses stealing their spotlight. It really hammers home the underdog story here because the Sunflower Circus does need to get jobs in order to earn money. Otherwise they're not gonna be able to support their talents.

I do hope the show leans into the fact that there is more to the circus than just the trapeze act. The animation for the trapeze acts, as brief as they are, are definitely the visual highlight of the episode. But when it comes to the other acts that make up the circus routine, the show defaults to just still frames. For a cast this large, I hope it doesn't make most of them just feel like background extras for Mizuka and Ouka. It would be nice to see maybe how the desire to improve the trapeze performances ends up affecting the entire troop as a whole. But for right now, these two episodes are a really solid start to a circus drama that I do want to see more of.

Is there a trope more overused than the Debt Dad? Probably, but for some reason, that one always sticks in my mind, possibly because it plays such an outsize role in a lot of shoujo manga. Mizuka, the primary protagonist of Grow-Up Show, is saddled with one, although she doesn't know it until episode's end, which actually makes it worse: her dad, a famous circus performer, has blatantly disregarded her wishes about being under the big top herself and sold her to a tiny all-girls' operation. And once ringmaster Maria has Mizuka in her clutches, the poor girl is stuck.

But even with the Debt Dad, there's a larger issue that I have with this episode: for a show about performing, it features woefully few circus tricks. There are some trapeze scenes, but they're generally shown from a distance, and when we do get a close up, the movements are far from fluid – and usually done against a plain square of color, which not only robs the acrobatics of their awe but also smacks of an animation shortcut. I get it, this isn't easy to animate, but that doesn't stop me from being disappointed, especially since “characters against a solid color background” seems to be a stand-by for this episode. There's also the fact that the trapeze act is the only one we see; at one point Mizuka offers feedback on the troupe's performances, but we never get to see them. That's an issue for a show set in a circus. At least we get to see Mizuka's stretch routine?

There are good elements here. Mizuka's disregard for circus life after her childhood makes perfect sense, and I love the scene when she gets on the trapeze and automatically slaps a rictus grin on her face; I've known dancers who had strict teachers who do the same. Maria's decision to create a troupe made up entirely of orphaned girls is also a nice touch. The show takes place after World War II, when there were plenty of orphans with nowhere to go, and few options for girls. The circus provides a safe place for them to be while teaching them skills – maybe not skills useful in the everyday world, but something they can fall back on nonetheless. That takes a bit of the sting out of Adult Woman Who Looks Like a Child and Stoic Silver-Haired Russian Girl both popping up alongside Debt Dad.

I'm disappointed to see that the troupe acquires an elephant in the ending theme – circus animals historically haven't been treated well – but I think this show has its heart in the right place. Even if it's just teasing us on the GL front, I'm curious to see if it can shape up in episode two.

This show isn't working for me. I'm sure part of it is its apparent reluctance to do anything with its setting – while post-war Japan isn't hurting for anime representation, the specific mid-century era (the 1950s and 60s) don't get nearly as much; the only two I can think of off the top of my head are Asadora! and Kids on the Slope. But Grow-Up Show barely even nods to its chosen time period – the color scheme of the troupe's bus is appropriate, and the kids at the group home are dressed more or less historically accurately. But this really needs more flavor than “traveling circuses were popular during this time period” to make it pop for me.

Another issue I have is that Mizuka plainly does not want to be performing. That's fair; she's got some serious emotional issues with her father, and no one on the circus circuit seems able to go ten minutes without bringing him or the Lotus Circus up. But more importantly, Maria and Ouka don't respect Mizuka's wishes. Maria may have a bit of a leg to stand on, given that Mizuka's deadbeat dad apparently sold her to pay off his debts, but Ouka just comes across as selfish. One look at Mizuka's “Pavlov's Smile” ought to tell Ouka and Maria (and everyone else) that she just doesn't want to be there. It feels mean that they're forcing her.

Those are quite possibly me issues, though, and even I have to admit that this is doing a few things very right. While I wish that we'd gotten more clarity on whether the place where the Sunflower girls perform is an orphanage or a school, the more important piece of its story is that Kasumi sees the circus as an escape. This leads me to believe that it's an orphanage, but even if that's not the case, the fact remains that there weren't a huge amount of opportunities for girls during this period. Being a circus performer may sound like a silly dream, but it affords more freedom than being a wife, mother, secretary, nurse, or teacher, which is pretty much the list that was available at the time. Kasumi's desire to “fly” isn't just about being a trapeze artist, it's about breaking free of what she's supposed to expect and aspire to. I mentioned in my episode one review that the Sunflower Circus offers a safe place for girls on their own after the war, and Kasumi's dream is part and parcel of that. No matter how much I complain about historical inaccuracies (the clothes! the hair!), this aspect is spot-on. If there's any reason to keep watching this show, it may be that.

Assuming you're not in it for the circus animation and potential GL relationships. Those are good reasons, too.

Grow Up Show is a premiere full of contradictions for me. On the one hand, I freaking love circuses, and stories about weird show-biz families and troupes in general, so the basic premise of the series is made for me. On the other hand, the “Show” in the title is meant to be a pun on the Showa Era setting of the story; in particular, it takes place in the 1950s. You'd hardly know it looking at the cast of generically cute anime idol-group types. The fashion I suppose looks inspired by the fit of the 50s, what with the baggy shorts and all, but you could drop this cast into the middle of any modern anime about cute girls doing cute things, and nobody would tell the difference. It seems like a bit of a waste of a great and underutilized time period, if you ask me.

If you can look past the surface-level aesthetic issues, though, Grow Up Show is a pretty fun look into the world of acrobats and trapeze acts. Our heroine, Mizuka, has been somewhat traumatized by the high-pressure childhood she experienced with her father, who is ran the renowned Lotus Circus, so it's pretty silly that she ends up in the care of a completely different circus filled with adorable weirdos, but I guess those are the dots the show has to connect to get us from Point A to Point B. The whole point is to showcase the cast of gals who are trying to make the Hiwamari Circus a world-class act.

In that regard, I think Grow Up Show scores perfectly fine marks. I watched the show in its English dub, and all of the actresses are putting in game performances with the usual vocal archetypes you'd expect. Lizzie Freeman plays Mizuka's reserved, professional attitude well; Christina Vee sells Ouka's earnest enthusiasm to do her best for the sake of the troupe; Cassandra Lee Morris captures the age and experience that Maria possesses in spite of her inexplicably childlike appearance (though I found myself distracted by the fact that this performance just sounds identical to the one Morris gave as Morgana from Persona 5). It's solid character work across the board.

I wish I could say this premiere went beyond merely being “solid,” but if Grow Up Show has more dazzling and inspiring spectacle in store for us, it is saving those tricks for future episodes. On its own, this first episode plays things awfully safe, sticking to all of the tropes and conflicts that you'd expect from any idol anime, which is functionally what this show is, just with the circus trappings laid on top instead of the usual pop-star routines. It's a good premiere, but not a great one. Hopefully the next chapters of this circus' story will be able to turn up the excitement and really grab our attention.

My biggest disappointment with the first episode of Grow Up Show is that it did so little with the era it is set in. This is a show that supposedly takes place over seventy years ago, but you would hardly know it after watching that premiere, outside of some of the architecture and occasional fashion choices of the extras. I get that such a breezy and optimistic cartoon about an all-girl troupe of teenaged circus performers wouldn't benefit from showcasing all of the grittiest and most realistic nuances of the 1950s, but this is such an under-utilized setting that holds heaps of aesthetic and dramatic possibilities. The show could have at least attempted to make its cast look less like they walked right out of the design documents of any modern mobile game. My biggest hope for this second episode was that Grow Up Show would make good on the potential of its premise. Did that pan out? Well…

If you're willing to accept that Grow Up Show looks and feels like almost any anime that could have been set in the modern day, then its circus-themed antics remain perfectly entertaining in this second outing. This week, the Sunflower Circus get their turf scooped up by those nefarious schemers at the Sumeragi “Shiny Lavender” Circus, who actually have the money to pay the rental fees that the Sunflower Girls skimped out on. What's a gang of broke performers to do but rely on local connections, which is where Ouka comes in clutch. Thanks to her history here, she's able to hook the girls up with a humble little venue at the town's…boarding school? Group home? Orphanage?

This is where the episode both won points with me and continued to squander its potential, all at once. My guess is that native Japanese viewers are meant to just naturally understand that Ouka grew up in a home for the children who were orphaned by the war, but the show never actually comes out and makes that clear. This is not a failing in its own right, but then the episode never quite comes out and makes the connection of Ouka (presumably) losing her parents to the motivations of the young protege she meets in little Kasumi. Don't get me wrong, I'm all in favor of shows trusting their audiences to pick up on subtext, but this kind of engagement with the lived reality of the era is exactly what I wanted to see more of, and the tone of Grow Up Show is so aggressively sunny and upbeat that I can't tell if the show is inviting me to engage with its more melancholy undertones or actively encouraging me to ignore them.

That tonal dissonance might be the thing that is keeping me standing at arms length from Grow Up Show. This is a lovely looking and charming production that has all of the right ingredients to be a hit, but I just can't fully engage with it. Maybe it's just a matter of needing a few more episodes for the story to settle into its themes and characters, but you'd think a show about circus performers trying to put on the best show in town would get off to a more thrilling start. Still, I have no doubt that Grow Up Show will be a hit for folks looking for a new cartoon about cute girls who are devoted to a niche and highly skill-oriented craft. With any luck, the series will eventually shake out its jitters and deliver an act so grand that my remaining reservations come crumbling down.