Houkago no Idol ni wa Himitsu ga Aru Anime: April 2027 Release, Cast and Teaser Visual

Houkago no Idol ni wa Himitsu ga Aru is getting a TV anime in April 2027. It adapts Kashiko Amane's romantic comedy manga, which Yen Press publishes in English as Everyone's Darling Has a Secret. The anime was announced on September 28, 2026 with a teaser visual and its main cast.

There's no trailer or exact date yet. Here's everything confirmed so far.

Houkago no Idol ni wa Himitsu ga Aru at a Glance

• Premiere: April 2027 (exact date not announced)
• English title: Everyone's Darling Has a Secret
• Studio: Gekkou
• Director: Hikaru Sato
• Scripts: Fumihiko Shimo
• Music: Satoru Kosaki and MONACA
• Cast: Reiji Kawashima (Hizashi), Hikaru Tono (Rei)

When Does the Anime Come Out?#

The series premieres in April 2027, as part of the spring season. The exact date, the TV network and the time slot haven't been announced, and neither has a streaming service.

The official site and X account both launched on September 28, 2026. They revealed the teaser visual, the four main cast members and the core staff all at once.

The Teaser Visual#

There's no PV yet, so the teaser visual is the only look at the anime so far.

It's set in a school hallway in spring, with cherry blossoms filling the windows. Rei Kuromiya stands in front holding her notebooks, tucking her hair back with a small smile. Behind her, Hizashi Hiruno has just passed her and can't help turning to look back.

The tagline runs down the side: "A secret she can't tell anyone."

What Is Houkago no Idol ni wa Himitsu ga Aru About?#

The title translates to "The After-School Idol Has a Secret," and that sums up the setup.

Hizashi Hiruno is a hardworking first-year at an elite high school. His classmate Rei Kuromiya is a real, working idol, and a famous one. She's known as a once-in-a-generation genius who keeps top grades on top of her career, and everyone admires her.

Then Hizashi makes a mistake on his answer sheet during his first proficiency test and lands in remedial lessons. He isn't the only one there. Along the way he stumbles onto Rei's secret, and the two start spending their after-school hours together.

Reiji Kawashima, who voices Hizashi, describes it as two people in a remedial classroom working through a problem with no right answer.

Cast and Characters#

• Reiji Kawashima as Hizashi Hiruno, a serious, introverted first-year who tries so hard he sometimes trips himself up
• Hikaru Tono as Rei Kuromiya, the "genius idol" with top grades and a secret
• Iori Noguchi (of the idol group =LOVE) as Sakura Akai, the oldest member of Rei's idol group and a big sister to her
• Ami Maeshima as Sora Konno, a free-spirited groupmate who loves teasing Rei

Tono is having a busy stretch. She also voices Rina Kato in Magical Explorer, which premieres this October. Noguchi is a working idol herself, as a member of =LOVE.

Who Is Making the Anime?#

• Director: Hikaru Sato
• Series composition and scripts: Fumihiko Shimo
• Character design: Kibidango 14-go
• Music: Satoru Kosaki and MONACA
• Producer: Ryo Aizawa (Starry Cube)
• Animation production: Gekkou

Sato directed The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You and Dropkick on My Devil! Shimo's long list of scripts includes Full Metal Panic!, Infinite Stratos and BOFURI.

Kosaki is best known for The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and the Monogatari series. He and MONACA also scored Aharen-san wa Hakarenai together.

The Manga Behind the Anime#

Kashiko Amane writes and draws the manga, serialized on Hakusensha's Young Animal Web since September 2022. Nine volumes are out in Japan, the latest from July 2026.

Yen Press publishes it in English as Everyone's Darling Has a Secret. Volume 1 came out on January 21, 2025, and volume 4 followed in June 2026. Yen Press rates it Teen.

Tono and Maeshima will also appear at StarryCube ANIME FES 2026 at Waseda University in Tokyo on November 7, 2026.

For more upcoming releases, see our upcoming anime hub.

For official updates, follow the official site and the official X account. You can also track the anime on Animanga Planet.