The creative team behind Just Like Mona Lisa has shared fresh insights into the upcoming anime adaptation in a newly published interview on October 20, 2026. Manga creator Tsumuji Yoshimura, SHAFT CEO Mitsutoshi Kubota and CyberAgent producer Manami Kabashima discussed the project’s visual style, story themes and plans to connect with audiences around the world.
The anime adapts Yoshimura’s manga The Gender of Mona Lisa, a coming-of-age story set in a fictional world where people begin developing toward a gender of their choice as they grow older.
A Different Take on Identity and Relationships
The story follows Hinase, a high school student who approaches their eighteenth birthday without having developed a gender, unlike the people around them. Hinase’s feelings and relationships with childhood friends Shiori and Ritsu form the emotional centre of the narrative.
Yoshimura explained that the original idea grew from a romantic triangle, but developed into a story exploring how people can love one another regardless of gender. The creator hopes viewers from different backgrounds will connect with its themes of affection, uncertainty and personal growth.
SHAFT Plans to Make Colour Central to the Animation
The production team highlighted colour as one of the adaptation’s most important visual elements. The original manga uses turquoise accents against black-and-white artwork, and the anime team wants to translate that distinctive approach into moving images.
Kubota said the challenge is to combine SHAFT’s detailed visual storytelling with the quieter, more introspective nature of the story. The team aims to express the characters’ emotions through carefully crafted drawings, colour and animation.
International Fans Play an Important Role
The project’s first major promotional reveal took place at the German convention AnimagiC rather than in Japan. The team said the manga already had an enthusiastic following in Germany, making the event a fitting place to introduce the anime’s trailer and cast.
The creators also described the story’s themes as universal, with the hope that viewers across different countries will find something relatable in Hinase’s experiences.
What Comes Next?
The interview offers a clearer picture of the creative direction behind Just Like Mona Lisa, although it does not establish a new release date. Further updates about the anime’s broadcast and streaming plans are still worth watching for as production information develops.
