The first episode of the anime airs on Crunchyroll on 9 October, 2026.
Oreco Tachibana’s “Firefly Wedding” (Hotaru no Yomeiri) manga made quite a stir before it ended in February 2026. Now that the anime adaptation is finally coming, a larger audience is ready to sink their teeth into this dangerous love story. But is it actually worth your while?
Ahead of its premiere on 9 October, 2026, Crunchyroll gave GosuANIME the chance to view the first episode of the anime, and we are here to tell you whether or not this unlikely love story between a noble lady and a merciless killer is actually worth it.
Warning: Spoilers ahead!
Firefly Wedding is not a happy love story
Although it’s unlikely, but if anyone walks into Firefly Wedding expecting it to be a sweet love story, they will be utterly mistaken. The story takes place in the Meiji Era where the central character, Satoko Kirigaya, is a gorgeous but sickly noble lady. Her father wants her to marry a good man; but Satoko doesn’t want to hide her heart condition, which limits her lifespan.
One day, while out in the market, Satoko is kidnapped by some dangerous men who order a crazed assassin named Shinpei to kill her. But when she promises to marry Shinpei, he is swayed and kills all the other men who try to attack her. But will Satoko actually be able to spend her life with a merciless killer?
It’s an unlikely match that is born from Satoko’s vehement urge to live despite having a life threatening disease. In the first episode, we see Satoko’s desperation when he begs Shinpei to save her in return for marrying her. We also see how she has always been treated as a pawn for her wealthy family, and choosing someone to marry has never been an option for her.
On the other hand, Shinpei is an enigmatic existence. His bloodlust oozes out of his every movement, and it’s very apparent that he is not a normal person. He swings his blade at humans with the same ease as one cuts a vegetable. It terrifies Satoko. But for someone who has always lived a sheltered life and doesn’t have any money to call her own, promising to marry him is the only way to survive.
But when it comes to a possessive and violent man like Shinpei, we don't know if he will ever let Satoko go even if she wants to. Will she ever be able to actually fall in love with Shinpei? That question will be answered in due time in the anime.
The animation, voice performance, and background music play their roles perfectly
An anime’s success depends on a lot of different factors other than an intriguing storyline. Thankfully, Firefly Wedding’s first episode doesn’t disappoint in any of them. The colour palette and overall animation of the series is gorgeous. From the soft moments Satoko spends in her home, to the terrifying night she spends amongst the scary men, it’s all portrayed well thanks to the smooth animation. Usually, romance anime don’t always end up with the best animation. But Firefly Wedding does justice to Shinpei’s action scenes.
When it comes to the voice actors, everyone does their job well. Koki Uchiyama’s voice is truly terrifying combined with the bloody visuals of Shinpei. I was once again reminded of his marvelous performance in My Hero Academia as the villain Tomura Shigaraki. I can’t wait to see what he does with Shinpei’s character next.
Finally, the show’s score binds it all together. Along with the great visuals and performances, the music makes sure to never let the tension drop for a moment. The combination of these three brings out the eerie nature of the series. The first episode really makes me look forward to the rest of the series, which will begin on 9 October.
Who are the cast members of Firefly Wedding?
- Lynn as Satoko Kirigaya
- Koki Uchiyama as Shinpei Goto
- Kent Ito as Kotaro Ogawa
- Kenjiro Tsuda as Mitsueda
Who are the staff members of Firefly Wedding?
- Original creator: Oreko Tachibana
- Director: Takahiro Kamei
- Series Composition: Yuko Kakihara
- Script: Yuko Kakihara
- Character Design: Yukiko Aikei
- Music: NOGRID, KAY (NOGRID), Koichi Sato (NOGRID), Nic Gitter (NOGRID)
- Animation Production: david production