Yuki Yuna is a Hero is a 12-episode Japanese animetelevision series created by Takahiro, produced by Studio Gokumi and directed by Seiji Kishi as part of a media project called Takahiro IV Project. The series aired in Japan between October 16 and December 25, 2014 on MBS. The anime has been licensed by Pony Canyon's North American label Ponycan USA. Multiple light novel and manga series have been published by ASCII Media Works. A PlayStation Vitavideo game was released in Japan in February 2015. A visual novel for Windows was released in December 2014 with the first DVD and Blu-ray Disc volume for the anime, with a second released with the sixth volume in May 2015. A second anime season project, consisting of an adaptation of a prequel light novel and a sequel series, ran between March 2017 and January 2018. A smartphone game launched in 2017 and will receive a short anime series. A third anime season project has been announced.
Plot
The story takes place on the Japanese island Shikoku in the fictional city ofSanshu, based on the real-life city of Kan'onji in Kagawa Prefecture, in the 300th year of the Era of the Gods. Yūna, Mimori, Fū, and Itsuki are all members of the Sanshu Middle School Hero Club, dedicating themselves to helping those in need. One day in their regular daily lives, the Hero Club members are suddenly caught in an explosion of light and transported to a strange forest, where they encounter mysterious monsters known as Vertex which seek to destroy the Shinju, the guardian deity which protects and blesses humanity. Using a special phone application granted by Taisha, an organization dedicated to the Shinju, Yuna and her friends must transform into "heroes" with magical powers to protect their world from imminent destruction.
Characters
; Sumi Washio ;Sonoko Nogi ;Gin Minowa
Media
Print
A prequel light novel titled Washio Sumi wa Yūsha de Aru, written by Takahiro and illustrated by Bunbun, was serialized in ASCII Media Works' Dengeki G's Magazine between April 30, 2014 and November 29, 2014. The novel takes place two years before the anime's time frame. Another light novel series, titled Nogi Wakaba wa Yūsha de Aru, written by Aoi Akashiro and illustrated by Bunbun, began serialization in Dengeki G's Magazine on July 30, 2015. Nogi Wakaba takes place 300 years before the anime's time frame during the first Vertex attack on the world. It follows Sonoko Nogi's ancestor, Wakaba Nogi as its protagonist and the first Shikoku hero team consisting of her, Hinata Uesato, Yūna Takashima, Chikage Kōri, Tamako Doi and Anzu Iyojima. Another light novel written by Akashiro, Kusunoki Mebuki wa Yūsha de Aru, began serialization in Dengeki G's Magazine on June 30, 2017. A manga adaptation of Washio Sumi wa Yūsha de Aru, illustrated by Mottsun*, began serialization in ASCII Media Works' Dengeki G's Comic from June 30, 2014. A manga titled Yūki Yūna wa Yūsha-bu Shozoku, written by Takahiro and illustrated by Kotamaru, began serialization in Dengeki G's Magazine from July 30, 2014. The first volume of a third manga, titled Yūki Yūna wa Yūsha de Aru and illustrated by Tōko Kanno, was released on November 27, 2014. Yūki Yūna wa Yūsha de Aru later started serialization in Dengeki G's Comic on December 26, 2014.
Anime
The 12-episode anime television series was produced by Studio Gokumi and directed by Seiji Kishi. Planned by Takahiro, the anime's screenplay was written by Makoto Uezu, and the character design was provided by Takahiro Sakai. The series aired in Japan on MBS from October 16 to December 25, 2014 and was simulcast by Crunchyroll. The opening theme is "Hoshi to Hana" and the ending theme is "Aurora Days"; both are performed by Sanshū Chūgaku Yūsha-bu. The ending theme for episode four and episode nine is "Inori no Uta" by Tomoyo Kurosawa. The anime has been licensed by Pony Canyon's North American label Ponycan USA and released the series with an English dub on Blu-ray Disc and DVD from April 10, 2015. A second anime season was released in 2017 and consists of two parts; The Washio Sumi Chapter, an adaptation of the Washio Sumi is a Herolight novels, and Hero Chapter, which takes place after the first season. The Washio Sumi Chapter was first released as three theatrical films between March 18 and July 8, 2017 before airing as six television episodes between October 6 and November 10, 2017, followed by a recap of the first season which aired on November 17, 2017. Hero Chapter, which consists of six television episodes, aired between November 24, 2017 and January 5, 2018. Both parts were simulcast in North America by Anime Strike. Three short films produced by W-Toon Studio, based on the spin-off manga, Yūki Yūna wa Yūsha-bu Shozoku, were screened alongside each The Washio Sumi Chapter film. A short anime based on the Yūki Yūna wa Yūsha de Aru Hanayui no Kirameki smartphone game, titled Yūki Yūna wa Yūsha de Aru Churutto!, was announced on May 26, 2020. The series is being directed by Seiya Miyajima at DMM.futureworks and W-Toon Studio. A third anime season titled The Great Full Blossom Arc has been announced. The main staff members are reprising their roles for the third season.
Video games
Two visual novels for Windows, developed by Minato Soft and featuring scenarios written by Takahiro and Osamu Murata, are bundled with the first and sixth DVD and Blu-ray Disc volumes of the anime series released on December 17, 2014 and May 20, 2015, respectively. Each visual novel features ten different scenarios original to the game and is fully voiced by the original cast. The graphics are handled by Studio Gokumi. An action video game developed by FuRyu titled Yūki Yūna wa Yūsha de Aru: Jukai no Kioku was released on February 26, 2015 for the PlayStation Vita. A mobile game titled Yūki Yūna wa Yūsha de Aru: Hanayui no Kirameki was released on June 8, 2017 for iOS and Android.
Reception
The first Japanese Blu-ray volume opened as the week's eight best selling animation Blu-ray, with 4,781 copies, and remained on the sales charts for an additional four weeks, selling 10,373 copies in total. Each volume of the series has charted highly on Oricon list. Volume five charted at No. 1 on sales list, with 6,422 copies, whereas the sixth and final volume placed second, with 7,626 copies. Yuki Yuna is a Hero was the 15th-best selling animation BD in Japan of 2015's half yearly sales list, having earned 58,961 copies in total. The first film ranked No. 1 on the mini-theater rankings in Japan. The second film also ranked No. 1 on the mini-theater rankings when it was released, outselling the first film.
