#Sorairo Utility Reveals 3rd New Key Visual & More Staff Members

Yostar Pictures and Pony Canyon have revealed a third new key visual and more staff members for the upcoming Sorairo Utility TV anime series. The original golfing anime is scheduled to premiere in Japan sometime in 2025. 

The new key visual features the three main characters Minami Aoba, Haruka Akane, and Ayaka Hoshimi gathered around a golf ball marked with “HAM.” They are surrounded by other side characters in the series that include Minami’s classmate Izumi Akina, the trio of golf range regulars (Masao Tadokoro, Chosuke Tanabe, and Tetsuhiro Tanaka), and a mysterious girl seen from behind.

The newly announced staff consists of Hitoki Takeda (Gridman Universe, Mashle: Magic and Muscles) as color designer, Yoshitaka Kudo (Million Arthur background artist) as art director, Wu Jiann-horng as director of photography, and Kengo Shigemura (Clannad, Full Metal Panic) and Ayaka Sato as editors. Daisuke Horita (Azur Lane Queen’s Orders) will be handling the series’ music and sound direction, while Yostar Pictures Sounds and ZENTA STUDIO is in charge of the music production. 

Kengo Saito (Sorairo Utility short, Arknights Anime PV Full Version) is directing the anime series and serving as character designer, with Yu Sato (The Legendary Hero Is Dead) as series screenwriter and co-scriptwriter. Kota Nozomi (Sorairo Utility short writer) is credited with the original concept cooperation, while Yostar Pictures is the animation production company.

Meanwhile, the anime’s full voice cast includes: 

• • Miyu Takagi as Minami Aoba
• • Yurina Amami as Haruka Akane
• • Ayasa Goto as Ayaka Hoshimi
• • Kazuhiko Inoue as Masao “Masa” Tadokoro
• • Kenyu Horiuchi as Chosuke “Cho” Tanabe
• • Toshiyuki Morikawa as Tetsuhiro “Tetsu” Tanaka
• • Yumiri Hanamori as Izumi Akina

The TV anime series is based on the original short with storyboards by Akira Amemiya (Gridman Universe director) that premiered on December 31, 2021 in Japan. Crunchyroll streamed the 14-minute short anime worldwide, outside of Japan. 

Pony Canyon describes the main synopsis of Sorairo Utility as: 

Minami Aoba was troubled. She had no particular strengths or things she wanted to do. Is it okay for her high school life to end as such an ordinary supporting character!? Leaving school behind, Minami searches for her own “special uniqueness.”

She stumbles upon the nearby golf practice range by chance. Approached by part-time worker Haruka Akane, Minami grasps the golf club — the “utility.” And thus, it was the encounter between Minami and golf.

Winning is not the only thing in golf! Everything related to golf is enjoyable! Together with the genius golfer Haruka and Ayaka Hoshimi, who aspires to be an influencer, they seek the moment when they can become the “protagonist”! As a super beginner, Minami swings her club once again today.

Source: Sorairo Utility Official Anime Twitter, press release