'Rui on the Wall' Season 2 to Air Next April — The Real Rui Visits the Recording Studio

Studio Kishibe, an animation studio founded by a second-generation Drifter, officially announced on the 28th that the second season of the television anime "Rui on the Wall" will begin airing next April. The first season, a school ensemble drama built around wall racing, drew a warm reception, and as previously reported on September 30th, the voice actress behind the lead character "Rui" — Akari Himeno, 25 — had her identity publicly confirmed for the first time outside the show itself. Season 2 is expected to center on the protagonist's club team aiming for a top finish in the inter-city league.

■ The Real Model Visits the Recording

The 28th's recording session was visited by Rui Migiwajima, 17, of Tokei RC — the real wall-racing athlete said to be the character's model, though the studio has never confirmed this officially. As previously reported, Migiwajima tends to answer questions candidly, and this time she was invited directly by the studio. Watching the session, she said with a laugh, "The way she talks is nothing like me, but somehow the pauses she takes while climbing feel exactly like mine. It's a strange feeling."

Himeno admitted, "Knowing the real person would be here made me a little nervous today," adding, "I still want to be judged on the role alone, but today was special."

■ Momentum from Season 1

A producer at Studio Kishibe explained, "Our policy from Season 1 has been not to explain wall racing itself — to let viewers feel the ups and downs without fully understanding the rules. If anything, it was viewers enjoying that not-understanding that led to Season 2." The producer suggested the previously reported Wall Racing Monthly MVP system — under which Migiwajima became the youngest-ever winner in September — might appear, reshaped, in a Season 2 episode.

■ In Her Own Words

True to her previously reported catchphrase — "the wall today isn't the wall from yesterday, so I just make friends with today's wall" — Migiwajima said, "I imagine the Rui in the anime is probably making friends with a different wall every day, too." Asked about her younger sister singing "the Shore Lullaby" in a school choir, reported on September 1st, she laughed: "I came to watch without telling her, so I might get scolded when I get home."

■ Response Since the September 30th Return Announcement

As previously reported, Himeno's name was made public for the first time only with the September 30th return announcement; until then, the studio had kept her identity undisclosed outside the show even while it aired, and speculation briefly circulated that voice actress Haruna Mochizuki, 24, lead of "The Lamplighter," might take the role — a notion the studio had already firmly denied at the time. At the announcement event on the 28th, the producer looked back: "In the month since her name came out, if anything, appreciation for Himeno's actual performance has grown. What we gained outweighed whatever we might have lost by putting a face to the voice."

■ Timed Alongside the Wall Racing Season

As previously reported, the professional Wall Racing league itself ended its season in the final round on September 18th, so Season 2's April broadcast falls just before the season opener (April through October). A representative at Studio Kishibe said, "It wasn't an intentional overlap, but having Season 2 begin right as the season starts feels like good timing for the show." Migiwajima herself laughed, "By the time the anime starts, I'll probably already be busy adjusting for the season opener myself," suggesting today's studio visit was a once-only chance tied to this particular window in the calendar.

■ What Comes Next

Announcements of the theme song and additional cast are expected from November onward, with the studio planning to keep releasing information ahead of the April broadcast.