is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kazune Kawahara. It began serialization in Shueisha's manga magazine Bessatsu Margaret in June 2021. An anime television series adaptation produced by Studio Kai aired from October to December 2025. A second season has been announced.
Plot Sae Iwata and Koki Kamishiro are two teenagers who are childhood friends. One day, Sae, who has had a crush on Koki since they were young, discovers that he has become tall and popular just before their upcoming middle school graduation. Afterward, they attend the same high school as classmates. As such, Sae tries to navigate her feelings for Koki.
Characters
Media Manga Written and illustrated by Kazune Kawahara, A Star Brighter Than the Sun began serialization in Shueisha's manga magazine Bessatsu Margaret on June 11, 2021. The series' chapters have been collected into fifteen volumes as of September 2026. In May 2024, Viz Media announced that they licensed the series for English publication.
Anime
An anime television series adaptation was announced on February 10, 2025. It was produced by Studio Kai and directed by Sayaka Kobayashi, with series composition by Yasuhiro Nakanishi, characters designed by Jinfeng Zeng, and music composed by Natsumi Tabuchi and Miki Sakurai. The series aired from October 2 to December 18, 2025, on TBS and its affiliates. The opening theme song is "Stellar Days", performed by Motohiro Hata, while the ending theme song is , performed by Wanuka. Amazon Prime Video is streaming the series worldwide. Following the airing of the final episode, a second season was announced.
Reception The series was nominated for the 12th An An Manga Award in 2021. It later won the 14th edition in 2023. The series was also ranked eighth in the 2023 edition of Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! guidebook for the best manga for female readers. The series was nominated for the 50th Kodansha Manga Award in the category in 2026.
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