Just Like Mona Lisa Anime Officially Announced by Studio SHAFT
Studio SHAFT's new project has been revealed: The manga Just Like Mona Lisa (Mona Lisa no Atari) will be adapted into an anime by the famous studio. The announcement came with a short visual from official channels and quickly generated great excitement in the anime community.
The manga's author, Tsubasa Yamaguchi – also the creator of Blue Period – this time tells the inner journey of a young girl woven around the Mona Lisa painting, outside the art world. The series began in 2023 in Kodansha's Monthly Afternoon magazine and quickly attracted attention for its art-themed narrative and emotional depth.
Among SHAFT's masterpieces are works that have reached cult status in various genres such as Monogatari Series, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and March Comes in Like a Lion. The studio's unique visual language, experimental camera angles, and color palette could perfectly match the melancholic and introspective atmosphere of Just Like Mona Lisa. This story, which deals with themes such as the nature of art, identity search, and social expectations, could be taken to a completely different dimension with SHAFT's signature.
The release date, number of episodes, or director staff have not yet been announced. However, the manga currently has 4 volumes and the series is still ongoing. This suggests that the first season of the adaptation will likely consist of 12-13 episodes and will not cover the entire original story.
For viewers interested in art-themed narratives after Blue Period, this news is a godsend. Moreover, combined with SHAFT's quality, Just Like Mona Lisa is poised to be one of the most anticipated works of 2026. We expect more visuals and details from the studio in the coming months.
