Grow Up Show: Sunflower Circus streams a new video for its Circus Collection arc

Grow Up Show: Sunflower Circus has released a new promotional video for its Circus Collection arc, giving the original anime another look at the performers chasing a place at the world’s biggest circus festival.

The official website lists the video as a new release on 5 September 2026, while Anime News Network reports that the footage previews the arc and its circus-world competition. No new international streaming deal is attached to this update.

What's actually going on

The series follows the Himawari Circus, a struggling troupe travelling through a version of Japan inspired by the early years of the country’s post-war economic growth. Its performers are working towards the Circus Collection, a global festival open only to the highest-ranked circus companies.

The newly posted video focuses on the Circus Collection arc and its performers, including Mizuka Tsurumaki, the physically gifted newcomer who joins the troupe. The official site identifies the project as an original anime from director Kanta Kamei, character designer Kurehito Misaki and animation studios A-1 Pictures and Psyde Kick Studio.

The production’s announced cast includes Tomoka Noda as Mizuka, Shiori Kurosaki as Ouka Kawasumi, Reo Osanai as Imari Agano, Nanako Andō as Isuzu Ikazuchi and Tomori Kusunoki as Aoi Yura. Rie Kugimiya plays troupe leader Maria, giving the circus an experienced voice at its centre.

A circus with something to prove

The appeal here is not simply the novelty of an anime built around circus performance. The troupe’s financial problems, travelling shows and internal rivalries give the story a practical obstacle course before anyone even reaches the festival stage. Every act has to be spectacular, but the group also has to stay together long enough to perform it.

The new video is promotional material rather than a full episode preview, so it should not be read as confirmation of a new season, a western release date or a change to the show’s existing broadcast plans. International availability remains territory-dependent unless a local platform announces otherwise.

Our opinion

A circus anime lives or dies on whether its performances feel dangerous, and Grow Up Show at least has the right ingredients: a cash-strapped troupe, a high-stakes festival and a cast built around distinct stage roles. The new video makes the show look colourful without hiding the hard work underneath.

We are particularly interested in the contrast between spectacle and survival. If the Circus Collection arc lets the performers earn their big moments rather than simply announcing that they are amazing, this could be one of the season’s most charming original stories.