Yuki Yuna is a Hero is a Japanese anime television series directed by Seiji Kishi and produced by Studio Gokumi.[1] The series follows a girl named Yuna Yuki who, along with her fellow members in her school's Hero Club, becomes an actual hero tasked with fighting an evil race known as the Vertex. The series was broadcast in Japan from October 16 to December 25, 2014 and was simulcast worldwide by Crunchyroll. In North America, the series is licensed by PonyCan USA,[2] and it was released on Blu-ray/DVD in April 2015.[3][4][5] The opening theme is "Hoshi to Hana" (ホシトハナ, Star and Flower) and the ending theme is "Aurora Days"; both are performed by Sanshū Chūgaku Yūsha-bu (Haruka Terui, Suzuko Mimori, Yumi Uchiyama, Tomoyo Kurosawa, and Juri Nagatsuma). The ending theme for episode four (acoustic version) and episode nine is "Inori no Uta" (祈りの歌, Song of Prayer) by Tomoyo Kurosawa.
A second season aired in Japan between October 6, 2017 and January 5, 2018 and was simulcast by Anime Strike. The season is split into two parts; The Washio Sumi Chapter, which adapts the Washio Sumi is a Hero prequel light novel series, and Hero Chapter, which takes place after the first season.[6]The Washio Sumi Chapter was first released as three theatrical films between March 18 and July 8, 2017, before airing as six television episodes between October 6 and November 10, 2017, followed by a recap episode which aired on November 17, 2017. Hero Chapter consists of six television episodes and aired between November 24, 2017 and January 5, 2018.[7][8] For The Washio Sumi Chapter, the opening themes are "Sakiwafu Hana" (サキワフハナ) for the film version and "Egao no Kimi e" (エガオノキミへ, A Smile Towards You) for the television version, both performed by Suzuko Mimori. The ending themes are "Tomodachi" (ともだち, Friends) by Mimori, Kana Hanazawa, and Yumiri Hanamori for the first film, "Tamashii" (たましい, Spirit) by Hanamori for the second film, and "Yakusoku" (やくそく, Promise) by Mimori and Hanazawa for the third film. For Hero Chapter, the opening and ending themes respectively are "Hana Kotoba" (ハナコトバ, Flower Language) and "Yūshatachi no Lullaby" (勇者たちのララバイ, Lullaby of the Heroes), both performed by Sanshū Chūgaku Yūsha-bu (as above but with the addition of Hanazawa). Three short films by W-Toon Studio based on the Yuki Yuna wa Yūsha-bu Shozoku spin-off manga by Takahiro and Kotamaru were released alongside the Washio Sumi films.
