{"rewrite":{"id":"r_5907370b86d1773ae313555b","clusterId":"c_19945aeeebddaf6e30720325","slug":"always-a-catch-anime-casts-kana-hanazawa-as-zaira","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Always a Catch! Anime Casts Kana Hanazawa as Zaira","summary":"The anime adaptation of Mayo Momoyo's light novel series Always a Catch! has cast Kana Hanazawa as the mysterious woman Zaira, who appears to hold a grudge against Maria. The character debuted in the 10th episode, which aired on Thursday in Japan.","whyItMatters":"The casting adds a prominent voice actress to the supporting cast of a show that has already aired nearly half its run, suggesting the role may be a late-season antagonist or catalyst.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe television anime of Mayo Momoyo's light novel series \u003ci\u003eAlways a Catch!\u003c/i\u003e added Kana Hanazawa to its cast on Wednesday. Hanazawa voices Zaira, a mysterious woman who seems to hold a grudge against Maria. The character appeared in the 10th episode, which aired on Thursday in Japan.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe anime premiered on April 1 on Tokyo MX and BS 11. Akira Oguro directs at TROYCA, with Michiko Yokote handling series scripts and Isamu Suzuki designing the characters. Square Enix publishes the original novels and the manga adaptation in English.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Hanazawa's Zaira enters the story holding a grudge against Maria. The casting signals that Maria's past will be a major plot driver in the back half of the season.","twitterPost":"Hanazawa's Zaira debuts with a grudge against Maria, making Maria's backstory the central tension for the season's second half.","threadsPost":"Kana Hanazawa joins Always a Catch! as Zaira, a woman with a grudge against Maria. The casting places Maria's hidden past at the center of the narrative going forward. The show has kept Maria's history vague until now; that changes with Zaira's arrival.","newsletterBlurb":"The Always a Catch! anime has cast Kana Hanazawa as Zaira, a mysterious woman who seems to hold a grudge against Maria. The character debuted in the 10th episode, which aired Thursday in Japan.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Anime News Network\",\"url\":\"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-06-03/always-a-catch-anime-casts-kana-hanazawa/.238109\",\"title\":\"Always a Catch! Anime Casts Kana Hanazawa\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4362,"outputTokens":507,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1780518011,"createdAt":"2026-06-03T20:13:14.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-06-03T20:18:09.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-03T20:18:09.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_19945aeeebddaf6e30720325","canonicalTitle":"News\nAlways a Catch! Anime Casts Kana Hanazawa","representativeArticleId":"a_e47c16a0646b57a28284af36","sourceCount":2,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[\"Always a Catch!\"],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"Kana Hanazawa\",\"Mayo Momoyo\"],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"anime\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-06-03T19:30:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-06-05T01:33:15.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-05T13:45:00.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Anime News Network","url":"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-06-03/always-a-catch-anime-casts-kana-hanazawa/.238109","title":"News\nAlways a Catch! Anime Casts Kana Hanazawa"},{"source":"The Fandom Post","url":"https://www.fandompost.com/2026/06/04/always-a-catch-anime-previews-11th-episode/","title":"‘Always A Catch!’ Anime Previews 11th Episode"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":["Always a Catch!"],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":["Kana Hanazawa","Mayo Momoyo"],"type":"news","domain":"anime","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Kana Hanazawa voices Zaira, a mysterious woman who holds a grudge against Maria, in the Always a Catch! anime.","The character Zaira debuted in the 10th episode, which aired on Thursday in Japan.","The Always a Catch! anime premiered on April 1 on Tokyo MX and BS 11.","Akira Oguro directs the anime at TROYCA, with Michiko Yokote handling series scripts and Isamu Suzuki designing the characters.","Square Enix publishes the original Always a Catch! light novels and the manga adaptation in English."]}