The 2016 film succeeded because it left in the imperfections : a line that wavers, a background that blurs out of focus. Any remake must resist the urge to "fix" these elements. Instead, it should lean into coloring techniques that simulate the bloom of wet paint on paper. Conclusion: The Timeless First Kiss As of 2025, there is no official full remake of the Doukyuusei anime in production. The 2016 film remains a sacred text—a quiet, 60-minute masterpiece that feels more like a memory than a movie.
When the 2016 film was made, director Shouko Nakamura (no relation to the author) faced a herculean task: translating that fragility into motion. The result was stunning—using light pastel palettes, soft shading, and "pillow shots" of summer rain and falling chalk dust. But it was also a product of its time, rendered in standard 2D digital animation with limited frame rates. If a remake were announced tomorrow (for a new OVA or series), studios like Science SARU (known for The Tatami Galaxy ’s expressive lines) or Kyoto Animation (masters of micro-expressions) would be the top contenders. However, the most likely spiritual successor would follow the Makoto Shinkai model of hyper-realism mixed with soft lighting. :doukyuusei remake the animation
A hypothetical remake would likely abandon the rigid "anime face" for a rotoscope-adjacent fluidity. Imagine the scene where Kusakabe adjusts Rihito’s glasses in the music room: instead of standard tweening, a modern remake would use to capture the tremble of fingertips, paired with a digital watercolor filter that allows the line art to breathe—expanding and contracting like a real brush stroke. Why Remake It? The call for a remake isn't born from dissatisfaction with the 2016 film, but rather from accessibility and expansion . The original film covered only the first volume of the manga. Sequels like Sotsugyousei (Graduates) and O.B. (Old Boys) remain unanimated. The 2016 film succeeded because it left in
In the pantheon of Boys’ Love (BL) media, few stories have aged as gracefully—or as impactfully—as Nakamura Asumiko’s Doukyuusei (Classmates). Originally a manga that redefined the genre with its delicate watercolors and raw, quiet realism, the story saw a landmark anime film adaptation in 2016 by A-1 Pictures. However, whispers of a "remake" or re-adaptation in the modern streaming era have sparked a new conversation: How do you re-animate a masterpiece? Conclusion: The Timeless First Kiss As of 2025,
Perhaps the best remake is simply rewatching the original with fresh eyes—and noticing the blush you missed the first time.
But the conversation around a remake highlights how revolutionary the original truly was. In an era of isekai and high-concept BL, Doukyuusei dares to be small. Whether re-animated with new tech or left in its watercolor past, the moment Rihito and Kusakabe kiss under the fireworks remains one of the most honest depictions of first love ever drawn.