The World's Strongest Witch: Kana Hanazawa and Maria Naganawa join the cast, airing on October 7

The anime adaptation of The World's Strongest Witch (世界最強の魔女) reveals new cast members and confirms a broadcast start date of October 7, 2026. Two names catch the eye: Kana Hanazawa and Maria Naganawa, two heavyweights in voice acting who join the cast.

Anime News Network reports on July 23, 2026, new additions to the cast of the anime The World's Strongest Witch, which will premiere on October 7, 2026. Two announcements stand out: Kana Hanazawa (花澤香菜) and Maria Naganawa (長縄まりあ) join the cast.

Two Weighty Voices

Kana Hanazawa no longer needs an introduction in the industry: she is one of the most employed seiyū of the decade, known for Nadeko Sengoku (Monogatari series, Shaft), Kanade Tachibana (Angel Beats!), Mayuri Shiina (Steins;Gate), or Ichika Nakano (The Quintessential Quintuplets). Her presence in a cast weighs as much commercially as artistically - fans follow her roles.

Maria Naganawa is more recent but has quickly established herself since Kanna Kamui in Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid (2017, Kyoto Animation). She has recently been heard in several roles in fantasy series and comedies, with her high-pitched and calm voice that characterizes her. Having her play alongside Hanazawa suggests a generational duo wanted by the production.

What We Know at This Stage

ANN's announcement is that of an addition to the cast: it does not detail the specific characters played, the animation studio, or the Japanese time slot. The date of October 7, 2026 places the series in the traditional window for the start of autumn anime, a very busy time slot for programming.

The anime adapts, as its title indicates, a light novel isekai/fantasy around the title character of "the world's most powerful witch," a genre that has been saturated in recent years by often rushed adaptations. The recruitment of a vocal cast of this caliber remains a potentially positive signal: the most cash-strapped productions can generally not afford this kind of casting.

Where to Follow: We will provide an update on the studio and simulcast availability (Crunchyroll, ADN, Wakanim) as soon as the production communicates. At this stage, ANN remains the most reliable source.