Just Because!

Just Because! is a 2017 Japanese anime television series by Hajime Kamoshida, the author of The Pet Girl of Sakurasou and Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, and Kiseki Himura, the author of Tawawa on Monday. The 12-episode anime, produced by Pine Jam, aired between October and December 2017.

Main

 * Eita Izumi (泉 瑛太)
 * A transfer student who come back to his hometown after four years. Because his father's job was often relocated, Eita often transfers to different schools. He was in baseball club along with Haruto during middle school. He has had a crush on Mio since middle school but could not confess to her.
 * A transfer student who come back to his hometown after four years. Because his father's job was often relocated, Eita often transfers to different schools. He was in baseball club along with Haruto during middle school. He has had a crush on Mio since middle school but could not confess to her.


 * Mio Natsume (夏目 美緒)
 * The former student council president. Mio was Eita and Haruto's classmate during middle school. She plans to enroll in college and is studying hard to make it happen. Her unrequited feelings for Haruto since middle school still influence her, but as the series progresses, her feelings begin to change.
 * The former student council president. Mio was Eita and Haruto's classmate during middle school. She plans to enroll in college and is studying hard to make it happen. Her unrequited feelings for Haruto since middle school still influence her, but as the series progresses, her feelings begin to change.


 * Haruto Sōma (相馬 陽斗)
 * A baseball team member who has already secured a job after graduation. He and Eita are childhood friends. He has a crush on Hazuki and confesses his feelings but is rejected at first; however this changes over the series. Hazuki tells Haruto she won't date him until she is settled in college and Haruto finds a stable job and if he still loves her by that time.
 * A baseball team member who has already secured a job after graduation. He and Eita are childhood friends. He has a crush on Hazuki and confesses his feelings but is rejected at first; however this changes over the series. Hazuki tells Haruto she won't date him until she is settled in college and Haruto finds a stable job and if he still loves her by that time.


 * Hazuki Morikawa (森川 葉月)
 * Hazuki is a trumpet player from the school concert band and has already decided on her preferred college. She does not stand out in class, and seems uninterested in romantic relationships. Haruto has a crush on her and confesses his feelings but is rejected at first. However, over the course of the series, this changes. Hazuki tells Haruto she won't date him until she is settled in college, Haruto finds a stable job and if his feelings remain unchanged.
 * Hazuki is a trumpet player from the school concert band and has already decided on her preferred college. She does not stand out in class, and seems uninterested in romantic relationships. Haruto has a crush on her and confesses his feelings but is rejected at first. However, over the course of the series, this changes. Hazuki tells Haruto she won't date him until she is settled in college, Haruto finds a stable job and if his feelings remain unchanged.


 * Ena Komiya (小宮 惠那)
 * Ena is a second-year student, and a member of the photography club is close to being disbanded. In order to save the club, she enters a photography competition. Later on, she develops a crush on Eita. She has a go-getter attitude, taking active steps to get what she wants, speaking her mind openly where everyone else is too nervous to speak up.
 * Ena is a second-year student, and a member of the photography club is close to being disbanded. In order to save the club, she enters a photography competition. Later on, she develops a crush on Eita. She has a go-getter attitude, taking active steps to get what she wants, speaking her mind openly where everyone else is too nervous to speak up.

Others

 * Yoriko Inui (乾 依子)
 * Hazuki's best friend who constantly looks after her, speaks out on her behalf and helps her and Haruto get together. At one point she admits to Hazuki she's also in love with someone, but refuses to say more.
 * Hazuki's best friend who constantly looks after her, speaks out on her behalf and helps her and Haruto get together. At one point she admits to Hazuki she's also in love with someone, but refuses to say more.


 * Sanae Takahashi (高橋 早苗)
 * Mio's best friend.
 * Mio's best friend.


 * Momoka Suzuki (鈴木 桃花)
 * Mio's best friend.
 * Mio's best friend.


 * Mayuko Satō (佐藤 真由子)
 * Mio's best friend who hates Hazuki.
 * Mio's best friend who hates Hazuki.


 * Junpei Saruwatari (猿渡 順平)
 * Haruto's best friend.
 * Haruto's best friend.


 * Rikuto Ishigaki (石垣 陸生)
 * Haruto's best friend.
 * Haruto's best friend.


 * Tōru Shimizu (清水 徹)
 * A second-year student and a member of the photography club.
 * A second-year student and a member of the photography club.


 * Kaoru Yamaguchi (山口 薫)
 * A second-year student and a member of the photography club.
 * A second-year student and a member of the photography club.


 * Watanabe-sensei (渡辺先生)
 * The homeroom teacher of Mio and Haruto's class.
 * The homeroom teacher of Mio and Haruto's class.

Anime
The project was first teased as an April's Fools joke in 2017 under title April 1st The Animation. It was later confirmed as real in the June issue of Gakken's Megami Magazine.

Kiseki Himura designed the characters, Atsushi Kobayashi directed the series with screenplay by Hajime Kamoshida. Hiroyuki Yoshii adapted Kiseki's art into animation. Keisuke Fukunaga produced the series. Pine Jam produced the animation. It aired from October 5 to December 28, 2017 on AT-X, Tokyo MX, TV Kanagawa, MBS, and BS Fuji's programming block Anime Guild. Nagi Yanagi served as music producer as well performed the opening theme titled "Over and Over", while Karin Isobe, Yuna Yoshino, and Lynn performed the ending theme "behind". Sentai Filmworks has licensed the series and streamed it on Amazon's Anime Strike service in the U.S.. Sentai released the series for home video with an English dub on February 12, 2019.

Novel
A serialized novel adaptation of the anime was launched in Kadokawa's Da Vinci magazine starting October 2017 issue (released on September 6). The first chapter tells the prologue anime's plot. Atsushi Kobayashi illustrated the cover for the novel.

Web manga
A spin-off web manga series illustrated by Kamaboko RED is updated every day the anime's official Twitter account. Each chapter is two pages long.