“New Kimagure Orange Road: Summer’s Beginning” (新きまぐれオレンジ☆ロード そして、あの夏のはじまり), Original Japanese First-Release Promotional Poster 1996, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) Q79
This is an original Japanese B2 promotional poster printed in 1996 for the first release of New Kimagure Orange Road: Summer’s Beginning (Shin Kimagure Orange Road: Soshite, Ano Natsu no Hajimari), the feature-film continuation of Izumi Matsumoto’s much-loved romantic fantasy series. Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, with character design by Takayuki Goto, the film continues the story of Kyosuke Kasuga, Madoka Ayukawa, and Hikaru Hiyama, with key voice performances by Toru Furuya, Hiromi Tsuru, and Chieko Honda. The film opened in Japan on 2 November 1996. It is a rare item that was not for sale at the time.
Film background
Few 1980s anime properties have retained the cult affection of Kimagure Orange Road. Originally serialized as a manga by Izumi Matsumoto, the series became one of the defining romantic anime works of its era, blending adolescent longing, light science-fiction fantasy, and a distinct urban melancholy. By the time this 1996 film appeared, the property already carried deep nostalgic weight for Japanese audiences, and this feature offered a more mature, reflective coda to the original love triangle.
Unlike the earlier television series and 1988 film, Summer’s Beginning pushes the characters into a more adult emotional register. The story revisits the relationship between Kyosuke and Madoka after the events of the original saga, giving the material a more bittersweet and contemplative tone. It is this late-period continuation quality that gives the poster particular appeal: it belongs not simply to the original franchise, but to its final major cinematic chapter.
Poster design
This poster is especially desirable because it is a striking character portrait of Madoka Ayukawa, the series’ most iconic figure and one of the most celebrated heroines in 1980s and 1990s anime. She is shown in a serene, luminous close-up against a bright blue sky, wearing a large red sunhat and yellow summer dress, with strong lens-flare effects heightening the nostalgic, romantic atmosphere. The image is simple, elegant, and visually assured.
The design also perfectly captures the film’s changed visual identity. Whereas the classic television series is associated with Akemi Takada’s softer 1980s character style, this film adopted a more polished and mature look through Takayuki Goto’s character design work. That shift is immediately visible here: Madoka appears older, sleeker, and more refined, reflecting the way the franchise itself had matured by the mid-1990s. For collectors, this makes the poster an important document of the property’s final evolution.
Her red hat is especially meaningful, recalling one of the most recognisable visual motifs associated with Madoka and the emotional memory of the series itself. The overall effect is both highly collectible and aesthetically beautiful: a quintessential 1990s anime theatrical poster, but one grounded in a franchise that began in the golden age of 1980s romantic animation.
Why collectors prize it
Collectors actively seek out original Kimagure Orange Road paper because comparatively little survives in top condition, and because the series occupies a special place in anime history. It stands at the intersection of romance, youth culture, and supernatural fantasy, and Madoka Ayukawa remains one of the medium’s most enduring characters.
This particular B2 is desirable for several reasons:
- it is an original 1996 promotional poster
- it features a major standalone portrait of Madoka
- it reflects the late-period visual redesign of the franchise
- it is an increasingly scarce piece of 1990s anime cinema paper
For collectors of City Pop-era and post-City Pop anime culture, or for anyone building a serious selection of original Japanese anime posters, this is a highly appealing and displayable example.
Condition
Very Good / Excellent. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.
The poster presents very well overall, with fresh colour, strong visual impact, and clean display presence. There is light handling and age-related wear consistent with an authentic original theatrical poster of the period, but nothing that detracts from the beauty of the image.
It is over 29 years old!
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
