Kana Hanazawa is joining the currently-airing romantic comedy Always a Catch! as Zaira, described as a mysterious woman who seems to hold a grudge against lead Maria, debuting in episode 10. The TROYCA series has been running since April 1 on Tokyo MX and BS11, so this is a mid-run cast reveal rather than a pre-air tease.
Quick answer Always a Catch! is a TROYCA romantic comedy that premiered April 1, 2026 on Tokyo MX and BS11 and is currently airing. Kana Hanazawa voices Zaira, a mysterious figure with an apparent grudge against protagonist Maria, from episode 10. The cast already includes Yū Serizawa (Maria Annovazzi), Atsushi Tamaru (Renato di Rubini), and Saori Hayami (Aida Amethis). It adapts Mayo Momoyo's light novel (manga by Kaki Nagato, both from Square Enix) about a martial-arts-obsessed duke's daughter chasing marriage and the prince who falls for her fighting. According to SenpaiRanks, Always a Catch! is tracked on the 2026 board and is still gathering votes — rate it to push it onto the Consensus and Quality rankings.
The new cast Hanazawa's Zaira lands as a destabilizer right as the romcom's mid-season angst builds. She joins a bench that already leans on heavy hitters: Yū Serizawa carries Maria, Atsushi Tamaru plays love interest Renato, and Saori Hayami voices Aida Amethis, with Shūichirō Umeda, Taku Yashiro and Natsuki Hanae among the supporting cast.
The setup Maria is a duke's daughter who would rather train martial arts than court suitors; Prince Renato gets interested in her precisely because of her combat skill, after a mistaken-identity start. It is a comedy-first take on the noble-romance formula — the fight scenes are the hook, not set dressing.
Where to read the rating honestly For "is Always a Catch! actually good" intent, a single star average buries the answer. SenpaiRanks splits it: Consensus tells you how broadly the romcom crowd is enjoying it, Quality tells you whether it holds up beyond the bit. The show is still accumulating votes from anime-native raters — not a general-audience pool diluted by people who never watch the genre. If you want the summer pipeline next, line up our best summer 2026 romance anime list and the broader what to watch this summer guide, and queue the summer noble-romance The Duke's Son Claims He Won't Love Me.
Frequently asked questions Q: Who does Kana Hanazawa play in Always a Catch!? A: Zaira, a mysterious woman with an apparent grudge against Maria, debuting in episode 10.
Q: When did Always a Catch! premiere?
A: April 1, 2026, on Tokyo MX and BS11; it is currently airing.
Q: What studio animates Always a Catch!?
A: TROYCA.
Q: What is Always a Catch! based on?
A: A light novel by Mayo Momoyo, with a manga by Kaki Nagato, both published by Square Enix.
Q: Where can I read the manga in English?
A: Square Enix's Manga UP! Global, BookWalker Global Store, and Comikey distribute it digitally.
Q: How is it ranked on SenpaiRanks?
A: It is tracked on the 2026 board and still collecting votes across the Consensus and Quality axes — your rating helps set its position.