On November 28, 2025, a manga adaptation of the film Love on Trial, starring Kyoko Saito, began serialization on “BUNCOMI,” a webcomic platform hosted by Bungei Online. The six-part series is illustrated by manga artist Maru Hiratsuka. Additionally, a novelization written by the film’s director, Kosai Fukada, will be published on January 5, 2026.

Love on Trial draws inspiration from real courtroom proceedings and centers on Mai Yamaoka, the lead performer of the idol group Happy☆Fanfare (nicknamed “Hapi☆Fan”), who faces a legal trial for violating the group’s strict “no-romance” rule. Kyoko Saito portrays Yamaoka, while fellow Hapi☆Fan members are played by Yuna Nakamura (formerly of Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku), Miyu Ogawa, Mizuki Imamura, and Hinano Sakura (of Iginari Tohoku Sang). The cast also includes Yuki Kura, Erika Karata, and Kenjiro Tsuda in key roles.

The story dramatizes the intense scrutiny and moral judgment faced by idols in Japan when accused of breaching industry-imposed conduct codes, using the courtroom as a metaphor for societal expectations. Through its unique blend of legal drama and idol culture, Love on Trial explores themes of personal freedom, public image, and institutional control. The simultaneous release of both manga and novel adaptations underscores the project’s multimedia approach, aiming to reach diverse audiences ahead of or alongside the film’s release.