The North American anime licensing company Sentai Filmworks announced on Thursday that it has licensed the Little Busters! television anime series. The company will release the series through select digital outlets with a home video release later this year.

Most of the original game's cast members are reprising their roles for the anime, although Yui Horie and Sora Tokui join the cast as Riki and the recast role of Sasami Sasasegawa, respectively. In addition, Yuiko Tatsumi is replacing Shiho Kawaragi in the role of Mio Nishizono after Kawaragi announced in August that she is pregnant.

Key, an adult game brand of Visual Art's, released the original romance adventure game for personal computers in 2007, and the game has since been ported to the PlayStation 2 and PSP platforms. The Japanese software company Prototype released the PS Vita version on March 22.

Yoshiki Yamakawa (Baby, Please Kill Me!, Hatsukoi Limited) is directing the series at J.C. Staff. Michiru Shimada (Jewelpet Twinkle, Shugo Chara!) is handling the scripts, and Haruko Iizuka (Inu X Boku Secret Service, Ōkami-san & Her Seven Companions) is handling the character design.

Crunchyroll will stream the series in various countries outside of Japan starting with episode 14 on January 12. The site will add the first 13 episodes at a later date. The show premiered in Japan on October 6.

Image © VisualArt's/Key/Team Little Busters!