Netflix Geeked Week ramped up the action for fans of mature animated storytelling this weekend, with more clips, trailers, teasers and first-looks at hot titles coming soon. Here’s a quick recap of the toon news (plus read about the new Geralt animated adventure, The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep, featuring original game voiceover actor Doug Cockle, in our previous post):
Blood of Zeus Season 2 got a first-look preview and an official clip. From Castlevania studio Powerhouse Animation, the anime-styled 2D series follows a commoner named Heron living in ancient Greece, who learns he is descended from the ruler-deity of Olympus, Zeus, and is destined to lead the fight against a demonic army. S2 will unleash the power of the demigod in 2024.
Speaking of supernatural monsters, the official trailer for the all-new anime series My Daemon dropped. Created by horror writer Otsuichi (Hirotaka Adachi) and animated by Igloo Studio in Thailand, the series takes place in the near future, and centers on a kindhearted human boy named Kento and a Daemon child called Anna, who set out on a grand adventure in hopes of saving Kento’s mother. Streaming November 23 worldwide. (netflix.com/mydaemon)
Otsuichi wrote the original story and script for the series, which is directed by Igloo CEO Nat Yoswatananont. The voice cast features Miyuri Shimabukuro (Kento Tachibana), Cocoro Kikuchi (Anna), Fumiko Orikasa (Kaoru Tachibana), Ayane Sakura (Kaede), Shou Okumura (Igisu), Wataru Hatano (Kouya Kokonoe), Naoya Miyase (Kiriko Nanbu/Restoration Daemon) and Jouji Nakata (Genjiro Houjou).
Geeked Week debuted a clip from the upcoming series Onmyoji, based on the Heian-period supernatural mystery novels by Baku Yumemakura and arriving on Netflix on November 28. In the Episode 1 clip, Abe Seimei (voiced by Daisuke Namikawa) and Minamoto Hiromasa (Shintaor Asanuma) meet for the first time. Produced by Marvy Jack studio, the anime adaptation is directed by Sobi Yamamoto and written by Natsu Hashiimoto and Yuiko Kato. The cast also features Yui Ishikawa as Tsuyuko, Kenji Hamada (Imperial Prince Atsumi), Rina Sato (Ashiya Doman) and Daisuke Kishio (Kamo Yasunori).
Synopsis: Yearning, obsession, burning desire… When people’s uncontrollable emotions begin to overflow, that is when they become demons.
In prosperous ancient Kyoto, court musician Minamoto Hiromasa, grandson of Emperor Daigo, visits the residence of the official onmyoji — the yin-yang diviners — in hopes of unraveling the mysteries of the demons that disturb the city. While there, he is introduced to a man perfectly suited for untangling these enigmas: the great onmyoji Abe Seimei, a man cloaked in an otherworldly aura. Hiromasa is vexed by Seimei’s lack of interest in the mundane world and his reluctance to help, but the two of them confront the demons at the cause of the incidents. They eventually find the onmyoji Ashiya Doman, who lurks in the shadows of the demons. Seimei and Hiromasa are joined by Hiromasa’s flute teacher Imperial Prince Atsumi, the emperor’s onmyoji Kamo Yasunori, and Lady Tsuyuko, who comes to accompany them as a result of a particular case. As their emotions intertwine like threads, will Seimei and Hiromasa be able to restore peace to the capital? The ordeal of these mismatched friends destined to share the same fate begins now.
Another upcoming anime was previews in a clip from Akuma Kun, based on the comic by Shigeru Mizuki, available to stream now. In the scene from the first episode, Akuma Kun (voiced by Yuki Kaji) and his partner, Mephisto III (Toshio Furukawa), face off against a demon for the first time. Rounding out the series voice cast are Ryoko Shiraishi as Sanae Kazama, Yumiri Hanamori (Mio Kazama), Ai Fairouz (Gremory), Yukiyo Fujii (Hina Asanagi) and Yuko Mita (The First Akuma Kun/Shingo Umoregi).
Akuma Kun is produced by Encourage Films, presented by Toei Animation, with a team including general director Junichi Sato, series director Fumitoshi Oizaki, series ouliner Hiroshi Ohnogi and supervising animation director Sakae Shibuya.
Synopsis: Strange requests often find their way to the doors of the Millenarianism Research Institute. The leader of the institute, Ichiro Umoregi, also known as “Akuma Kun,” is a prodigy that only comes along once every 10,000 years. However, he doesn’t know his real family. Along with his partner Mephisto III, Akuma Kun takes on mystical cases while digging into his own origins in this bizarre detective buddy story.
Continuing the animated exploration of Japan, we got a behind-the-scenes look at the “Making of a Warrior” for the recently debuted, critically acclaimed Blue Eye Samurai (read all about it here). The video offers an in-depth look at the show’s stunning fight choreography with Jane Wu (supervising director/producer) and Sunny Sun (stunt choreographer).
Bringing the popular game to life, the Exploding Kittens animated series dropped its official teaser trailer. Premiering on Netflix in 2024, the adventure unfolds as the eternal conflict between Heaven and Hell reaches epic proportions when both God and the Devil are sent to Earth … in the bodies of chunky house cats.
Starring Lucifer‘s Tom Ellis as the voice of GodCat, Abraham Lim, Lucy Liu, Ally Maki, Mark Proksch and Sasheer Zamata, the series is steered by showrunners Shane Kosakowski and Matthew Inman. Executive producers are Beavis and Butt-head team Mike Judge, Greg Daniels and Dustin Davis of Bandera Entertainment; executive producers Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping for the Chernin Entertainment Group; and executive producers and creators of the Exploding Kittens franchise, Elan Lee and Inman.
Creator Adi Shankar stepped in front of the camera for a BTS Featurette on the upcoming Devil May Cry anime series, announced during Netflix’s recent genre content event DROP 01. Shankar, who has also ushered the video game adaptation Castlevania and the Ubisoft-inspired recent launch Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix to Netflix screens, ofers fans a look into the making of the new series from video game studio Capcom and anime prodco Studio Mir.
The next installment (5 x 25′) of He-Man adventure, Masters of the Universe: Revolution, unveiled the official teaser spot, showcasing the clash of technology and magic as the hero of Eternia faces the forces of Skeletor! The second chapter of Kevin Smith’s revamped MOTU premieres in January 2024.
Featuring the voices of Diedrich Bader, Melissa Benoist, Liam Cunningham, Keith David, Mark Hamill, Lena Headey, Griffin Newman, William Shatner, Tiffany Smith, Tony Todd and Chris Wood, the series is executive produced by Smith, Ted Biaselli, Rob David, Christopher Keenan and Frederic Soulie. MOTU: Revolution is produced by Mattel Television for Netflix, with animation by the bustling Texas studio, Powerhouse.
Synopsis: It’s technology versus magic when He-Man and the heroic warriors face the forces of Skeletor and something more in Masters of the Universe: Revoolution — the new epic chapter in the battle for Castle Grayskull!
The newly mechanized Skeletor, armed with the might of Motherboard, attacks the heart of Eternia while Prince Adam grapples with a new responsibility and what that means for him as He-Man! Adam is forced to choose between the scepter or the sword, and a life as either the King or the Champion! Meanwhile, the new Sorceress Teela searches for the secret of Snake Magic in the mists of Darksmoke to rebuild a magic realm and help He-Man hold off the greatest threat Eternia has ever faced: the return of the despot Hordak, the ruthless leader of the Horde Empire!
Paying homage to the North American comics scene, the final trailer for Scott Pilgrim Takes Off arrived, giving fans a glimpse of the complicated romance blooming at the heart of the story. Coming to Netflix on November 17.
Based on the graphic novels by Canadian comicker Bryan Lee O’Malley, the 2D series follows Scott Pilgrim (voiced by Michael Cera), who is swept off his feet when he meets the girl of his dreams, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). But ther’es a catch: Before he can date her, he must defeat her seven evil exes! …And then things get even more complicated.
And last but definitely not least, one of the icons of sci-fi cinema history gets its turn in the toon spotlight as Netflix announced Terminator: The Anime Series, coming soon! The teaser promises that, “On August 30th, 1997 … Two days from now … Everything changes.” — referring to the day the AI network Skynet usurped its human masters in the time-travelling cyborg blockbuster, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger (the highest grossing movie of 1991).
The project hails from Terminator prodco Skydance, Ghost in the Shell animation studio Production I.G and writer/executive producer Mattson Tomlin (who is also writing for the upcoming movies The Batman Part II, with Matt Reeves; Mega Man; BRZRKR; and Memetic).
