Crunchyroll has plenty on its plate today, with the announcement of two new titles on the way for its +Ultra programming partnership, as well as the voice cast reveal and first episode preview of its latest original series.
Fans get a first look at FreakAngels, the upcoming Crunchyroll Original series following a small group of psychics fighting to survive in London’s last neighborhood, with the full English-language voice cast revealed. Based on the post-apocalyptic graphic novel by Warren Elllis, the series premiere January 27 across 200 countries and territories, with subtitles available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Russian and Arabic.
Synopsis: Welcome to Whitechapel: last bastion of humanity. Six years ago, the world “ended” in a single, apocalyptic event, trapping Great Britain behind a mysterious dome of purple energy. London’s last neighborhood has persevered thanks to the protection of the “FreakAngels” — a small group of psychically-powered twenty-three-year-olds. Their fragile peace becomes threatened, however, when an exiled friend returns, exposing past conspiracies and new conflicts within their fractured, makeshift family. Can Whitechapel survive? Featuring character design by Hiroshi Shimizu (MEGALOBOX, Blue Exorcist, Lupin III) and art direction by Studio Ghibli alum Osamu Masuyama (Made in Abyss).
Characters and cast:
- KK voiced by Marsha Thomason (Castlevania). A swaggering gearhead, the sort of cool mechanic girl who’ll drink all your beer, set light to your house and drive off on your motorbike. KK is the spiky, violent big sister of the FreakAngels.
- Arkady voiced by Julie Nathanson (Great Pretender). Eccentric, can seem like a playful child. Arkady is the most powerful person in the world, but she’s dizzy and fragile. In private, she’s exploring her powers. A gentle woman with a storm inside her.
- Jack voiced by Tru Valentino (The Cuphead Show!). A loner and a sailor who prefers to work with his hands, Jack keeps busy using his boat to scavenge flooded London for supplies and fend off raiders. He’s the classic model of stoic manhood.
- Sirkka voiced by Nazneen Contractor (Star Wars Resistance). She’s a sincere pacifist, but her high morals and polyamorous lifestyle can sometimes cause friction with the other FreakAngels, especially Jack.
- Connor voiced by Christian Lees (PISTOL). The damaged soul. Connor is up in his own head. He thinks too much. He’s warm and emotional, with thin skin. He’s going to have to pull himself together to pull the group together in the face of the threats to come.
- Mark voiced by Daniel Gillies (The Vampire Diaries). Mark is the FreakAngel who was exiled. He used his powers to control people, and they threw him out. Since then, he’s been roaming Britain, getting stronger, laying plans.
- Luke voiced by Chris Geere (Animaniacs, Detective Pikachu). A rogue intellectual with a university poshness. He’s broken, toxic, impossibly charming until you see his damage up close.
- Kat voiced by Victoria Atkin (Assassin’s Creed). Self-appointed “cop” of Whitechapel. She is quite mad, but devoted to everyone’s safety. Solitary but intimidating.
- Miki voiced by Mallory Low (DC Super Hero Girls, Final Fantasy VII Remake). The medic. Her wit is razor sharp. Good at healing people, not so good at talking to them.
- Caz voiced by Anniwaa Buachie (X-Men ‘97). An urban engineer. She will build her way to a better future. She is the most mature and self-aware member of the group.
- Karl voiced by Darren Jacobs (Death Stranding, Genshin Impact). Telepathy is strong with Karl; he isolates in his garden for mental quiet. Kirk is the only one he can stand. Prefers to tend to his garden, alone.
- Kirk voiced by Tru Valentino (The Cuphead Show!). Totally devoted to Karl, pissed off with everything else. He misses the old world, and is slow to trust anyone while very quick to anger.
- Alice voiced by Della Saba (Ralph Breaks the Internet, Steven Universe). Resourceful and takes no shit. She was barely a teen when “the world ended,” and grew up with no support and no pity.
From the +Ultra event aired from the Fuji TV Multi Theater in Tokyo, Crunchyroll, Fuji TV and Slow Curve shared new details of their previously announced anime and revealed a new title in the works. These series are the first of many to come from the trio’s +Ultra programming partnership, announced in 2021, for joint co-development and co-production of anime series for broadcast in Japan on Fuji TV’s +Ultra midnight anime block (launched Oct. 2018) and for streaming on Crunchyroll in more than 200 countries and territories.
An original anime title by hit producer and chief director Goro Taniguchi (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion), ESTAB LIFE: GREAT ESCAPE takes place in the experimental city “Tokyo,” which is managed by artificial intelligence and home to a mix of various human races. Hiroyuki Hashimoto (Is the Order a Rabbit?) is the series director with Shoji Kato (Full Metal Panic!) for series composition and screenplay, Yusuke Kozaki (Pokémon Go) for character design concept and Polygon Pictures (Knight of Sidonia) for animation. The series will premiere in April 2022.
Square Enix (Dragon Quest; Final Fantasy series) will develop the tie-in mobile game. The theatrical anime feature, Estab-Life Revengers’ Road, will tell a new story, building on the anime series and the mobile game, with Goro Taniguchi set to direct and write the script.
An original new story from popular manga artist Tsutomu Nihei (Aposimz, Knight of Sidonia, BLAME!), Ooyukiumi No Kaina (working title) follows the journey of Kaina and Liliha (working name), two young people from different worlds,whose journey to save the world begins upon their introduction. Hiroaki Ando (Listeners; Ajin: Demi-Human) serves as the anime series director. Polygon Pictures (BLAME!, Knight of Sidonia) will be developing the animation. The series will debut in January 2023.
A manga of the series will be drawn by Itoe Takemoto (The Beast Player) and published in Monthly Shōnen Sirius by Kodansha starting February 26, 2022. Kodansha will be making the English manga simulpub available on Crunchyroll.
Crunchyroll will exclusively stream each series worldwide outside of Asia, day and date with the premiere on +Ultra, and manage the licensing and consumer products rights for each title worldwide outside of Asia.
