Thursday, January 20, 2022

Shenmue Anime Premiere Date Announced & Two New Trailers!

The premiere date for the release of Shenmue Anime has been announced! The new anime will be premiering on Crunchyroll & Adult Swim on 5th February 2022.

This comes together with the simultaneous release of TWO new and varying trailers. The first contains the premiere date announcement and English-language voicing, while the other features Japanese-language voicing by two of the original voice actors who are reprising their roles from the games (Masaya Matsukaze as Ryo Hazuki and Takahiro Sakurai as Lan Di) as well as showcasing the official opening theme music.

Following the videos is our full translation of the official Japanese-language press release material, which includes new artwork images.

As usual, keep an eye on the blog for analysis of these incredible new trailers!

-Switch

Trailer #1 (Crunchyroll / Adult Swim Premiere Date Announcement, English)


Trailer #2 Japanese, featuring Masaya Matsukaze & Takahiro Sakurai) 



Japanese Press Release [Translation]

  • Trailer released, featuring latest footage!
  • Key art also released, depicting several characters!
  • Main character roles to be voiced by Masaya Matsukaze (Ryo Hazuki) and Takahiro Sakurai (Lan Di)
  • Opening theme also announced: "UNDEAD-NOID" by Kashitaro Ito!

The legendary action-adventure game Shenmue was released in 1999 on Sega's Dreamcast home video game console, and has influenced many other games. An animated version of the game, "Shenmue the Animation," is scheduled to be released in 2022! The animation will be produced by Telecom Animation Film, the company behind Lupin the 3rd Part V: Misadventures in France and Blue Thermal, and directed by Chikara Sakurai (One Punch Man Season 2).

A trailer with latest footage from Shenmue the Animation has now been released. Beginning with an account of the dramatic past of the protagonist Ryo Hazuki, it goes on to feature intense action scenes involving his sworn enemy, Lan Di, and a story filled with mystery. Set in the nostalgic and beautiful city of Yokosuka, it depicts the epic story of the protagonist as he grows stronger.

A spectacular piece of key art featuring main characters from the anime has also been released. The main protagonist features prominently, blazing with a passionate fighting spirit, along with a succession of distinctive characters who also appear in the games.

In addition, this trailer brings the first revelation of character voicing, with the first set of cast members to be announced being Masaya Matsukaze (Ryo Hazuki) and Takahiro Sakurai (Lan Di). Official comments have also been released in which they talk about their enthusiasm for the anime.

The opening theme is also announced: it will be "UNDEAD-NOID" by Kashitaro Ito, a popular artist with over 80 million views on his videos! His powerful voice, and the passionate lyrics that mirror the feelings of the main character will enhance the anime's atmosphere.


★ Cast Comments

  • Masaya Matsukaze (Ryo Hazuki)

"It is with gratitude to everyone that I have been able to experience the miracle of the release of the sequel 20 years later, and the miracle continues now with its first animation! Shenmue is a very big work in my life. I hope that everyone will be able to experience the world of Shenmue, both those who have loved it for a long time and made miracles happen, as well as those who don't even know its name. I'm looking forward to seeing it too! Let's enjoy it together."

 

  • Takahiro Sakurai (Lan Di)

"I'm Takahiro Sakurai, and I'll be playing the role of Lan Di.

On a personal note, when I first started working as a voice actor, my first encounter with this work was when I participated as a test voice for its development. It was a valuable and stimulating experience for me. And now Shenmue will be relaunched as an animation. This was such exciting news. Even after more than 20 years, the world of Shenmue has not faded away. I hope to enjoy it with you all".


★ Profile of the Opening Theme Artist, Kashitaro Ito

Major label debut in 2014. Three albums released, all of which reached the top 10 of the Oricon rankings in succession. In 2018, he held a free live performance on the street, attracting more than 20,000 people, and in 2019, he held his largest national tour. He is popular not only in Japan but also overseas, especially in Asia. His first novel, Home Classroom, sold over 70,000 copies in 2018, and his first essay was released in 2020. A singer-songwriter of note who has diverse talents, including singing anime songs, performing as a radio and internet program personality and voice acting.


■ What is Shenmue?

Released in 1999 on Sega's Dreamcast home video game console, Shenmue has been loved by many players around the world. It is a work that has been loved by many players around the world. The game faithfully recreates in 3D a nostalgic Yokosuka with the scent of the Showa era, and the high degree of freedom to act in that world, which was revolutionary for the time. In order to create a world brimming with reality, the characters and background were created using full polygons, and motion capture was used to capture human movements, reproducing them realistically and naturally. In addition, "Time Control" and "Magic Weather" systems were incorporated to enable the real-time passage of time and changes in weather within the game. It is the originator of the 3D open world and one of the works that changed the history of games.


Shenmue the Animation: Outline

Scheduled for release in 2022!


STAFF

Original Concept: Yu Suzuki (YS NET) 

Original Work: SEGA

Director: Chikara Sakurai

Series Composition: Kento Shimoyama

Original Character Design: Utaka

Character Design: Kensuke Ishikawa

Art Director: Natsue Muramoto

Color Designer: Makiko Kojima, Studio Road

Sound Director: Yasunori Ebina

Music: Natsuna Shibue

Music Production: Wave Master

Animation Production: Telecom Animation Film

Production: Shenmue Project

Opening Theme: UNDEAD-NOID by Kashitaro Ito


CAST

Ryo Hazuki: Masaya Matsukaze / Lan Di: Takahiro Sakurai & others

Official Website: shenmue-anime.jp

Official Twitter: @shenmue_anime


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