Every season, a slew of new anime series debut across the globe, airing on various television channels and streaming services. Most of the time, these anime are adaptations of hot, up-and-coming franchises. Brand new manga taking the world by storm or popular light novel series that are just a couple years old tend to be the usual suspects for getting turned into an anime. This season, though, there are a couple of long-running classics being treated to a fresh run as a television anime. There’s the 25th Anniversary anime of Sorcerous Stabber Orphen, but there’s also a bigger name in manga getting its turn this month. After debuting way back in 1999, Dorohedoro is finally being turned into an anime, and now we’ve got word that dedicated fans who pick up the Blu-ray releases will be treated to some bonus episodes of the wild action-adventure series.
The official website for the Dorohedoro anime, based on the manga of the same name by Q Hayashida, revealed that the anime is set to run for 12 episodes. The second boxed set Blu-ray release of the series, however, will come with a new “Ma no Omake” (Magic Bonus) original video anime episode. All six episodes together will have a total runtime of just around 30 minutes. Alongside news of the bonus episodes and Blu-ray releases, front jacket illustrations for the limited first runs of the two Blu-ray box sets have also been revealed.
The first Blu-ray boxed set is set to ship out to retailers on May 20th, bundling together the first six episodes of the Dorohedoro anime, promotional videos, commercials, and the clean opening and ending animations on disc. It will also come with an extra bonus CD, a Nikaido finger skateboard toy, and five special stickers.
The second box set, meanwhile, will come with the last six Dorohedoro television episodes, the six Magic Bonus Blu-ray exclusive episodes, and promotional videos and commercials on disc. The set will include an exclusive sneaker-style earring. The whole package is set to arrive on June 17th.
The official website for the Dorohedoro anime also released official videos for the opening and ending songs of the series. The opening theme for the series is called “Welcome to the Chaos,” performed by the unit responsible for composing music for the entire series, (K)NoW_NAME.
The ending theme, meanwhile, is titled “Who am I,” and is also performed by (K)NoW_NAME.
If you want to catch Dorohedoro while it airs, you might be out of luck if you live outside of Japan. While the anime premiered on Sunday, January 12th on the Tokyo MX television station, it’s only officially streaming online via Netflix. Netflix Japan users can watch the show right away, but Netflix of America has a habit of not releasing their licensed anime until months after it finishes airing, and Dorohedoro is no exception.
The full voice acting cast of the series is as follows:
- Wataru Takagi as Caiman, an amnesiac man whose head was magically transformed into a lizard’s head
- Reina Kondo as Nikaidō, Caiman’s friend who is absurdly strong
- Kenyuu Horiuchi as En, the boss of the En family, who are major players in the world of Sorcerors
- Yoshimasa Hosoya as Shin, an assassin and cleaner who works for the En family
- Yu Kobayashi as Noi, Shin’s partner and En’s cousin
- Kengo Takanashi as Fujita, a lowly, crybaby Sorceror who serves the En family
- Miyu Tomita as Ebisu, a Sorceror and hanger-on of the En family
- Hisao Egawa as Vaux, a doctor who specializes in treating magical injuries
- Mitsuhiro Ichiki as Kasukabe, a doctor researching Sorcerors
- Mayu Udono as Kikurage, a mysterious creature that can use magic
- Songdo as Risu, a member of the Cross-Eyes organization
- Tetsu Inada as Tanba, the owner of a pie shop
- Shinichiro Miki as Turkey, one of the En family’s top brass
- Hozumi Gōda as Asu, a demon
- Anri Katsu as Chōta, one of the En family’s top brass
- Tooru Nara as Matsumura, a Sorceror and Fujita’s partner
- Takuma Terashima as Fukuyama, a Sorceror who works at a pie shop and can make any pie
- Mayu Udono (who also plays Kikurage) as Aitake (left) and Maitake (right), Sorcerors who work at En’s restaurant and can transmutate
- Hiro Shimono as an insect Sorceror who can change humans into insects
- Takehito Koyasu as a Sorceror who can melt anything
- Miyuri Shimabukuro as a Sorceror who can grant life
The anime adaptation for Dorohedoro is being handled by studio MAPPA, with Yuichiro Hayashi set as the director. He previously worked on Garo the Animation, Garo: Divine Flame, and Kakegurui. Series composition is being handled by Hiroshi Seko, who has worked on Banana Fish, Mob Psycho 100, and the currently airing Vinland Saga. Character designs are being drawn by Tomohiro Kishi, who previously worked on 91 Days and Garo -Vanishing Line-. Finally, the music for the series is being composed by [K]NoW_NAME, who also worked on Sakura Quest and Fairy gone.
The original Dorohedoro manga originally debuted in Shogukan’s Monthly Ikki magazine all the way back in 1999. When that magazine ended serialization in 2014, the long-running science-fiction manga moved to a new publication, Hibana, before swapping again to Monthly Shonen Sunday when Hibana shut down in 2017. The manga finally ended in the October issue of Monthly Shonen Sunday magazine. The 23rd and final compiled volume of Dorohedoro was released last November.
