There are plenty of interesting and unique anime series airing next season, from fantasy shonen epics to slapstick high school romances and everything in-between. Not many anime airing next season can say they’re a horror-action-comedy about a boy who transforms into a giant furry dog mascot with a revolver to track down a homicidal high school girl. In fact, zero anime next season can say they’re about that except for Gleipnir, the surprising and highly anticipated manga adaptation that has just been revealed to be premiering on April 5th.
The official website for the anime adaptation of Sun Takeda’s madcap manga of the same name revealed the broadcast details for the series, alongside a brand new trailer. Fans in Japan will be able to catch the premiere of the show on Tokyo MX, BS11, Sun TV, and KBS Kyoto on April 5th at 11:30 pm, with a broadcast coming to AT-X channels and various Japanese streaming services after the initial debut. Plans for an overseas release have yet to be confirmed.
The trailer above also gives us a sneak peek at one of the theme songs for Gleipnir. The promotional video shows off a snippet of the ending theme song for the series, titled “Ame to Taieki to Nioi” (Rain, Bodily Fluids, and Smell). The song is performed by music group Mili, who previously performed the opening theme songs for Merc Storia: The Apathetic Boy and the Girl in a Bottle and Goblin Slayer.
Takeda initially launched the original Gleipnir manga in Young Magazine the 3rd back in October of 2015. The series is published in English by Kodansha Comics, who describes the series as follows:
Shuichi Kagaya is an ordinary high school kid in a boring little town. But when a beautiful classmate is caught in a warehouse fire, he discovers a mysterious power: he can transform into a furry dog with an oversized revolver and a zipper down his back. He saves the girl’s life, sharing his secret with her. But she’s searching for the sister who killed her family, and she doesn’t care how degrading it gets: she will use Shuichi to accomplish her mission …
When it comes to the anime adaptation, fans can expect to hear Natsuki Hanae as the protagonist Shuichi Kagaya, alongside Nao Toyama as Kurea Aoki and Kana Hanazawa as Erena Aoki. Other revealed cast members for the series include:
- Takahiro Sakurai as Alien
- Miku Itō as Nana Mifune
- Yoshiaki Hasegawa as Abukawa
- Shizuka Ishigami as Hikawa
- Hiroki Yasumoto as Tadanori Sanbe
- Kana Ichinose as Chihiro Yoshioka
- Shōya Chiba as Ikeuchi
- Yō Taichi as Subaru
Gleipnir is being produced at anime studio PINE JAM, with Kazuhiro Yoneda of Yona of the Dawn and Kabukubi! fame directing the series. Shinichi Inotsume, who previously worked on The Price of Smiles and PERSONA 5 the Animation, will be supervising the series scripts. Takahiro Kishida, the artist behind Baccano! and Haikyu!!, will be designing the characters. Ryohei Sataka is composing music for the series, while H-el-ical//, who formerly performed in the iconic group Kalafina as Hikaru Masai, will be performing the anime’s opening theme song.
