Way back in the distant past of June 2020 (at least, it sure feels like that was a long time ago), I reported here on the J-List blog that the manga series Shaman King would get a complete anime reboot. The reboot would take the story all the way up through the 35th and final volume of the manga. Sadly, we had very little else to report about the project at the time.
On Wednesday, September 16th, that all changed when the very first real promotional video hit YouTube. The video reveals the core staff and cast for the upcoming reboot!
We already knew that the Shaman King reboot series will premiere in April 2021, but thanks to this video, we can now report on who will bring it to life!
Directing this title at studio Bridge will be Joji Furuta, while Shoji Yonemura will handle the series scripts. They will work off character designs adapted for anime by Satohiko Sano, while Yuki Hayashi will compose the background music.
In terms of the voice cast, the good news is that most of the main voices will be reprised by their original voice actors from the 2001 anime adaptation, except for one. For the main characters, the roles will be played by (character names first):
Yoh Asakura: Yoko Hikasa
Amidamaru: Katsuyuki Konishi
Anna Kyoyama: Megumi Hayashibara
Hao Asakur: Minami Takayama
Originally a manga series created by Hiroyuki Takei that ran in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1998 to 2004, Shaman King was originally adapted into a 64-episode anime series that ran from 2001 to 2002 and aired in countries and territories all over the world. Viz Media published the Shaman King manga in English from 2003 to 2011, but they no longer hold the rights.
If you’re unfamiliar with the shonen battle series, MyAnimeList describes the plot as:
A battle is about to begin in Tokyo: the Shaman Fight, a tournament held every five hundred years where shaman—those who can command spirits—confront each other in combat. The victor of this contest becomes the Shaman King and the only one who is able to contact and control the Great Spirit, allowing them to reshape the world as they please through its immense power.
During a late night walk, Manta Oyamada runs into his classmate, the carefree You Asakura, who invites him to come stargazing with some friends, who, to Manta’s horror, turn out to be ghosts from a local cemetery! However, the knowledge that Manta possesses—a rare sixth sense that allows Manta to see these spirits—endears the boy to You. So when You finds out that his new comrade has been beaten up by a local gang, he decides to avenge him with the help of Amidamaru, a samurai ghost whose tomb was broken by the gang leader.
Soon Manta uncovers more about the world of spirits, including the Shaman Fight, in which his new friend You aims to claim victory.
Source: AnimeAnime.jp
