The first trailer for The Marginal Service made a huge splash when it introduced its cast in a lineup of bare bodies and muscles. And what was up with that squirrel? Why did it have a name? The jazzy musical theme gave off a fun vibe making me hope the anime would be a fun, action-packed romp.
The second trailer had fun with the first trailer, rewinding it as if the production was under construction before introducing the cast members. When we saw how this motley crew of special operators dressed (as construction workers), the art themes started falling into place. I still had more questions because they were fighting lizard people. And the old white-haired man examined an ancient piece of pottery.
The third trailer and a press release told us what is happening in the world of The Marginal Service. It was aliens!
Ancient Aliens and Cryptid Hunting Combine!
According to the text scroll in the final promotional trailer before the April 11th premiere, “legendary creatures” breached the boundary between their world and ours. A new fighting force was assembled to keep us safe. But they also needed to keep these “boundary people” a secret from humanity. What better way to hide and clean up incursions than behind construction zone signs? The name “marginal service” refers to these incidents at the margins of our dimension.
I found the third trailer hilarious for one scene: an obvious extraterrestrial got beheaded by sci-fi versions of Japanese youkai. I saw one fierce-looking kappa! Now I have my expectations set for the premise behind the tank top-wearing crew of The Marginal Service. What about the talking squirrel? I’m even more curious now. The bigger draw for me is Lyra Candeyheart. Busty and wearing red glasses? Yes, please!
The Muscular Cast and Crew of The Marginal Service
As we previously covered here at J-List, Studio 3Hz (from Hataraku Maou-sama!!) will animate the show under Cygames (most recently from Akiba Maid War and known for the Umamusume: Pretty Derby franchise). Because The Marginal Service is an original story, we’ll need to rely on the track record of the director and writer to temper our expectations. Masayuki Sakoi directed the isekai comedy Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious in 2019. But I want to see how he brings the ridiculous energy of Kamen no Maid Guy (2008) to The Marginal Service.
Writer Kenta Ihara teamed up with Sakoi on the Overly Cautious Hero but also handled scriptwriting for Saga of Tanya the Evil and the recently completed Isekai Ojisan. Ihara has many comedies, like the horror anime Mieruko-chan, in his list of credits, so I’m excited about how funny the new supernatural anime will be. The voice actors are also a stellar crew and look like they will have fun with their speaking parts.
- Brian Nightraider. The maverick former detective joined The Marginal Service after a scandal. Voice actor — Mamoru Miyano (Osamu Dazai from Bungo Stray Dogs)
- Zeno Stokes. Nicknamed “Perfect Order,” the team leader has a mysterious instinct. Voice actor — Toshiyuki Morikawa (Souichirou Amano from A Couple of Cuckoos)
- Bolts Dexter. The tall close-combat fighter loves protein shakes. Voice actor — Tomokazu Sugita (Rudeus Greyrat from Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation)
- Robin Timbert. The former British secret agent doesn’t get along with Bolts. Voice actor — Yuuichi Nakamura (Keigo Takami — Hawks — from My Hero Academia)
- Lyra Candeyheart. The beautiful IT operator wears red glasses. Voice actor — Kaori Nazuka (Miyu Edelfelt from Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya)
- Cyrus N. Kuga. The soft-spoken surgeon is The Marginal Service doctor. Voice actor — Hiro Shimono (Zenitsu Agatsuma from Demon Slayer)
- Theodore Tompson. The occult enthusiast commands The Marginal Service. Voice actor — Shinichirou Miki (Kojirou from Pokémon)
- Peck Desmont. The talking squirrel and mascot of Marginal Service came from the borderlands! Voice actor — Kouki Uchiyama (Tomura Shigaraki from My Hero Academia)
- Rubber Suit. How is the number one pop star connected to The Marginal Service? Voice actor — Yuuma Uchida (Kyouo Souma from Fruits Basket)
Image and news sources: Official Marginal Service website and Comic Natalie.
There has yet to be an official announcement on which anime streaming services will carry the show before the April 11th Japanese broadcast.
Are you ready for an action-oriented take on ancient aliens and mysterious unidentified animals? How about all those muscles in The Marginal Service? I’m here for the talking squirrel and the sexy lady wearing red glasses! Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or online on Facebook or Twitter.
For those who can’t wait to see more of the bosomy Lyra Candeyheart, how about spending time with Kaori-sensei from KANOSEN — My Girlfriend is a Naughty Teacher? She has red glasses too!
