The official website for the anime television adaptation of Chisato Abe’s novel Karasu wa Aruji o Erabanai (The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master), the second novel in her Yatagarasu series, revealed its premiere. anime premiere on April 6 and additional cast.
Image via X/Twitter account for the anime Karasu wa Aruji o Erabanai
© 阿部智里/文藝春秋/ NHK・NEP・ぴえろ
Newly announced cast members (from left to right in the image above):
Image via Twitter account for the anime Karasu wa Aruji o Erabanai
© 阿部智里/文藝春秋/NHK・NEP・ぴえろ
The anime will premiere on NHK on April 6 at 11:45 p.m. JST (10:45 a.m. EDT).
Anime stars:
Yoshiaki Kyougoku (Laid-Back Camp first two seasons and film) is directing the series at Studio Pierrot, and Yukiko Yamamuro (Touch (live-action film)) is overseeing the series script. Takumo Norita (Lagrange-The Flower of Rin-ne, Broken Blade) designed the characters, Eishi Segawa (Ushio & Tora both seasons, Gintama (live-action film)) composed the music, and Yuji Tange was the sound director. NHK, NHK Enterprises and Pierrot are producing the anime.
The book focuses on the world of the yatagarasu (the Japanese name for a variant of the mythical crow that appears in East Asian folk mythology). The yatagarasu can shapeshift between human and crow forms, and live in the Yamauchi world, a parallel world created by the yatagarasu god Yamagami. In Yamauchi, the yatagarasu live in a society reminiscent of Heian period Japan and a parallel world still connected to our human world.
NHK describes the anime’s story:
Yamauchi, a wonderful world where Yatagarasu lives
Yukiya, a young Yatagarasu, is appointed as the personal servant of eccentric Crown Prince Wakamiya. Soon, he becomes entangled in a web of plots aimed at overthrowing the heir to the Imperial throne.
Abe launched the novel series with the first novel Karasu ni Hitoe wa Niawanai in 2012. The first part of the novel series contains six novels (of which Karasu wa Aruji o Erabanai is the second novel, released 2013) and a spin-off novel. The second part of the novel series has so far inspired three novels (the latest released in October 2022) and one spin-off novel.
The first two novels in the series inspired manga adaptations. Mitsumi Matsuzaki drew the manga adaptation of Karasu ni Hitoe wa Niawanai, which ran on Kodansha’s Comic Days app from June 2018 to April 2020. Kodansha is releasing the manga in English on the K MANGA service under the title A Raven for All Seasons. Matsuzaki launched the Karasu wa Aruji o Erabanai manga in Kodansha’s Evening magazine in May 2020 and moved it to Comic Days in December 2021, where the series is ongoing.
Source: website, Natalie Comics