Rick and Morty: Adult Swim's Anime Is Coming to Streaming This Month

For the past few years, Telecom Animation (Lupin III, Brave Story) has been hard at work on Rick and Morty: The Anime — the franchise's first Japanese animated television series. Now, it's been revealed when the show's first episodes are scheduled to stream.

On X (formerly Twitter), @AnimationOnMax announced that Rick and Morty: The Anime, starring Joe Daniels (Haikyu!!) and Gabriel Regojo (Call of the Night) as the titular heroes, will begin streaming on August 16, 2024—one day after its August 15 debut on Adult Swim. The highly anticipated adaptation of Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland's beloved sci-fi comedy uses the series' “multiverse” to present a new perspective on the world and characters of Rick and Morty. This is evident in the anime's latest trailer, seen below, which is a chaotic mix of slapstick humor, fast-paced action, and teasingly romantic scenes.

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Rick and Morty: The Anime comes from the mind of Takashi Sano, the director of the acclaimed webtoon-turned-anime Tower of God. A longtime fan of the Rick and Morty series, Sano chose to break new ground with his R&M spin-off by presenting an original story along with an improved art style. In an interview conducted earlier this year, Sano explained that he wanted to present the themes and elements of the original work with “a uniquely Japanese touch,” creating a product that would appeal to both core fans of the series and diehard anime lovers. While discussing the new trailer at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Sano revealed more details about Morty’s role in the anime.

Rick and Morty fans can expect both new and old characters in the upcoming animated series

“…I wanted to focus on Morty having a bit of a romance throughout the series and use that as a springboard for a story that connects all the different universes, so I introduced a new character that you’ve seen a glimpse of…” Sano said, referring to a blonde girl briefly shown kissing Morty in the trailer. It’s a significant addition, considering Morty’s previous “love life” consisted mostly of unrequited feelings for a side character named Jessica. While Sano certainly isn’t afraid to add new characters, Rick and Morty fans can rest assured that the main cast—including newer characters like “Space Beth” and Tammy—will be the main focus.

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Sano has collaborated with the Rick and Morty series twice before. In 2020 and 2021, he directed two standalone animated shorts titled Rick and Morty vs. Genocider and Summer Meets God, respectively. Adult Swim has also commissioned R&M specials from other prominent anime directors, including Masaru Matsumoto (Kaiju No. 8) and Kaichi Sato (Dynamic Venus). In the style of the official Rick and Morty manga, many of these shorts parody iconic anime series, such as Akira, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Mobile Suit Gundam, among others.

Rick and Morty: The Anime will premiere on Adult Swim on August 15, 2024, and will be available to stream on Max on August 16. In the meantime, fans can watch the latest episodes of the original Rick and Morty series, which is also streaming on Max.