MAPPA revealed the main cast and visuals on Saturday for Lazarus (Lazaro in Japanese), Toonami's new original anime with Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Space Dandy) and animation studio MAPPA (Chainsaw Man , Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan Final Part). MAPPA also revealed additional personnel.
Image via Dengeki Online's X/Twitter Account
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Image via Lazarus anime X/Twitter account
© 2024 The Cartoon Network, Inc. All rights reserved.
The anime will feature: (Top row, from left to right)
(Bottom row, from left to right)
Adult Swim revealed a new series with English subtitles The first anime video clip on Friday at New York Comic Con.
The anime is scheduled to premiere in 2025.
Senior Vice President and Head of Anime and Action at Adult Swim Jason DeMarco confirmed that Watanabe will direct every episode. Chad Stahelski (John Wick stuntman and director) is designing the action scenes for this sci-fi action anime. The anime will feature musical arrangements by jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington, along with producers, DJs and musicians Float Points and Bonobo. Sola Entertainment is producing.
Akemi Hayashi is the character designer, Stanislas Brunet is the concept designer and Miho Sugiura is the art director. Other staff members include:
Adult Swim describes the story:
The year is 2052 – an era of unprecedented peace and prosperity reigns across the globe. The reason is: humanity has been freed from disease and suffering. Nobel Prize winning neuroscientist Dr. Skinner developed a miracle drug that can cure all diseases with no obvious drawbacks called Hapuna. Hapuna soon became popular… and necessary. However, shortly after Hapuna was officially introduced, Dr. Skinner disappeared.
Three years later, the world has moved on. But Dr. Skinner is back—this time, as a harbinger of doom. Skinner reported that Hapuna has a short half-life. Everyone who takes it will die about three years later. Death is coming to this sinful world—and will come soon.
To deal with this threat, a task force of five agents is assembled from around the world to save humanity from Skinner's plans. This group is called “Lazarus.” Can they find Skinner and develop a vaccine before time runs out?
Watanabe has directed notable anime works such as Cowboy Bebop, Macross Plus, Samurai Champloo, Space Dandy, Carole & Tuesday, and Terror in Resonance. He is also the director of the animated short film “Blade Runner: Black Out 2022”. Watanabe's short film “A Girl Meets a Boy and a Robot” was screened at the 26th Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, Canada in July 2022.
Source: website, Comic Natalie