The upcoming Akuma-kun anime has received a new visual and a 2023 Netflix release date. The visual depicts protagonist Akuma-kun the Second/Ichiro Umoregi along with Mephisto the Third.
It was also announced that Yuki Kaji is voicing the titular protagonist.
The show is set 30 years after the 1989 Akuma-kun anime and sees Akuma-kun the Second and Mephisto the Third tackling demon-related mysteries. The first-generation Akuma-kun and Mephisto the Second will appear in the new series as well. Yuuko Mita and Toshio Furukawa are reprising their respective roles as the first Akuma-kun and Mephisto the Second respectively, while Furukawa will also play Mephisto the Third.
The new anime’s staff includes Junichi Satou (Akuma-kun series director, A Whisker Away co-director) as chief director, Fumitoshi Oizaki (A Centaur’s Life chief director, Etotama) as series director, and Hiroshi Oonogi (GeGeGe no Kitaro Season 6) as series composer. Toei Animation is the animation production company.
Akuma-kun was created by GeGeGe Kitaro‘s late author Shigeru Mizuki. The original rented manga series began in 1963 and ended in 1964, with several other versions following later. Two versions were published by Kodansha, while one was published by Shueisha. The last version of the manga was 1993-1994’s Akuma-kun: Nostradamus Daiyogen. The Akuma-kun moniker has been used by different characters throughout the series.
The 1989 anime is based on the 1988-1990 Saishinban Akuma-kun manga. There are also two anime movies in addition to other media adaptations such as a live-action series and a video game. The new anime was one of several projects announced during the Mizuki Shigeru 100th Birthday Festival in March 2021.
Sources: Gegege Kitaro website, @NetflixAnime
