Two character trailers for Sekiro: No Defeat have been released, briefly spotlighting the central pair of Sekiro (Wolf) and Kuro/the Divine Heir. The two were previously the focus of last month’s trailer.
The adaptation of FromSoftware‘s 2018 action-adventure game will begin a three-week theatrical run in Japan on September 4, with a streaming release to follow sometime this year. Crunchyroll will exclusively stream the anime outside of Japan, China, Korea, Russia, and Belarus.
Sekiro: No Defeat‘s synopsis reads:
The time is Sengoku. Japan is fractured into many independent nations entangled in ceaseless war. At the center lies Ashina, a land of sacred earth and ancient mystery. Two decades after Sword Saint Isshin Ashina reclaimed the region in a brutal coup, a new threat emerges from within: The Interior Ministry. Desperate to protect his homeland, Isshin’s grandson Genichiro turns to forbidden powers. The only hope lies in a kidnapped boy — the Divine Heir — and his silent protector: a loyal shinobi known only as Sekiro. This is the story of a lord and his retainer — and their quest to restore balance to a nation on the edge.
Kenichi Kutsuna (storyboarder and director for Magical Destroyers, Vlad Love (“Mitsugu” Version), and The Fire Hunter‘s opening animations) is directing the anime at Qzil.la. Other staff include scriptwriter Takuya Sato (selector infected WIXOSS director, Fate/stay night series composer), character designer Takahiro Kishida (Haikyu!!, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Golden Wind), and background art director Yuji Kaneko (Tengoku Daimakyo).
Daisuke Namikawa voices Sekiro, while Miyuki Sato plays Kuro.
Last August, a few days after Sekiro: No Defeat‘s reveal, Qzil.la issued a statement denying the use of generative AI for the anime. The accusations were made due to the anime’s aesthetic and the studio’s interest in the technology (it has since removed mention of the term “AI” from its website).
Sekiro: No Defeat was featured at this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival as part of the Midnight Specials category, which houses “more radical, whackier, and often disturbing form of animation, blending satire, experimentation and high-octane thrills.”
Production credits
• Director: Kenichi Kutsuna
• Scriptwriter: Takuya Sato (selector infected WIXOSS director, Fate/stay night series composer)
• Character Designer:Takahiro Kishida (Haikyu!!, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Golden Wind)
• Deputy director: Shunsuke Fukui (Magical Destroyers opening animation production cooperation, Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! Episode 2 co-director)
• Chief animation director: Kaito Moki
• Action animation director: Takashi Mukoda (Run With the Wind co-main animator)
• Background art director: Yuji Kaneko(Tengoku Daimakyo)
• Color designer: Azusa Sasaki (Lyc oris Recoil)
• Compositing director: Keisuke Nozawa (Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song-)
• Sound director: Yasuhiro Nagura (Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc)
• Music composer: Shuta Hasunuma
• Produce: ARCH
• Animation production: Qzil.la
Cast
• Daisuke Namikawa as Sekiro
• Miyuki Sato as Kuro
• Kenjiro Tsuda as Genichiro Ashina
Source: KADOKAWAanime YouTube channel
