It has been announced that the title of the new TV anime based on "YAIBA," a manga by Gosho Aoyama, known for "Detective Conan," will be "True Samurai Legend YAIBA." It was also announced that voice actress Minami Takayama will play the main character Kurogane Yaiba, following on from the TV anime "YAIBA," which aired from 1993 to 1994. Iwami Manaka will play the heroine Mine Sayaka, and Hosoya Yoshimasa will play Yaiba's rival Onimaru Takeru. The anime will be produced by WIT STUDIO, known for "Attack on Titan" and "SPY×FAMILY." "YAIBA" is a swordplay action manga that Aoyama serialized in "Weekly Shonen Sunday" (Shogakukan) from 1988 to 1993, before the serialization of "Detective Conan" began. It depicts the exploits of the unconventional young swordsman Tetsujin, who trains in the jungle with his father. Yaiba returns to Japan by chance and begins his training in a new place, striving to become even stronger... This is the story. A total of 24 volumes of the manga have been released, with a total circulation of approximately 17 million copies. The new anime is being fully supervised by the original author, Aoyama, and will be fully animated 30 years after the series ended.
Takayama, who will be playing Tetsujin again, commented, "'I am Tetsujin, a samurai!' I never thought I would be able to claim this once again... I can't help but feel happy (which can be read as a miracle)! I am very grateful for the love of all the staff. I am currently having a fun and enjoyable training, 'Ura Ura Hore, Ura Ura Hore'. I can't wait to show you my explosive appearance, as if I'm about to jump out of the screen!"
Iwami, who plays Mine Sayaka, said, "I couldn't believe at first that the day would come when I would be able to act in the world of Aoyama Gosho-sensei, who I've watched on TV since I was a child. I'm able to play the very cute and sometimes cool Sayaka with ease every time, while being inspired by all the wonderful people! I hope that the beloved world of 'YAIBA' will be enjoyed by even more people!"
Hosoya, who plays Onimaru Takeshi, said, "At a time when the auditions for Onimaru were going nowhere, I received the news about the second audition, and I was scared to audition because I thought I might fail again. I felt that I was the only one for the role, and that the work was too big for me. I'm really happy to be able to greet everyone and announce the cast. I'm looking forward to working on the voice recording so that more people can feel Onimaru's charm. I look forward to working with you all."
The new anime will be directed by Hasui Takahiro, with character design and general animation director Kameda Yoshitoshi and music by Yamada Yutaka. A teaser visual of Yaiba holding the Raijinken sword with the setting of the story, Kaminarimon Gate in Asakusa, in the background, and a teaser PV featuring a scene of Yaiba and Onimaru engaged in an intense sword fight have also been released.
Director Hasui said, "Under the supervision of Aoyama-sensei, we have made some changes to create an anime and a modern version so that both those who know 'YAIBA' and those who don't can enjoy it. A powerful staff has come together to draw 'YAIBA', which is packed with various elements. Please look forward to the new 'YAIBA'!"
Kameda said, "When I was in elementary school, my grandmother gave me an oil paint set, but I didn't know what to draw, so I copied the cover of volume 21 of my favorite manga, YAIBA, onto a canvas. Thirty years have passed since then, and now I'm able to officially draw characters as a character designer, and I couldn't be happier or more honored to do this! I'll do my best to make it a great work!"
Yamada commented, "When I first spoke with the director, he told me he wanted me to think of the music as one of the characters, and I remember being very happy about that. I want the audience to enjoy the music, which has many different faces and is not bound by genre, along with the anime, while still cherishing the fast-paced tempo of the work."
◇Staff (titles omitted)
Director: Hasui Takahiro▽Series Composition: Machida Doko▽Character Design and Chief Animation Director: Kameda Yoshinori▽Sub-character design and main animator: Maenami Takeshi▽Special Effects Director: Masuda Hiroshi▽Art Director: Takeda Yusuke (Bamboo)▽Art Setting: Fujii Kazushi▽Color Design: Hashimoto Ken▽3D Director: Nakamura Yukinori▽Director of Photography: Fukushi Toru▽Editor: Hirose Kiyoshi▽Music: Yamada Yutaka, Dewa Yoshiaki▽Sound Director: Yamada Akira▽Sound Effects: Morikawa Eiko▽Animation Producer: Okada Maiko▽Animation Production: WIT STUDIO
