It has been announced that "LAZARUS", an original anime directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, known for the anime "Cowboy Bebop", will be broadcast and streamed in 2025. Miyano Mamoru will play the protagonist Axel, who is imprisoned due to an incident but repeatedly escapes, and whose "hobby is escaping prison". Furukawa Makoto, Uchida Maaya, Uchida Yuuma, and Iwami Manaka will play the members of the agent team Lazarus, who have been gathered from all over the world along with Axel.
Also appearing in the series are Hayashibara Megumi as Hirsch, the mysterious woman who manages Lazarus; Otsuka Akio as Abel, the director of the intelligence agency NSA (National Security Agency) who organized Lazarus to pursue Skinner; and Yamadera Koichi as Skinner, the developer of Hapuna, which has been said to be "the drug that saves the world", bringing together a star-studded cast of voice actors.
Visuals depicting the main character, Axel, flying freely around the city, as well as action scenes of Axel using his extraordinary physical abilities to easily run through the city as if he were doing parkour, were also released.
Miyano commented, "I am truly happy to be involved in director Watanabe Shinichiro's work again, and to be able to play the lead role of Axel. This work, 'LAZARUS,' is first class in terms of action, music, direction, story, everything... I always got goosebumps during the dubbing. In this deep story where one mystery leads to another, I focused solely on the character of Axel, while at the same time being "natural." Director Watanabe has said that 'LAZARUS' has the potential to be "a culmination of his work," so please look forward to it."
Furukawa said, "As this is Director Watanabe's latest work, I remember being very nervous when I heard that I would be appearing. At the same time, I felt very honored. Like a foreign TV drama, the story of 'LAZARUS' unfolds in each episode. There is a lot of information in each episode, so I think it is a work that can be enjoyed from various points of view. Please check it out!"
Uchida Maaya said, "I am very excited to be a part of 'LAZARUS'. 'LAZARUS' is shrouded in mystery. As it is an original work, I hope you will feel with your heart what kind of developments await you. Chris, who I play, is a woman with complicated feelings, and a charming person who is full of the composure, coolness, and playfulness of an adult woman. Please look forward to the release of 'LAZARUS'!"
Uchida Yuuma commented, "The recording of 'LAZARUS' was a lot of fun, but also very tense. I'm happy to have been involved as one of the people creating the play, surrounded by such wonderful expressions such as visuals and music. 'LAZARUS' is about fighting against resistance within a limited time. It's a very stimulating animation. Please check it out."
Iwami said, "When I spoke with the director during the audition and was shown some of the footage, I thought it looked interesting! I wanted to be involved somehow! Every dubbing session was a tense one, and as an actor it was very rewarding, so I really looked forward to going to the set every time. I can't wait to see 'LAZARUS', which I worked on with the wonderful director, staff, and co-stars. It's a production that you won't want to miss even one episode! Please look forward to it!"
Hayashibara commented, "'I'm home' and 'Welcome back' to who? By whom? It's not a reunion, but a sense of nostalgia clings to me. The cold iron bars, the sweaty men, even the air of the city is fragrant. Everything is unkind, and yet I can't help but follow this world. I've been waiting all this time. I believed I'd meet them somewhere. There's no way I could miss such a chance. That's true for you, isn't it?"
Otsuka said, "It's finally time for 'LAZARUS.' I don't think there's a production where I'm so excited to see the finished product. As I've gotten older, I've been playing more of a rear guard role, but even so, there's still this sense of tension. Is it proof that the production is so exciting? I strongly hope that everyone around the world will see it as soon as possible, and be excited and thrilled. Please look forward to 'LAZARUS!'" Yamadera said, "For me, Cowboy Bebop is the most important treasure in my life as a voice actor. That's why I always want to appear in all of director Watanabe Shinichiro's works. I don't care what role it is! If you look at the footage and cast that have already been released, you'll see that there's no way this movie won't be interesting! Oh, I said any role, but Skinner is a very important role (laughs). Anyway, please look forward to it!"
The film will be produced by MAPPA, with character design by Hayashi Akemi, who has worked on "BANANA FISH," and action supervision by Chad Stahelski.
◇Staff (titles omitted)
Original story and director: Shinichiro Watanabe▽Action supervision: Chad Stahelski (87Eleven Action Design)▽Character design: Akemi Hayashi▽Concept design: Brunet Stanislas▽Art director: Miho Sugiura▽Color design: Kana Tanabe▽Screen design: Takuma Sakamoto▽Director of photography: Mitsuhiro Sato▽Music: Kamasi Washington/Bonobo/Floating Points▽Sound effects: Lauren Stephens (Formosa Group)▽Animation producer: Masato Matsunaga▽Production: MAPPA▽Planning and production: SOLA ENTERTAINMENT
◇Cast (titles omitted)
Axel: Mamoru Miyano▽Doug: Shin Furukawa▽Christine: Maaya Uchida▽Leland: Yuuma Uchida▽Elaina: Manaka Iwami▽Hirsh: Megumi Hayashibara▽Abel: Akio Otsuka▽Skinner: Koichi Yamadera
