It has been announced that the TV anime "Ninja vs. Gokudo", based on the manga by Shinsuke Kondo, which is currently being serialized on Kodansha's web manga service "Comic DAYS", will begin airing on Nippon TV in October. The main cast has also been announced, with Chiaki Kobayashi playing Tanaka Shinoha, a ninja who has lost the ability to smile due to trauma, and Katsuyuki Konishi who appears to be an elite company employee on the surface but controls the underworld. Sumire Uesaka will play Duct Tape, nicknamed the "Prince of Murder".
The main staff was also announced, with Yasuhiro Watanabe as director, Keiichiro Ochi as series composer, and Noriyuki Matsutake as character designer. Studio Deen will produce the film.
Kobayashi commented, "The famous ' Ninja vs. Gokudo' has been made into an anime... I still feel like this is no longer a dream. I was so shocked and excited by the fact that this work was going to be made into an anime on terrestrial television. I will put my heart and soul into killing those who commit evil deeds in the underworld, so please look forward to the broadcast!"
Konishi said, "When I first read ' Ninja vs. Gokudo' I was immediately captivated by what an exciting piece of work it was! It's interesting, but I thought it would never be made into an anime, and now it's true! I hope everyone will look forward to it!"
Uesaka said, "This is a thrilling production with many exciting battles that will get your heart racing! When I was playing Gamte, I did my best to kill as hard as I could without thinking about tomorrow or the day after! I hope you will enjoy the crazy, hardworking Gamte!"
The story is about a ninja who cannot laugh due to a trauma he has experienced, and a gangster who is an elite company employee but controls his gang behind the scenes. They hit it off over a conversation about anime for girls, and deepen their friendship without knowing each other's true identities, but as the war between the Ninja vs. Gokudo intensifies, their fates intersect... The story depicts the exchange of lives between lonely men.
