The main cast of the TV anime "The Darwin Incident," based on the manga by Shun Umezawa, which was also the winner of the Manga Taisho Awards 2022, has been announced, with Atsumi Tanezaki playing Charlie, a "humanzee" born from a human and a chimpanzee. Mitsuho Kanbe will play Lucy Eldred, a girl Charlie meets when she enrolls at the school, and Akio Otsuka will play Rivera Feyerabend.
Tanezaki, who plays Charlie, said, "The main character of ' The Darwin Incident' is a boy who is a 'Humanzee' - half human, half chimpanzee. A Humanzee?? The original work is so interesting and fascinating that you can't put it down, and as you read, you naturally start thinking about 'him' and 'others' as well. When I was asked to voice his character, I had a lot of worries for the first time in my career as a voice actor. This work will have a big impact on us, and so that you can enjoy it without any misunderstandings, the anime for ' The Darwin Incident' has been produced very carefully and over a long period of time. Please look forward to it...!"
Kobe, who plays Lucy, commented, "When I first read the work, although it contains a major fictional element in the existence of Humanzees, the reality of the various events that arise from it is incredible, and I was immediately captivated by the tense developments and the persuasiveness of the words, and couldn't stop turning the pages. In a world where there are good and evil and various conspiracies, how will Lucy be influenced, think, and act after meeting Charlie? I thought a lot about this in my own way, and did my best to express the charm of the intelligent and proactive Lucy. Please look forward to the broadcast!"
Otsuka, who plays Rivera, said, "The The Darwin Incident is finally here. I'm really looking forward to it, and to everyone who's looking forward to it! I'm Akio Otsuka, who has earned a reputation for playing villains. Once again, I'm prepared to bear the hostility of everyone who watches the film. How much will I be hated, and where will it lead? I can't back out now. If the film becomes a hit, I'll consider that the greatest reward of all, and I'm going to run through it! I'm really looking forward to it~♪"
The first trailer, which depicts Charlie's birth and the organization that begins to move around him, as well as key visuals depicting Charlie and Lucy challenging a threat and Rivera coveting Charlie, have been released. The official website has also released the second part of an official interview between the original author Umezawa and director Tsuda Naokatsu.
"The Darwin Incident" has been serialized in Monthly Afternoon (Kodansha) since 2020. Charlie, a "humanzee" born from a human and a chimpanzee, faces human problems such as terrorism, online outrage, and discrimination. The series has sold over 2 million copies. It has swept the manga awards, including ranking 10th in the "This Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2022" Men's Edition, the Excellence Award in the Manga Division at the 25th Japan Media Arts Festival, and second place in the "2022 Recommended Comics by Comics Publishers." It was also selected for the Asia section of "BDGest'Arts" at the 50th Angoulême International Comics Festival in France, and is gaining popularity not only in Japan but also overseas.
The TV anime will be broadcast on TV Tokyo from January 2026.
*Staff (titles omitted)
Director: Tsuda Naokatsu▽Series Director: Nakayama Katsuichi▽Series Composition: Inozume Shinichi▽Character Design: Tomooka Shinpei▽Music: Okehazama Arisa, Horikawa Mariko▽Sound Director: Iwanami Yoshikazu▽Production: Belnox Films▽Production: "The Darwin Incident" Production Committee
*Cast (titles omitted)
Charlie: Atsumi Tanezaki ▽ Lucy Eldred: Mitsuho Kanbe ▽ Rivera Feyerabend: Akio Otsuka
