It has been announced that "Shang Shan," a popular manga by Jiang Jiameizi currently serialized on the Chinese manga platform "Bilibili," will be adapted into a TV anime. It will air in 2027 on "B8station," a late-night anime block produced by Fuji TV and the Chinese video streaming service "bilibili." This marks a new initiative in which a popular Chinese manga is being adapted into an anime by Japanese creators. Itsuro Kawasaki, known for "Sengoku BASARA," will serve as director and scriptwriter, Eri Osada, known for "Ensemble Stars!", will be in charge of character design and chief animation direction, and Yoshihiro Sugano, known for "Solo Leveling," will be the action director. Dangan Pictures and Canon Code will produce the animation.
The story follows a Taoist priest named Dozen who, during his travels, encounters a human girl being raised by demons. He names her "Shangshan," takes her in as his disciple, and together they embark on a journey of training. Shangshan, who has never known human emotions or love, grows as a person through her journey with Dozen.
The main cast has also been announced, with Rina Kawaguchi playing Shang Shan, Hiroshi Kamiya playing Dao Ran, Shang Shan's kind-hearted Taoist master, Daisuke Sakuma Hiroshi Kamiya playing Lu Ren, Dao Ran's proud childhood friend, Aoi Yuki playing Qian Qing, Lu Ren's disciple, and Ayumu Murase playing Chi Lu, whom Dao Ran and Shang Shan meet by chance. A teaser visual and teaser PV featuring Dao Ran, Shang Shan, and other main characters have been released.
Kawaguchi commented, "I was deeply moved by the beautiful visuals in the PV. I am grateful to be able to work with such wonderful cast members, and I will do my best to make the character of Naoyoshi shine even brighter. Thank you for your support."
Kamiya said, "This project is a new endeavor, with a Chinese-based manga being adapted by a Japanese animation production company and directed by a Japanese director. I am very honored to be able to participate in this challenge. It is also a valuable opportunity to work regularly with Sakuma-san, and I am sincerely looking forward to being involved in the project."
Sakuma commented, "In this work, I want to approach the role not as ' Daisuke Sakuma,' but as 'Rojin,' and portray each of his thoughts and words with care. I will sincerely face the role and do my best to become Rojin's greatest confidant."
Yuuki said, "This work has been meticulously crafted down to the smallest detail, and by deliberately not explaining everything, it has created a work that values leaving room for the viewer's imagination. I will put my heart into my performance so that you can feel its charm. I myself am very much looking forward to its completion. I hope you will share in the excitement with me."
Murase said, "After finishing the PV recording, I was greatly attracted to the beautiful visuals and robust storyline. I also read the original manga and was drawn in by its captivating storyline. I will do my best to portray the world of the work with care, so I hope you will look forward to the broadcast. Thank you."
Original author Jiang Jia Meizi commented, "When I first heard about the anime adaptation, I was very happy. Seeing the production progress step by step, I truly realized that it would actually be made into an anime, and I was deeply moved. I think that an anime adaptation is a dream for every manga artist. Every time I learned about the production company, staff, cast, broadcasting platform, music, etc., I couldn't help but think, 'Wow, is it really okay for me to be this fortunate?' I am truly happy that my manga is being treated with such care and seriousness."
"Although I am the original author, like everyone else, I am looking forward to the broadcast start date with great anticipation. I hope that Sang Seon's story will reach many people and be loved by them. I am also looking forward to seeing the characters I have come to life, with colors, voices, and movements," he said.
Director Kawasaki sent a message saying, "Producer Nishibe (Makoto) handed me the original work, saying, 'I have this original story,' and it was 'Naozen.' At first, it wasn't the official Japanese version, so I had a little trouble reading it, but my honest impression after reading it was that it was 'interesting.' The characters and the case are fascinating. And what I liked most was that I liked the way scenes were omitted here and there, which allowed me to expand my imagination about the story. It was also interesting that different people had different interpretations during the script meetings, and I realized that it is a work that can give different kinds of enjoyment to many different people, which made me even more eager to turn it into a film. I think there will still be many difficulties that come with animation production, but I would like to do my best to finish it into a wonderful film and deliver it to everyone. Please wait a little longer."
◇Staff (titles omitted)
Director/Screenplay: Itsuro Kawasaki; Assistant Director: Tomohiro Matsukawa; Character Design/Chief Animation Director: Eri Osada; Monster Design/Prop Design: Takeshi Yamazaki, Yuichi Karasawa; Action Director: Yoshihiro Sugano; Effects Supervisor: Kazunori Ozawa; Logo Design: Seita Takahashi; Art Director: Takamasa Nakakuki; Color Design: Setsu Nagata; Director of Photography: Yusaku Iwami; Editing: Itsuro Kawasaki; Sound Director: Itsuro Kawasaki; Music: Takuro Iga; Sound Effects: Sachiko Nishi; Sound Production: Aoni Production; Production: Dangan Pictures, Canon Code
