Opening the first ever TUDUM global fan event, Netflix celebrated their ever-growing slate of anime, showcasing and celebrating both upcoming projects as well as stories fans already know and love. Anime continues to grow its fan base on Netflix, with over 120 million households choosing to watch at least one anime on Netflix in the past year. Netflix is excited to continue bolstering their best-in-class lineup of anime from Japan and around the world.
During the virtual fan event presented and hosted by Netflix Anime V-Tuber N-ko, Netflix announced a slew of new projects as well as returning series, along with some teaser artworks. See below for the highlights and announcements.
“AGGRETSUKO Season 4”
- Premiere Date: December 2021
- Directed by: Rarecho
- Animation Production: Fanworks
Frustrated with her thankless office job, Retsuko the Red Panda copes with her daily struggles by belting out death metal karaoke after work. After becoming an underground idol to pay off her debts, Retsuko decides to quit OTMGirls and enjoy living a happy, normal life… but just as the company she works for is facing big changes, her relationship with Haida finally begins to move.
“Bright: Samurai Soul”
- Premiere Date: 12th October 2021
- Directed by: Kyohei Ishiguro
- Written by: Michiko Yokote
- Character Designer: Atsushi Yamagata
- Animation Production: ARECT
In the time between the fall of the Shogunate and the rise of the Meiji era, a powerful bright light emitted from a wand brings an end to the long Shogunate period to avoid further bloodshed as Japan begins to shift toward a new era. Amid these circumstances, a one-eyed wandering ronin named Izou, who has lost his reason to live, and Raiden, an orc who detests murder and hopes to leave a life of thievery behind, separately meet a young elf girl named Sonya around the same time.
Together, they go on a journey along the Tokaido road to bring her and the wand she holds safely to the land of the elves in the north. Standing in their path is the mysterious organization Inferni, which aims to obtain the wand and revive the Dark Lord, who intends to rule all of creation. Inferni also uses the new Meiji government in its attempt to steal the wand from Izou, Raiden and Sonya. Traveling along the Tokaido road from Kyoto to Yokohama, Izou and Raiden begin their journey to protect the wand.
“Drifting Home”
- Premiere Date: Coming in 2022
- Director: Hiroyasu Ishida
- Production: Studio Colorido
Kosuke and Natsume have been friends since childhood, but as time goes on the relationship between the two sixth graders seems strained as they keep avoiding one another. One day during their summer vacation, they go to a housing complex that is scheduled to be demolished. Having grown up there, the place holds a lot of memories, but while playing, they suddenly get caught up in a mysterious phenomenon and when they regain consciousness, they see an entire ocean before them as the housing complex has drifted into a mysterious sea and Kosuke and Natsume with it. Will they be able to return to their previous world? A summer farewell journey begins…
“Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie”
- Now Streaming
- Directed by: Chiaki Kon
- Animation Production: TOEI Animation / Studio DEEN
The upcoming adventures are set in April, when the cherry blossoms are in bloom and Tokyo is in a festive mood as it celebrates the largest “Total Solar Eclipse” of the century. As the new moon obscures the sun and gradually dims its light, Usagi and Chibi-Usa encounter Pegasus, who is in search of the chosen Maiden who can break the seal of the Golden Crystal. Meanwhile, a mysterious troupe called the Dead Moon Circus appears in town who’s nefarious plan is to scatter the nightmare incarnations known as Lemures, seize the ‘Legendary Silver Crystal,’ rule over the moon and the earth, and eventually dominate the entire universe…
“Super Crooks”
- Premiere Date: 25th November 2021
- Director: Motonobu Hori
- Animation Production: bones (or BONES)
In this anime adaptation, small-time crook Johnny Bolt recruits the ultimate crew for one last heist — for real! From comic book legend Mark Millar, this super-powered heist story about eight super-villains is jam-packed with action and told in 13x 30-minute episodes lushly produced by Bones.
“ULTRAMAN” Season 2
- Premiere Date: Coming 2022
- Directors: Kenji Kamiyama & Shinji Aramaki
- Production: Production I.G. & SOLA DIGITAL ARTS
Several years have passed since the events of Ultraman, with the legendary “Giant of Light” (光の巨人 Hikari no Kyojin) now a memory, as it is believed he returned home after fighting the many giant aliens that invaded the Earth. Shin Hayata’s son Shinjiro seems to possess a strange ability, and it is this ability, along with his father’s revelation that he was Ultraman, that leads Shinjiro to battle the new aliens invading the Earth as the new Ultraman.
