The official website for the television anime of Moto’o Nakanishi‘s Sword of the Demon Hunter: Kijin Gentōshō novel series unveiled on Tuesday a visual and new cast members for the Meiji arc, which began in the 22nd episode on Monday. The website also announced that there will be delays for the final two episodes due to production issues. The 23rd and 24th episodes will air on September 22 and 29, respectively. The 22nd episode will reair next week.
Image via Sword of the Demon Hunter anime’s website
© 中西モトオ／双葉社・「鬼人幻燈抄」製作委員会
The newly announced cast includes:
Yumiri Hanamori as Kaneomi
Image via Sword of the Demon Hunter anime’s website
© 中西モトオ／双葉社・「鬼人幻燈抄」製作委員会
Toshiki Kumagai as Heikichi Utsugi
Image via Sword of the Demon Hunter anime’s website
© 中西モトオ／双葉社・「鬼人幻燈抄」製作委員会
Tomori Kusunoki as Himawari
Image via Sword of the Demon Hunter anime’s website
© 中西モトオ／双葉社・「鬼人幻燈抄」製作委員会
Yume Miyamoto as Jishibari
Image via Sword of the Demon Hunter anime’s website
© 中西モトオ／双葉社・「鬼人幻燈抄」製作委員会
Image via Sword of the Demon Hunter anime’s website
© 中西モトオ／双葉社・「鬼人幻燈抄」製作委員会
The anime premiered with a one-hour special first episode on the Tokyo MX channel on March 3. It also aired on BS Fuji and MBS on April 1. Starting with the second episode, the anime moved to its regular timeslot on Tokyo MX on April 7 at 12 midnight JST (effectively, April 8), then on MBS and BS Fuji on April 8. The anime will air for two consecutive cours (quarters of a year).
HIDIVE is streaming the anime. Episodes stream on Mondays at 11:00 a.m. EDT. HIDIVE streamed an incomplete version of episode 21 last week.
The anime was delayed from its July 2024 premiere after a planned one-hour special in June that same year, due to production delays.
The anime stars Taku Yashiro as Jinta, Reina Ueda as Suzune, and Saori Hayami as Shirayuki.
Kazuya Aiura (Assassins Pride, Hori-san to Miyamura-kun (OAV) is directing the anime at Yokohama Animation Lab. Deko Akao (Assassins Pride, Arakawa Under the Bridge, Noragami) is overseeing the series scripts, Tarō Ikegami (Lapis Re:LiGHTs) is designing the characters, and Ryuuichi Takada, Keiichi Hirokawa, and Kuniyuki Takahashi from MONACA are composing the music.
Seven Seas Entertainment is releasing both the novel series and its manga adaptation in English, and it describes the story:
In the Edo era, young Jinta and his sister must flee their home, finding refuge in a mountain village. Years later, Jinta has grown into a skilled swordsman, sworn to protect the priestess of the village shrine. Charged with slaying a demon that threatens the shrine, Jinta confronts the malevolent creature in the forest, only to learn a shocking truth. The demon speaks of events one hundred and seventy years hence, when Jinta must confront the demon in the future. Thus begins an epic fantasy journey that spans multiple eras as Jinta hunts a demon through time and must come to terms with his own dark nature.
Nakanishi published the first novel volume, titled Suihō no Hibi (Days of Nothing), in June 2019 with art by Tamaki. The series’ 14th and final volume shipped in November 2023.
Futabasha published the first compiled book volume of Yu Satomi‘s manga adaptation of the novels in September 2021, and the eighth volume shipped on March 19. The manga runs in Monthly Action magazine.
Sources: Sword of the Demon Hunter anime’s website, Comic Natalie