Look! There’s swords, guys! (Sorry, not sorry for the bad pun)
Earlier today, Netflix started streaming Sword Gai the Animation (SwordGai) on their digital platform. The show’s twelve-episode run is available in its entirety for users across the globe.
Audio is available in Japanese, English, French, German, Spanish, and Japanese Audio Descriptions. Subtitles are available in English, Japanese (closed captions), Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), and Spanish.
Jalen K. Cassell directed the English dub for the title.
Takahiro Ikezoe (Show By Rock!!, PriPri Chii-chan!!) served as chief director on the project, with Tomohito Naka (New Theatrical Movie Initial D Legend 2: Racer) taking the director’s chiar at LandQ Studios. Atsuko Nakajima (Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto, Ranma ½) provided character designs, while series co-creator Toshiki Inoue tackled series composition.
Lead actor Yūto Uemura performed opening theme song What is Predestined (Sadame)
Other confirmed crew members include:
- Music: Kotaro Nakagawa
- Sound Director: Toshiki Kameyama
- Art Director: Seiko Akashi
- 3D Directors: Akihiko Kimura
- 3D Directors: Kenji Isobe
- Color design: Masato Sasaki
In addition to LandQ Studios, DLE Inc. and Production I.G. are listed on animation production.
The series stars the following:
- Seiya Ichijō: Yuichiro Umehara
- Gai Ogata: Yūto Uemura
- Sayaka Ogata: Yuka Aisaka
- Amon Ogata: Jouji Nakata
- Naoki Miki: Tomokazu Sugita
- Marcus Lithos: Hiro Shimono
- Takuma Miura: Toshihiko Seki
- Kyōka Kagami: Rina Satou
- Grimms: Takaya Kuroda
- Aronisu: Michiko Neya
- Ariga I: Kohei Murakami
- Yasuko Tanaka: Urara Takano
- Midoriko: Ayane Sakura
- Kazuma Matoba: Takaya Hashi
- Tatsumi: Kenji Hamada
- Mina Hiraya: Yu Shimamura
- Kigetsu: Masaharu Satō
- KEI: Sumi Shimamoto
- Hakimu: Kousuke Toriumi
Sword Gai the Animation was first revealed in the pages of Monthly Hero’s Magazine in 2014. At the time, the publication revealed that Sword Gai would be a co-production between entertainment company Fields and Flash anime studio DLE Inc.
The title will be based on Toshiki Inoue (Ranma ½, Ushio & Tora), Osamu Kine, and Keita Amamiya’s manga of the same name. Inoue served as writer on the project, while Amemiya produced the original character designs. Kine provided final character designs for the title.
Netflix describes Sword Gai: The Animation Series as:
A weapon that has drawn the blood of countless victims becomes legend, and at times takes on a life of its own. When such a weapon’s human host is filled with hate and murderous intent, he becomes a demonic combination of weapon and man that thirsts only for slaughter.
An organization has faced these dangerous beings over the centuries. A young man named Gai is destined to live as a weapon. As humans are enthralled by their weapons’ power, epic battles unfold with the fate of humanity in the balance in this battle action fantasy. The series will debut globally on Netflix in Spring 2018.
Sword Gai made its début in the pages of Monthly Hero’s in December 2012. The series went on to span six volumes. Sequel series Sword Gai Evolve, which brought the original creators back together, launched in Monthly Hero’s November 2015. The ongoing title spans three compiled volumes, with the most recent hitting stores on June 5.
Sources: Netflix
