Recently, Netflix released their teaser trailer for the upcoming dark fantasy anime series – Bastard!! Furthermore, Netflix confirmed that Bastard!! will be released worldwide in 2022 as a split-cour series with 24 episodes, which means that in the future there will be a Bastard Part 2 on Netflix consisting of Bastard!! Episode 13 to 24.
What is a ‘cour’, you may ask? For those unfamiliar with the lingo, a “cour” is a quarterly block of TV broadcasts based on the physical seasons, usually made up of 10 to 13 episodes.
A “split-cour” is where a single anime season takes a break of several months before resuming TV broadcasts.
With no final release date confirmed, there are rumors we’ll be seeing Bastard!! Part 1 in the first half of 2022 in spring 2022 (April to June) or summer 2022 (July to September). If so, it’s possible the Bastard Part 2 release date will be late 2022 or early 2023.
The producer behind Bastard!! is reportedly Warner Bros. Japan and the animation studio is Liden Films. The studio is lately known for anime such as Blade of the Immortal, Otherside Picnic, Cells At Work! CODE BLACK and Tokyo Revengers (Tokyo Revengers Season 2: Christman Showdown Arc is already in the works).
Netflix’s Bastard!! anime is based on the popular 80s heavy metal dark fantasy manga written by Kazushi Hagiwara† The manga series was officially launched in 1988 and was published in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Leap† However, it went on hiatus in 2010, leaving many die-hard fans disappointed.
Netflix’s recent announcement sparked hopes that the series is alive and well — at least as an anime. Still a bastard!! OVA episode (Original Video Animation episode) dating back to 1992 already exists. But it’s a bit too obscure to have much impact these days.
The bastard!! trailer features several impressive scenes from the first five episodes. It introduces the main character, Dark Schneider, who is a powerful wizard who is over 400 years old but looks more like a muscular hair metal band member. The bastard!! anime trailer shows Dark Schneider summoning powerful magical spells and proclaiming in a menacing tone, “I am finally resurrected.”
Short flashes show several key figures. These include Tia Noto Yoko, the red-haired high priestess responsible for waking Dark Schneider from his long slumber after she kissed him. The young Lucien Renlen who is like a little brother of Tia Noto Yoko. The noble and powerful Ninja Master Gara. And Abigail, a dark sorcerer and the leader of the four divine kings who seek world domination.
And then there is Arshes Neis who is half human, half elf and one of Dark Schneider’s many love interests. From these few scenes, the anime seems to live up to its heavy metal, dark fantasy roots.
Who are the voice actors in the new Bastard!! anime series?
The recent BASTARD!! -Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy- Anime Announcement Special Event included a panel of key voice actors.
Kisho Taniyama will be the voice behind Dark Schneider. He also voiced Jean Kirstein in Attack on Titan and Chuuya Nakahara in Bungou Stray Dogs: Dead Apple.
Tomori Kusunoki, who voiced Sumika Kagami in Muv-Luv Alternative, will voice Tia Noto Yoko. Hiroki Yasumoto, who voiced King in One Punch Man, will voice Ninja Master Gara. And Yoko Hikasa who voiced Rias Gremory in High School DxD New will be the voice of Arshes Nei.
Other voice actors not on this panel include Kanae Ito as Lucien Renlen, Tomokazu Sugita as Abigail, Kensho Ono as Kall-Su, and Nao Toyama as Sheila Tuel Meta-Llicana.
Who directs the Netflix Bastard!! series?
Takaharu Ozaki, the director behind Goblin Slayer: Goblin’s Crown and Persona 5 the Animation: The Day Breakers, directs Bastard!! He also seems to be a big fan of the series. During a small interview segment on the occasion of the BASTARD!! -Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy- Anime special event announcement he stated the following:
“Bastard!! has been around for a while. It is indeed considered pioneering work. Many Japanese anime, novels and manga were influenced by it.
It’s kind of where the fantasy genre started. When bastard!! serialized, there weren’t many fantasy titles. Something so extensive. People were really attracted to this fantasy world. I was a fan then too. I was a kid reading the manga. And so bastard!! is really a pioneer.”
Now let’s hope it’s waiting for the Bastard!! The release date of part 2 is not too long. Stay tuned!
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