The Luminous Witches official Twitter has finally confirmed an anime release for July 2022. Shaft (the studio behind Bakemonogatari and Nisekoi) will be animating the series. With only four months to go until the first episode, fans luckily have a few promotional panels and concerts to bridge them.
As early as 2020, fans of the original anime based on the World Witches series through the official website† But the release was delayed from 2021 to 2022. And now we know that Renmei Kuugun Koukuu Mahou Ongakutai Luminous Witches will be part of the Summer 2022 anime season.
【ショートver】TVアニメ「連盟空軍航空魔法音楽隊 ルミナスウィッチーズ」PV第2弾
At AnimeJapan 2022, fans were treated to new goods to show their enthusiasm for the fandom. Those who attended the event in person were able to pick up a t-shirt, acrylic stand, tapestry and badge featuring the character Virginia Robertson, the squadron’s sergeant who hails from Britannia.
Fortunately for international fans, many of AnimeJapan 2022’s goods are available online through Kadokawa and d Animes stores. They only last until April 3rd, so get them before supplies run out!
What sets Luminous Witches apart from other entries in the World Witches series is that the team is an idol group. This original anime will not only follow the witches fighting Neuroi, but the voice cast will also play songs for the series. The current voice cast is as follows:
- Mai Narumi as Virginia Robertson
- Sayaka Tsuzuki as Éléonore Giovanna Gassion
- Ami Aimoto as Lyudmila Andreyevna Ruslanova
- Minako Hosokawa as Shibuya Inori
- Ryou Mamiya as Aila Paivikki Linnamaa
- Kana Furunaka as Mary Magdalene Dietrich
- Yuuki Misaki as Manaia Matawhaura Hato
- Rino Yoshikita as Sylvie Cariello
- Rio Mamesaki as Joanna Elizabeth Stafford
- Mikako Komatsu as Grace Maitland Steward
About NiconicoAs early as early 2021, the Luminous Witches voice cast has had exclusive streams introducing their respective characters and getting fans excited about the series. While no translation is available for the streams, music is universal. The cast has released multiple singles, including Flying Skyhigh and Smiling Singing.
Those interested in hearing the idol group live can see them on May 14 in Tokyo in the Gift Live Event† In addition to vocalist Konomi Suzuki (who played openings for No Game No Life and Re:Zero) and boy band Bad Town Reversal, Luminous Witches will perform their four singles and may provide more details about the anime in the summer of 2022.
What is the World Witches series?
The World Witches started with a series of ‘mecha musume’ illustrations created by artist Fumikane Shimada. Mecha musume includes the personification of militarized vehicles. Though best known in the West for the popular telephone game Azur Lane, which depicts Navy warships as cute girls, World Witches pioneered the concept in the early 2000s.
Strike Witches — which followed the 501st Joint Fighter Wing Unit, a force tasked with fighting an alien race during an alternate World War II timeline — first got off the ground with a manga in 2005, a light novel in 2006, and an OVA produced by Gonzo a year later.
After its initial success, Strike Witches received video game links along with an official anime series and movies. In 2016, a spin-off anime, Brave Witches, was announced that followed a new squad, the 502nd Joint Fighter Wing.
Luminous Witches is another spin-off that follows the Music Squadron – a force of witches with healing powers that they control through songs. While the series has a long history, it’s worth noting that, if Luminous Witches is anything like Brave Witches, there’s no need to review past entries to understand the overall plot. That said, fans will be able to watch the previous series on Funimation and soon on Crunchyroll following the completion of the merger.
Why was Luminous Witches delayed until 2022?
Since the cast of Luminous Witches is also an idol group, the series relies heavily on the voice cast who are both live performers and voice actresses. Unfortunately, three of the performers were forced to retire early in the production of Luminous Witches due to health issues.
In January 2021, the Production A team announced that Momo Hanae – Maria Magadalene Dietrich’s original voice actress – has resigned from her role to continue treatment for an ongoing health condition. Similarly, Kyo Tachibana had a similar announcement in June of that year. And shortly after the previous roles were recast, Miu Kotosaka also announced her recovery.
While many may wonder why so many voice actresses left with health problems so quickly, it’s best not to speculate. With the July 2022 release coming so fast, it’s better to focus on what positively will happen this summer!
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