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Lazarus (TV series)

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Lazarus
Key visual
LAZARUSラザロ
Created byShinichirō Watanabe
Anime television series
Directed byShinichirō Watanabe
Produced byMasato Matsunaga
Written by
  • Shinichirō Watanabe
  • Dai Satō
  • Takahiro Ozawa
  • Tsukasa Kondo
Music by
Studio
Licensed byWarner Bros. Television
English network
Original run 2025 scheduled
Episodes13[1]

Lazarus[a] is an upcoming original anime television series produced by MAPPA and Sola Entertainment that is set to premiere in the United States on Adult Swim's Toonami programming block in 2025.

Plot

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In the utopian year 2052, Dr. Skinner discovered a miracle drug. In 2055, Skinner announces that the drug has a three-year half-life and soon everyone who took it will die.

A task force of five agents is assembled to locate Skinner and create a vaccine.[2][3] Its name is "Lazarus".[4]

Characters

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Axel
Voiced by: Mamoru Miyano[5] (Japanese); TBA (English)
Doug
Voiced by: Makoto Furukawa[5] (Japanese); TBA (English)
Christine
Voiced by: Maaya Uchida[5] (Japanese); TBA (English)
Leland
Voiced by: Yuma Uchida[5] (Japanese); TBA (English)
Eleina
Voiced by: Manaka Iwami[5] (Japanese); TBA (English)
Hersch
Voiced by: Megumi Hayashibara[5] (Japanese); TBA (English)
Abel
Voiced by: Akio Otsuka[5] (Japanese); TBA (English)
Dr. Skinner
Voiced by: Koichi Yamadera[5] (Japanese); TBA (English)
A neuroscientist-turned-mad scientist who has deceived humanity with his seemingly cure-all wonder drug, Hapuna, which is later revealed to be a deadly poison that kill those who take it in 42 months.

Production and release

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The series was announced by Adult Swim in July 2023, and will be directed by Shinichirō Watanabe, most notable for directing the Cowboy Bebop anime television series.[2] Chad Stahelski, who is notable for directing the John Wick film franchise, is designing the action sequences.[6] For music composition, the series will feature a score by jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington, and producers, DJs, and musicians Bonobo and Floating Points.[6] Animation for the series will be done by MAPPA while Sola Entertainment handles general production.[2][7]

A teaser trailer for the series was shown at Adult Swim's "Toonami on the Green" panel at San Diego Comic-Con two days later on July 22.[8] During the presentation, the production staff stated that the project is planned to be completed by 2024, but did not promise that the series would release in that year.[9] In July 2024, it was announced that the series will air in 2025.[10]

In an interview conducted in October 2024, Watanabe said that the opioid crisis was one of the inspirations he had for creating the anime. He mentioned that the production team worked closely with Stahelski so they could be provided fight scene choreographies and on how the team needed to recruit animators outside of Japan due to a lack of experienced animators they could recruit domestically for such sequences.[11] In a November 2024 interview, Watanabe mentioned that he held the John Wick movies in high regard on how the fight scenes were done.[12]

In December 2024, a new visual was released along with the announcement that Kamasi Washington would perform the opening theme song "Vortex", while The Boo Radleys would perform the ending theme song "Lazarus".[13]

Notes

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  1. ^ Japanese: LAZARUSラザロ

References

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  1. ^ DeMarco, Jason [@Clarknova1] (July 20, 2023). "13" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. ^ a b c "Adult Swim Greenlights Anime Legend Shinichirō Watanabe's New Series "Lazarus"". Warner Bros. Discovery (Press release). July 20, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  3. ^ Mateo, Alex (July 20, 2023). "Adult Swim, Cowboy Bebop's Shinichiro Watanabe, MAPPA Produce New Original Anime Lazarus (Updated)". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  4. ^ "『カウボーイビバップ』渡辺信一郎氏の新作アニメ『ラザロ』発表。Adult Swimと共同で制作され、MAPPAや『ジョン・ウィック』監督、Bonobo、Floating Pointsなど超豪華な布陣で制作" (in Japanese). DenFaminicoGamer. July 26, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Hodgkins, Crystalyn (October 19, 2024). "Shinichiro Watanabe, MAPPA's Lazarus Anime Reveals Visual, Main Cast". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Christian Holoub (July 20, 2023). "Adult Swim announces new anime series from Cowboy Bebop creator and John Wick director". Entertainment Weekly.
  7. ^ Murphy, J. Kim (July 20, 2023). "Adult Swim Orders 'Lazarus,' New Animated Series From 'Cowboy Bebop' Director Shinichirō Watanabe". Variety. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  8. ^ Nick Valdez (July 22, 2023). "Cowboy Bebop Director Debuts Trailer for New Adult Swim Anime, Lazarus". Comic Book.
  9. ^ Loo, Egan (July 22, 2023). "Shinichiro Watanabe, MAPPA's Lazarus Anime Teased in Trailer". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  10. ^ Mateo, Alex (July 26, 2024). "Uzumaki Anime's Trailer Reveals September 28 Premiere on Toonami". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  11. ^ Pulliam-Moore, Charles (October 30, 2024). "Shinichirō Watanabe is ready to tell humanity something about itself with Lazarus". The Verge. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
  12. ^ Jing, Jacki (November 25, 2024). "Shinichiro Watanabe on How the John Wick Director Joined the Lazarus Anime Team". Anime News Network. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
  13. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (December 13, 2024). "Shinichiro Watanabe, MAPPA's Lazarus Anime Reveals Theme Songs, Visual". Anime News Network. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
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