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Anime Spotlight - K

by Justin Sevakis,
October, 2012 (Japanese Premiere)

Key Staff

Director & Character Design - Shingo Suzuki
    (Storyboard, Character Design, Chief Animation Director on Mardock Scramble)
Art Director - Masanobu Nomura
    (Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt)
Animation Production
GoHands






Introduction

From GoHands, the studio that brought you the cyberpunk anime film series Mardock Scramble, and GoRA Project, the enigmatic writers' collective, comes K, the newest original anime series of 2012.

Set in a world where history has taken a slightly different course from the one we're familiar with, K follows the story of a young boy whose life is caught in a psychic war between seven kings.

Led by Director and Character Designer Shingo Suzuki, K brings together a pool of incredible talent, with music by Mikio Endo (Cutie Honey the Movie) and Chief Animation Director Makoto Furuta (Seitokai Yakuindomo). With an all-star cast that includes: Daisuke Namikawa, Daisuke Ono, Mikako Komatsu, Kenjiro Tsuda, and Tomokazu Sugita, and more.

K is also attracting attention for featuring the J-pop band angela performing the opening theme song. angela will also produce the ending theme song sung by voice actress Mikako Komatsu.

A manga adaptation by Yui Kuroe titled “K: Memory of Red” has been running in Kodansha ARIA since May, which is the prequel to the upcoming TV series. A separate manga adaption will start in November in Kodansha's Good! Afternoon, along with a novel trilogy written by GoRA and published by Kodansha BOX.

Following the “world-theme” genre of the '90s, and the “daily-life” genre of the '00s, K will make way for a new genre of the '10s across various media.

Story

Ashinaka High School is known for its unique setting: the entire campus is built on an island. Yashiro Isana, aka Shiro, is having lunch with a cat on one of the school rooftops. After his lunch break, Shiro goes on an errand for his classmate Kukuri to prepare for their upcoming school festival, only to be chased by some intimidating-looking men.

Characters

Yashiro Isana
VA: Daisuke Namikawa
“Um….I guess… I can't just leave my friends behind. can I?”
Age: 17
Height: 169cm
A joker who goes around asking for his schoolmates to share their lunch with him.
Kuroh Yatogami
VA: Daisuke Ono
“I only believe in one thing— The words of my deceased master.”
Age: 18
Height: 178cm
A young man with an unyielding personality. He is also a skilled swordsman, martial artist, and housekeeper.
Neko
VA: Mikako Komatsu
“I… am a cat!”
Age: 15
Height: 155cm
A mysterious girl who appears before Shiro. She hates wearing clothes.
Mikoto Suoh
VA: Kenjiro Tsuda
“There's just one way. Just one way to lock me up forever.”
Age: 24
Height: 185cm
Third King, known as the Red King. Feared by people as the leader of the Red Clan, HOMRA.
Reisi Munakata
VA: Tomokazu Sugita
“We will advance with sword in hand. No injustice will be left behind.”
Age: 24
Height: 185cm
Fourth King, known as the Blue King. The leader of the Blue Clan, Scepter 4. He speaks politely, but is rude.
Seri Awashima
VA: Miyuki Sawashiro
“Warden Munakata is, as well, but we are also very traditional.”
Age: 22
She acts as Munakata's right arm, coldly carrying out her missions.
Saruhiko Fushimi
VA: Mamoru Miyano
“The Sword of Damocles is coming out”
Age: 19
Height: 178cm
Third in Command of Scepter 4. He gives off a listless attitude and seems unmotivated, but is in fact very competent.
“Oh, brother… We're the ones who were playing with her first, you know.”
Age: 26
Height: 188cm
Owner of the bar “HOMRA.” A man who speaks with a gentle Kyoto accent, and has known Suoh for a long time.
Misaki Yata
VA: Jun Fukuyama
“Mikoto-san taught this to me. That's why I am confident about it!”
Age: 19
Height: 167cm
One of HOMRA's raid captains who goes around riding a skateboard. He's impulsive, but he also cares about his comrades very much.
Anna Kushina
VA: Yui Horie
“Mikoto, don't go.”
Age: 11
Height: 140cm
A quiet, doll-like girl who serves as HOMRA's unofficial mascot.
Tatara Totsuka
VA: Yūki Kaji
“Hey, it's a nice night out. I came out here to take pictures of the nighttime view, but what are you doing out here?”
Age: 22
Height: 172cm
One of the original members of HOMRA along with Suoh and Kusanagi. He can get along with anyone, so he often sets the mood in HOMRA.
Rikio Kamamoto
VA: Yūichi Nakamura
“Let's go! Tear'em apart!”
Age: 20
Height: 185cm
A big man who is always hanging out with Yata. He may be big, but so is his honor.
Kukuri Yukizome
VA: Satomi Sato
“It's gone!? Where did it go?”
Age: 17
Height: 158cm
Shiro's classmate and a member of the school student council. She's a bright, friendly girl.
Adolf K Weismann
VA: Tetsuya Kakihara
“............”
Age: ?
Height: ?
First King, The Silver King. Details Unknown.
Daikaku Kokujoji
VA: Shōzō Iizuka
“This nation is finished!”
Second king, The Golden King. He possesses overwhelming power and controls the national economy as the strongest King.

Cast

Yashiro Isana
Daisuke Namikawa
Kuroh Yatogami
Daisuke Ono
Neko
Mikako Komatsu
Mikoto Suoh
Kenjiro Tsuda
Reisi Munakata
Tomokazu Sugita
Anna Kushina
Yui Horie
Izumo Kusanagi
Takahiro Sakurai
Misaki Yata
Jun Fukuyama
Rikio Kamamoto
Yūichi Nakamura
Seri Awashima
Miyuki Sawashiro
Saruhiko Fushimi
Mamoru Miyano
Kukuri Yukizome
Satomi Sato
Tatara Totsuka
Yūki Kaji
Adolf K Weismann
Tetsuya Kakihara
Daikaku Kokujoji
Shōzō Iizuka

Staff

Director
Character Design
Shingo Suzuki
Art Director
Masanobu Nomura
Animation Production
k-project
Original Work
GoRA X GoHands
Director & Character Design
Shingo Suzuki
Series Composition
GoRA
Series Directors
Hiromitsu Kanazawa
Susumu Kudo
Chief Animation Director
Makoto Furuta
Mecha Designer
Hiroshi Okubo
Prop Designer
Takahiro Kishida
Main Animators
Takayuki Uchida
Jun Nakai
Hiroshi Okubo
Kazuaki Imoto
Art Director
Masanobu Nomura
Color Design
Tomoko Saitō
Directors of Photography
Toru Fukushi
Ko Oizumi
CG Director
Yoshinori Nagamine
Editing
Ayako Tan
Sound Directors
Hideo Takahashi
Ryō Tanaka
Sound Effects
Hidemi Tanaka
Sound Production
Dream Force
Music
Mikio Endo
Opening Theme
angela
Music Production
Starchild Records
Animation Producer
Reigo Kishimoto
Animation Production
GoHands
Production
k-project

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