News

Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga Anime's TV Ads Preview Theme Songs

The official website for the Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga (Ao no Exorcist: Kyoto Fujō Ō-hen) sequel anime began streaming two commercials on Sunday. The preview UVERworld's opening theme song "Itteki no Eikyō" (Drop's Influence) and Rin Akatsuki's ending theme song "Kono Te de" (With This Hand). The website also began streaming a second promotional video on Sunday. (Note: All three videos on the official website are region-locked to Japan.)

The anime will adapt the "Kyoto Impure King Arc" that started in the fifth volume of Kazue Katō's original Blue Exorcist manga. Aniplex of America describes the series:

Assiah, the realm of humans, and Gehenna, the realm of demons. Normally, these two dimensions would never intersect, but having possessed all material substances, the demons are now intruding on the material world. But among the human race, there are those who can exorcise such demons—the exorcists.

Rin Okumura kept the fact that he was Satan's offspring a secret from everyone and decided to become an exorcist. He began his training at True Cross Academy but following the incidents involving Amaimon's raid, his lineage became apparent. Fearing his true nature and the blue flames marking his connection to Gehenna, Rin's classmates all distanced themselves from him. Meanwhile, the academy was on high alert when they realized that the “Left Eye of the Impure King” had been stolen! What lies ahead for Rin and his classmates?

The anime will premiere on January 6 and will air on MBS's "Animeism" programming block. The official website revealed that the anime is getting six DVD and Blu-ray Disc releases, but it has yet to reveal the show's episode count. Aniplex of America licensed the series for its winter lineup.

The show's new and returning cast includes:

• Nobuhiko Okamoto as Rin Okumura
• Jun Fukuyama as Yukio Okumura
• Kana Hanazawa as Shiemi Moriyama
• Kazuya Nakai as Ryuji Suguro
• Kōji Yusa as Renzo Shima
• Yūki Kaji as Konekomaru Miwa
• Eri Kitamura as Izumo Kamiki
• Ayahi Takagaki as Kuro
• Rina Satō as Shura Kirigakure
• Hiroshi Kamiya as Mephisto Pheles
• Hiroaki Hirata as Shiro Fujimoto (replacing Keiji Fujiwara)
• Jin Urayama as Tatsuma Suguro (replacing Takashi Inagaki)
• Katsuyuki Konishi as Jūzō Shima
• Kishō Taniyama as Kinzō Shima
• M.A.O as MAMUSHI Hōjō
• Kazuhiro Yamaji as Saburōta Tōdō

Koichi Hatsumi (Deadman Wonderland, Gangsta., Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King) is replacing Tensai Okamura as the director of the new series at A-1 Pictures. Toshiya Ono (The Perfect Insider, tsuritama, Gatchaman Crowds) is handling the series composition, replacing Ryota Yamaguchi. Keigo Sasaki is returning from the first season to design the characters, and he is also the chief animation director alongside Akira Takata (Durarara!!, Natsume's Book of Friends). Shigeki Kawai (episode director for Kingdom, Galilei Donna) is serving as assistant director. Hiroyuki Sawano is additionally returning to compose the music alongside newcomer Kohta Yamamoto (the same Legendoor management company represents both artists).

In addition to the new television anime season, the 19th volume of the original manga will bundle an original anime DVD on April 4.

Thanks to Dennis R. for the embedded videos.