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Blue Miburo Anime's Kikuchiyo Escort Arc Casts Tetsu Inada, Yuto Uemura

The staff for the television anime of Tsuyoshi Yasuda's Blue Miburo (Ao no Miburo) announced on Saturday two cast members will join the show beginning with the Kikuchiyo Escort arc. They play antagonists in the arc which will begin with episode 10 on December 21.

Tetsu Inada plays Naozumi Kyohachi, a master swordsman who wields a long blade.

Yuto Uemura play Ayame, a young man dressed in a rose-patterned kimono.

The series premiered on October 19, and airs on Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. (3:30 a.m. EST) on the YTV and NTV channels, as well as on their affiliates. The series will run for two consecutive cours (quarters of the year). Crunchyroll is streaming the series as it airs. YTV screened the world premiere at this year's Anime Expo event in July. The anime held an advance screening in Japan on October 9 at the Ikebukuro HUMAX Cinemas in Tokyo.

Shūichirō Umeda stars as the protagonist Nio. Yōhei Azakami plays Hijikata Toshizō, Kensho Ono plays Okita Sōji, Chiaki Kobayashi plays Saitō Hajime, Shun Horie plays Tanaka Tarō, Ryōta Takeuchi plays Serizawa Kamo, Tomokazu Sugita plays Kondō Isami, and Megumi Ogata plays Kikuchiyo.

Kumiko Habara (I'm Standing on 1,000,000 Lives., I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss, Surgeon Elise) is directing the anime at Maho Film. Kenta Ihara (Gamera -Rebirth-; I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss; Uncle From Another World) is in charge of the series scripts. Yūko Ōba (I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss; I'm Standing on 1,000,000 Lives.) and Miyako Nishida (My Unique Skill Makes Me OP even at Level 1; If It's for My Daughter, I'd Even Defeat a Demon Lord) are designing the characters. Toshiki Kameyama is the sound director. Yuki Hayashi is composing the music. SPYAIR performs the opening theme song "Ao" (Blue). THE JET BOY BANGERS (from EXILE TRIBE) perform the ending theme song "UNBREAKABLE."

Kodansha USA Publishing licensed the manga in English under the title The Blue Wolves of Mibu, and it describes the story:

Nio is an orphan who can't help dreaming of a better world. In this action-packed manga, he meets two men who show him how much a few swords can change history.

This riveting samurai series from the acclaimed creator of Days shares its setting with Rurouni Kenshin and chronicles the founding of the Shinsengumi by handsome and volatile men fighting for justice...and for themselves!

Yasuda launched the manga in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine in October 2021. Kodansha published the 14th compiled book volume on July 17.

Yasuda's DAYS soccer manga also inspired a television anime in 2016 and five original video anime episodes from 2017 to 2018. Yasuda's Over Drive bicycling manga inspired a TV anime in 2007.

Sources: Comic Natalie