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NBCUniversal Japan Debuts A Wild Last Boss Appeared!

Ryō Hino, manager and anime producer from NBCUniversal Japan, presented the company's anime slate to a full house at Anime Expo 2025. The Tokyo-based production and distribution company is a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, previously known as Geneon Entertainment. Inc., since 2003, until it adopted its current name in 2013. He's worked on titles such as Reincarnated as a Sword, From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman, and the upcoming anime adaptation of Suikoden.

After introducing the aforementioned titles, the panelists turned to discussion on the second season of From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman, which is coming in 2026. Praised for its well-crafted sword action, the show incorporates CGI for its sequences, which is handled by Yamato Works. ”Director Kasumi, who is also an experienced kendo fighter, carefully checked through all the details and elements so that it would better appeal in the animation.” Hino teased what fans can expect after season one's setup and the introduction of Beryl and his apprentices. In season two, there will be more sword fight scenes from Yamato Works as well as more character development.

Moving on to Reincarnated as a Sword, which received thunderous applause, fans excitedly anticipated the announced second season. As for what fans could look forward to, Hino reminded the room how the previous season ended. “Season one had many simple enemy characters, but this next season, the characters are more complex. We'll see Fran's psychological growth and even a fight for the country. I always joke with the directors that every episode is packed with action,” laughed Hino. They closed out this title by premiering a new key visual for Reincarnated as a Sword II.

Afterwards, they touched lightly on Suikoden: The Anime as it's still in development. The 30-year-old franchise will be animated by KONAMI animation, as they are the original publisher. “They will be combining 3D CGI techniques that were built when they were developing the game, along with 2D cel drawing,” shared Hino. Yūzō Satō will serve as the chief director, and the overall animation directive is, “How a hero should be.” Sharing a message from Director Sato, the team strives to create an anime inclusive of people who have not played the games.

Now, for the title that the room was waiting to see: A Wild Last Boss Appeared!. The anime will premiere in October 2025, and Hino asked fans to pay attention to the music. “What's special is that the background music uses a film scoring method where the music is created just to match that scene. The composition is done after the composer sees the anime.“ He then shared a message from Director Yūya Horiuchi and Firehead, the original creator. Director Horiuchi emphasized the mysteries that emerge, the action, and the emotionally charged music.

A hush fell on the room as they dimmed the lights and debuted the world premiere of A Wild Last Boss Appeared! The episode begins in the middle of a climactic battle between Lufas and a group of RPG characters aiming to defeat her. The animation sequences move fluidly, but the minimal voice acting during the fight scenes stood out as it lacked the usual grunts when the characters trade blows. However, the intense music and sound effects do most of the heavy lifting.

A man in modern day accepts a new quest on behalf of his MMO character and is surprised that he is now Lufas. The emotional intensity from the previous battle dissipates into comedy as the male character struggles to comprehend the situation. His thoughts and actions are hilariously translated into what Lufas would do as The Black-Winged Tyrant, which is a more gruff, rough, and emboldened version of what he is thinking.

Through her memories and thoughts, the male character recalls his time playing the MMO Exgate Online. It's a standard online RPG, with the usual experiences of growing a guild and building up the main character. When one of his NPC characters reveals herself to Lufas, she explains how the world has changed since she's been gone for two hundred years. Lufas begins wondering if the other heroes in the world, who defeated her, were also players who became their own RPG characters.

Overall, the first episode was an enjoyable dive into the dark fantasy isekai title, as the humor and pacing make it easy for a non-isekai fan to jump into. The internal thoughts between Lufas' voice and the male character's voice jump back and forth, but hopefully that will remain more consistent in future episodes. Dina, Lufas's advisor, stole the show for me as her energetic, reactionary personality balances well with Lufas' overwhelming and confident presence.