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First Detroit Metal City Anime Mini-Episode Streamed

The online retailer Amazon is streaming the first episode of the Detroit Metal City anime in Japanese. The anime adapts Kiminori Wakasugi's comedy manga about a shy singer's rise to glory as the lead vocalist of a death metal band. Studio 4°C (Tekkonkinkreet, Genius Party) animated this five-minute, 33-second "Real Legend" episode as part of a 24-episode series. The entire anime will ship in a 168-minute DVD box set in Japan on August 8.

The live-action film adaptation of the manga happens to open two weeks after the Anime Box set release on August 23. Yūji Ueda (Pokémon, Rurouni Kenshin, Martian Successor Nadesico) plays the lead role of Sōichi in the anime, whereas Ken'ichi Matsuyama (Death Note's "L") plays Sōichi in the film. Similarly, Masami Nagasawa (Touch) will voice the animated version's heroine Yuri, whereas the film will feature Rosa Katō in that starring role instead. Matsuyama and Kato will appear in the animated version, but in entirely different roles. Matsuyama will play an actor named Hokazono, while Kato will play an actress named Yamano. In an exercise in meta-commentary, the characters Hokazono and Yamano are stars in a fictional film within the story; the film is Sōichi's first romantic movie.

Source: Sports Hōchi