Shinichirō Watanabe’s highly anticipated new anime series, Lazarus, produced by Sola Entertainment and animated by MAPPA, has unveiled a new trailer and visual, offering a glimpse into the pulse-pounding sci-fi thriller set to premiere on April 5 on Adult Swim’s Toonami block and April 6 in Japan. Episodes will also be available to stream on Max. Lazarus marks Watanabe’s return to the science fiction genre, with action sequences supervised by John Wick stuntman and director Chad Stahelski.
Lazarus: A Race Against Time in a Utopian Future
Set in 2052, the world has achieved unprecedented peace and stability thanks to “Hapna,” a miracle drug developed by Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist Dr. Skinner. This seemingly perfect painkiller has freed humanity from suffering. However, in 2055, Skinner reappears, revealing a fatal secret: Hapna has a three-year half-life, meaning everyone who has taken it will die. With only thirty days to find Skinner and a cure, a team of five agents, codenamed “Lazarus,” is assembled from around the globe to save humanity from extinction.
Shinichirō Watanabe: Anime Visionary Behind Lazarus
Shinichirō Watanabe, born in 1965, is a celebrated anime director known for his critically acclaimed and commercially successful series such as Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Carole & Tuesday, and Space Dandy. Watanabe’s works often blend mature themes, diverse genres, and evocative music, earning him recognition as an auteur in the anime industry. He was not involved in Netflix’s adaptation of Cowboy Bebop and criticized it after its release. Watanabe’s other notable works include:
- Macross Plus: Movie Edition (1995; Director)
- Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001; Director)
- The Animatrix (2003; Director, “Detective’s Story”, “Kid’s Story”)
- Blade Runner Black Out 2022 (2017; Director)
MAPPA: The Animation Powerhouse
MAPPA (Maruyama Animation Produce Project Association) is a renowned Japanese animation studio founded in 2011 by Masao Maruyama, co-founder of Madhouse. Headquartered in Tokyo, MAPPA has produced numerous successful anime series, including:
- Terror in Resonance
- Yuri!!! on Ice
- Jujutsu Kaisen
- Attack on Titan (Season 4)
- Chainsaw Man
- Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku
MAPPA’s involvement in Lazarus promises visually stunning animation and dynamic action sequences.
Lazarus: Music and Cast
Lazarus boasts a stellar lineup of musicians, including jazz and electronic artists Kamasi Washington, Floating Points, and Bonobo, who are composing the score. Kamasi Washington performs the opening theme song “Vortex,” and The Boo Radleys perform the ending theme song “Lazarus”. The main cast includes:
- Mamoru Miyano as Axel
- Makoto Furukawa as Doug
- Maaya Uchida as Christin
- Yuma Uchida as Leland
- Manaka Iwami as Eleina
- Megumi Hayashibara as Hersch
- Akio Otsuka as Abel
- Koichi Yamadera as Dr. Skinner
Lazarus: Premiere Date and Where to Watch
Lazarus is scheduled to premiere on April 5 at midnight EST on Adult Swim’s Toonami block. It will also air in Japan on April 6. Episodes will be available for streaming on Max the following day. The series will consist of 13 episodes.
