Amuse Creative Studio officially announced Wednesday the main cast and a January 2026 debut for “Oedo Fire Slayer -The Legend of Phoenix-,” the television anime adaptation of Shōgo Imamura’s historical novel series, Hikuidori (Fire Eater). The announcement also included a new visual for the upcoming series.
Key Cast Members Revealed for “Boro Tobi Gumi”
The voice actors bringing the central “Boro Tobi Gumi” fire brigade members to life have been unveiled:
- Yūichirō Umehara as Gengo Matsunaga, a former fire brigade member who becomes the president of Boro Tobi Gumi to rebuild the team.
- Shūichirō Umeda as Shinnosuke Torigoe, the mood-making vice-president of Boro Tobi Gumi.
- Subaru Kimura as Torajiro, a kind-hearted former sumo wrestler.
- Nobunaga Shimazaki as Hikoya, a popular light artisan in Edo.
- Kenshō Ono as Kaji Seijuro, a military strategist skilled in astronomy and psychology.
A Glimpse into Edo’s Fiery Past
The anime is based on Hikuidori, the inaugural volume of Shōgo Imamura’s Ushūboro Tobigumi historical novel series. The narrative centers on Matsunaga Gengo, once renowned as the “Fire-eating Bird” and the top firefighting samurai in Edo. After resigning from the fire brigade, Gengo receives an invitation to serve the Shinjo clan, whose fire-fighting team is struggling with a lack of funds and personnel.
With his wife Miyuki’s encouragement, Gengo decides to lead the revival of the dilapidated firefighting clan. Joined by a diverse group of individuals, each with their own eccentricities, they strive to “save any life” despite being mocked as “ragged steeplejacks.” Their efforts unfold against a backdrop of mysterious arsons, dubbed “foxfires,” plaguing Edo, setting the stage for an action-packed drama as the firefighters race against disaster.
Production Details and Manga Adaptation
The anime adaptation is being produced by SynergySP. Amuse Creative Studio is overseeing the production under its new ACS Animation label. Prior to the anime’s debut, a manga adaptation of the Hikuidori novel, also titled “Oedo Fire Slayer -The Legend of Phoenix-,” launched in Akita Shoten’s Weekly Shōnen Champion in April 2025. The manga is also slated for a digital English release in North America in summer 2025.
