The highly anticipated TV anime adaptation of Shun Umezawa’s award-winning manga, The Darwin Incident, has officially revealed its main cast in its first promotional video and a new key visual released on October 24, 2025. The series is slated to premiere in January 2026 on the TV Tokyo network.
Key Voice Cast Members Announced
Leading the voice cast for the sci-fi thriller are three prominent talents in the anime industry. Atsumi Tanezaki, renowned for her role as Anya in SPY×FAMILY, will voice the protagonist, Charlie. Tanezaki expressed the profound impact of the role, stating that portraying Charlie marked “the first time in my career that I truly struggled,” highlighting the emotional depth of the character.
Joining her is Mitsuho Kōbe, cast as Lucy, the brilliant human girl who becomes Charlie’s first friend. Kōbe shared her immediate captivation by the manga’s blend of “larger-than-life fiction” and “realism and tension.” Veteran voice actor Akio Ōtsuka, known for roles such as All For One in My Hero Academia, will portray Rivera, the resolute leader of the eco-terrorist group Animal Liberation Alliance (ALA), who targets Charlie. Ōtsuka stated his readiness to “bear all the audience’s hostility,” embracing the antagonist’s challenge.
A Deeper Look at “The Darwin Incident” Anime
The newly released promotional video offers a glimpse into Charlie’s unique existence, showcasing his birth, his struggles with human societal values, and his eventual confrontation with the ALA. The accompanying key visual features Charlie and Lucy standing against a backdrop of danger, with Rivera ominously positioned behind them, emphasizing the impending drama.
Anime Production and Creative Team
The anime is being produced by Bellnox Films. Naokatsu Tsuda, known for his directorial work on JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, is helming the series, with Katsuichi Nakayama serving as series director. Shinichi Inozume is responsible for series composition, while Shinpei Tomooka handles character designs. The musical score will be composed by Alisa Okehazama and Mariko Horikawa. An interview between The Darwin Incident manga creator Shun Umezawa and Director Tsuda is available on the official website, offering insights into the adaptation process.
The Acclaimed Manga’s Premise
The Darwin Incident manga, written and illustrated by Shun Umezawa, has garnered significant critical acclaim since its serialization began in Kodansha’s Monthly Afternoon magazine in June 2020. It famously won the 2022 Manga Taisho Grand Prize and an Excellence Award at the 25th Japan Media Arts Festival, boasting over 2 million copies in circulation worldwide.
The story revolves around Charlie, a “humanzee” – a half-human, half-chimpanzee hybrid – who was born in a laboratory after a pregnant chimpanzee was rescued by the Animal Liberation Alliance (ALA), an eco-terrorist organization. Fifteen years later, Charlie, raised by human foster parents, begins attending a normal high school where he forms his first meaningful friendship with Lucy. However, the increasingly radical ALA seeks to involve Charlie in their terrorist plots, forcing him to navigate complex ethical dilemmas and his place in a world grappling with his very existence. The manga explores themes of societal prejudice, animal rights, and the definition of humanity through its action-packed and socially relevant narrative.
