A new trailer for the upcoming Undead Unluck one-hour special has unveiled significant changes to its production team, announcing Sunghoo Park as the new director and E&H Production as the animation studio. The special, titled UNDEAD UNLUCK: Winter Arc, is slated to premiere in Winter 2025.
Production Shifts: Sunghoo Park and E&H Production Take the Helm
The most notable change for the Undead Unluck 1-hour special is the appointment of Sunghoo Park as director, who will also handle storyboards for the episode. Park is well-known for his directorial work on Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 the Movie, and Ninja Kamui. His studio, E&H Production, will be responsible for the animation production. This marks a change from the first season of the Undead Unluck anime, which was directed by Yuki Yase and animated by David Production. David Production will, however, provide development cooperation for the special.
Returning Key Staff and Original Story
Despite the new director and primary animation studio, several key staff members from the original TV anime series are set to return for the Winter Arc special. Gakuto Haijima will once again pen the script. Character designs will be handled by Hideyuki Morioka and Shunichi Ishimoto, both of whom previously worked on the TV series. Kenichiro Suehiro is also returning to compose the music. UNLIMITED PRODUCE by TMS is again involved in the planning and production of the anime.
The special will feature an entirely original story crafted by the Undead Unluck manga creator, Yoshifumi Tozuka. Tozuka also designed a new UMA (Unidentified Mysterious Animal) creature specifically for this special. The narrative of the Winter Arc is described as a clash between “Juiz’s justice and Billy’s betrayal,” with two diverging convictions colliding. The teaser visual and PV released depict Juiz wielding a flame-cloaked saber and Billy aiming a revolver in a snowy, freezing landscape, hinting at a new chapter centered on their cryptic conversation.
Undead Unluck: A Brief Overview
Undead Unluck is based on the popular manga series written and illustrated by Yoshifumi Tozuka, which was serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from January 2020 to January 2025. The manga is licensed in English by VIZ Media.
The Story So Far
The premise of Undead Unluck revolves around Fuuko Izumo, an unlucky girl whose “Unluck” ability causes misfortune to anyone she touches. Desperate to end her life, she encounters Andy, an “Undead” man who yearns for a true death but cannot die. Their unlikely meeting sparks a partnership, as Andy believes Fuuko’s extreme unluck could finally grant him his wish. However, their pursuit of “true death” leads them into conflict with the Union, a mysterious organization that hunts individuals with unique abilities known as “Negators.”
The first season of the Undead Unluck anime, consisting of 24 episodes, aired from October 2023 to March 2024. It is currently available for streaming on Hulu. The announcement of the one-hour special, as well as the reveal of the new staff, coincided with August 1, which is the in-universe anniversary of Fuuko and Andy’s first meeting.
