Anime has a dark side, with series such as Fist of the North Star, Hellsing, and Berserk bringing stories of blood and gore to fans via the mediums of manga and anime. Now, it seems that Netflix is set to dive into a bleak, and magical, world as the streaming service has announced that it has partnered with Liden Films in creating a new anime series for Bastard. Following a protagonist appropriately named Dark Schneider, the series is one of the pinnacle examples of brutal manga released in the 1980s.
First created in 1988 by mangaka Kazushi Hagiwara, Bastard!! ran within the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump and continued doing so until it came to a close in 2010, garnering twenty-seven volumes of the series. While this upcoming anime series will be the latest time that we’ve seen the adventure of Dark Schneider brought to life, this is far from the first time that we’ve seen the series receive an anime adaptation. Releasing in 1992, Studio AIC created six original episodes that told the story of Bastard!! that presents a setting of magic, sorcery, and blood-thirsty beasts.
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The Official Netflix Anime Twitter Account shared the first look at the adaptation of the dark anime property, confirming that Bastard!! will be arriving in 2022 and will be giving us a new take on the bloody journey of Dark Schneider as he navigates a world of gore and sorcery:
The upcoming series is currently being produced by Liden Films, which anime fans might know for their recent work on series including Tokyo Revengers and Cells at Work! Code Black to name a few. Liden was also responsible for another dark anime adaptation, having a hand in the creation of the 2016 Berserk television series.
The voice cast for the series which is set to land on Netflix later this year currently includes Kisho Taniyama as Dark Schneider, Tomoro Kusunoki as Tia Noto Yoko, Hiroki Yasumoto as Gara, and Yoko Hikasa as Arses Nei. Bastard!! will be joining quite a few original anime series that have arrived on Netflix in the past, with the likes of Beastars, Baki Hanma, and more helping to round out the streaming service’s library.
What are your thoughts on this dark series making a comeback thanks to Netflix? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Dark Schneider.
