Shenmue the Animation Announces New Cast and Music Info

Toonami recently got started down the road of producing original series via Fena: Pirate Princess, which introduced us to a swashbuckling world that most likely won’t be returning for a second season. Wasting little time, the Cartoon Network programming block is taking the opportunity to explore the world of video games via the animated adaptation of Shenmue. Now with only days before the series arrives on Toonami, new details have emerged regarding the cast and ending theme song. 

Shenmue has had an interesting history in the world of video games, with its first two entries arriving on the Sega Dreamcast in 1999 and 2001 respectively. Decades following the release of these two games, a third entry in the series arrived from the original creator and continued the story of Ryo as he attempts to discover the mystery behind his father’s murder. 

The new cast members that will be joining the animated series, for the Japanese language version of the adaptation, include Haruka Terui as Shenhua, Haruka Fushimi as Nozomi Harusaki, and Ryuichi Kijima as Guizhang Chen. The ending theme song for the series, titled “Sympathy” will be performed by the rock band Narudora, which will be the first major anime theme for the band. 

The Official Description of Shenmue The Animation, which is created via a partnership between Cartoon Network and Crunchyroll, reads as such:

“1986, Yokosuka. Ryo Hazuki has trained to master the Hazuki Style Jujitsu under his strict father in the Hazuki Dojo from his childhood. However, one day a mysterious man named Lan Di murders his father and takes the “mirror” his father was protecting. Ryo is determined to find the truth behind his father’s murder, but soon finds himself getting stuck in a war between the underground organizations…. Traveling from Yokosuka to Hong Kong, Ryo’s long journey begins!”

Shenmue The Animation is only one of many original series that Cartoon Network is planning, with this year seeing the arrival of Junji Ito’s Uzumaki and a yet unnamed animated show. With the programming block recently revealing that it has three new originals coming in 2023, it seems that Cartoon Network is all-in when it comes to anime.

Will you be following along with the journey of Ryo Hazuki? 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 Shenmue. 

Via ANN