‘The Promised Neverland’ Reveals New Anime Character Designs

The anime adaptation of Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu’s The Promised Neverland is one of the most anticipated 2019 releases, and now fans can get a closer look at two of the characters they’ll be seeing the most.

The series has revealed new anime designs for main character Emma, and Isabella, who’s better known as “Mama” in the manga.

There is no confirmed staff list as of yet, but the first trailer for the anime has gotten fans theorizing over who the voice actors for Emma, Norman, and Ray are. The rumor with the most support posits that Emma is voiced by Sumire Morohoshi (who’s played Tokyo Ghoul‘s Hinami Fueguchi), Norman is performed by Rie Kugimiya (Fullmetal Alchemist‘s Alphonse Elric), and Ray by Mariya Ise (Hunter x Hunter‘s Killua).

As for the production staff, CloverWorks will be handling the adaptation but the staff is unconfirmed. There is a rumored staff list, however, that features the following:

• Producer: Yuichi Fukushima
  Director: Kyohei Ishiguro (Your Lie in April)/Yoshitoshi Shinomiya (Your Name Flashback Scene Unit Dir.)
  Character Design: Masayoshi Tanaka (Darling in the Franxx)
  Animation Production: CloverWorks (Darling in the Franxx, Persona 5 the Animation)

If you are not familiar with The Promised Neverland, then you should know the manga is a very popular one in Japan. Originally created by Kaiu Shirai with illustrations provided by Posuka Demizu, Shueisha has prioritizedThe Promised Neverland since its August 2016 debut in Weekly Shonen Jump. The title shipped its eighth volume as of this year, and it has sold more than 4.2 million copies in-print since it was first published.

The series is licensed by VIZ Media for an English language release and is described as such:

“Emma, Norman and Ray are the brightest kids at the Grace Field House orphanage. And under the care of the woman they refer to as “Mom,” all the kids have enjoyed a comfortable life. Good food, clean clothes and the perfect environment to learn—what more could an orphan ask for? One day, though, Emma and Norman uncover the dark truth of the outside world they are forbidden from seeing.”

The original manga series is going strong as the editor for the series recently revealed that The Promised Neverland has reached a major shift, stating that “the manga entered a new arc, and the serialization and story reached its turnaround point. From now on, as the story races at full speed to the end, I would be happy if you continue to watch over these kids as they learn the truth of the world and meet their destinies.”