Netflix Unveils Coming Anime Lineup at TUDUM Virtual Event

Anime V-Tuber N-ko treated fans to sneak peeks of brand-new shows coming soon to the streamer; see trailers for ‘Drifting Home’ by Studio Colorido and ‘Super Crooks’ by comic book author Mark Millar.

On Saturday September 25, at the first ever TUDUM global fan event, Netflix celebrated their growing slate of anime, showcasing and celebrating both upcoming projects as well as fan favorites. Anime continues to grow its fanbase on Netflix, with over 120 million households choosing to watch at least one anime on Netflix in the past year. The streamer continues to bolster its lineup of anime from Japan and around the world. 

During the virtual fan event presented and hosted by Netflix Anime V-Tuber N-ko, Netflix announced Drifting Home (premiering 2022), the next feature film project by Studio Colorido (A Whisker Away). The original story is about two childhood friends that drift into a mysterious sea alongside a housing complex. It will join previously announced projects including the heist story Super Crooks (premiering November 25, 2021) based on a story by comic book by Mark Millar, and Bright: Samurai Soul (premiering October 12, 2021), an ambitious anime spin-off to the original live-action film starring Will Smith.

Netflix gave fans a glimpse of some returning series, including Aggretsuko Season 4 (premiering December 2021) and Ultraman Season 2 (premiering in 2022), with new teaser art revealed for the upcoming seasons.

Also in the spotlight was Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal the Movie. Fans were joined by host and actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Never Have I Ever) as she talked to the global voice cast about their experience as the voices of Super Sailor Moon / Usagi Tsukino.

Additional highlights and announcements:

Aggretsuko Season 4 - Global Premiere Date: December 2021

  • Frustrated with her thankless office job, Retsuko the Red Panda copes with her daily struggles by belting out death metal karaoke after work. After becoming an underground idol to pay off her debts, Retsuko decides to quit OTMGirls and enjoy living a happy, normal life… but just as the company she works for is facing big changes, her relationship with Haida finally begins to move.
  • Original story by: Sanrio; Directed by: Rarecho; Animation Production: Fanworks;

Bright: Samurai Soul - Global Premiere Date: October 12, 2021

  • In the time between the fall of the Shogunate and the rise of the Meiji era, a powerful bright light emitted from a wand brings an end to the long Shogunate period to avoid further bloodshed as Japan begins to shift toward a new era. Amid these circumstances, a one-eyed wandering ronin named Izou, who has lost his reason to live, and Raiden, an orc who detests murder and hopes to leave a life of thievery behind, separately meet a young elf girl named Sonya around the same time. Together, they go on a journey along the Tokaido road to bring her and the wand she holds safely to the land of the elves in the north. Standing in their path is the mysterious organization Inferni, which aims to obtain the wand and revive the Dark Lord, who intends to rule all of creation. Inferni also uses the new Meiji government in its attempt to steal the wand from Izou, Raiden and Sonya. Traveling along the Tokaido road from Kyoto to Yokohama, Izou and Raiden begin their journey to protect the wand.

Check out the trailer:

  • Directed by: Kyohei Ishiguro; Written by: Michiko Yokote; Character Designer: Atsushi Yamagata; Animation Production: ARECT

Drifting Home - Global Premiere Date: Coming in 2022

  • Kosuke and Natsume have been friends since childhood, but as time goes on the relationship between the two sixth graders seems strained as they keep avoiding one another. One day during their summer vacation, they go to a housing complex that is scheduled to be demolished. Having grown up there, the place holds a lot of memories, but while playing, they suddenly get caught up in a mysterious phenomenon and when they regain consciousness, they see an entire ocean before them as the housing complex has drifted into a mysterious sea and Kosuke and Natsume with it. Will they be able to return to their previous world? A summer farewell journey begins...

Check out the trailer:

  • Director: Hiroyasu Ishida; Screenplay: Hayashi Mori, Hiroyasu Ishida & Minaka Sakamoto; Character Designer: Akihiro Nagae; Assistant Character Designer: Fumi Kato; Composer: Umitaro Abe; Producer: Koji Yamamoto; Production: Studio Colorido; Planning: Twin Engine

Super Crooks - Global Premiere Date: November 25, 2021

Check out the trailer:

  • Small-time crook Johnny Bolt recruits the ultimate crew for one last heist, From comic book legend Mark Millar, this super-powered heist story about eight super-villains is jam-packed with action and told in 13x 30-minute episodes produced by Bones.
  • Original graphic novel created by: Mark Millar & Leinil Yu; Director: Motonobu Hori; Writer (Story Editor): Dai Sato; Composer: Towa Tei; Character Design Supervisor: Leinil Yu; Character Design: Takashi Mitani; Animation Production: bones (or BONES)

Ultraman Season 2 - Global Premiere Date: Coming in 2022

  • Several years have passed since the events of Ultraman, with the legendary "Giant of Light" (光の巨人 Hikari no Kyojin) now a memory, as it is believed he returned home after fighting the many giant aliens that invaded the Earth. Shin Hayata's son Shinjiro seems to possess a strange ability, and it is this ability, along with his father's revelation that he was Ultraman, that leads Shinjiro to battle the new aliens invading the Earth as the new Ultraman.
  • Based on a comic by: Tsuburaya Production, Eiichi Shimizu & Tomohiro Shimoguchi;  Directors: Kenji Kamiyama & Shinji Aramaki; Music: Nobuko Toda & Kazuma Jinnouchi; Production: Production I.G. & SOLA DIGITAL ARTS

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal the Movie - Now Streaming

  • The adventures are set in April, when the cherry blossoms are in bloom and Tokyo is in a festive mood as it celebrates the largest total solar eclipse of the century. As the new moon obscures the sun and gradually dims its light, Usagi and Chibi-Usa encounter Pegasus, who is in search of the chosen Maiden who can break the seal of the Golden Crystal. Meanwhile, a mysterious troupe called the Dead Moon Circus appears in town with a nefarious plan to scatter the nightmare incarnations known as Lemures, seize the ‘Legendary Silver Crystal,’ rule over the moon and the earth, and eventually dominate the entire universe…

Check out the trailer:

  • Originally created by: Naoko Takeuchi; Directed by: Chiaki Kon (The Way of the Househusband, Nodame Cantabile: Paris Edition & Finale): Music by: Yasuharu Takanashi (Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal Season III); Character designs by: Kazuko Tadano (Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens

Source: Netflix