Shinya Takashi, Riho Sugiyama, Hironori Kondō, Sora Tokui join cast; new mechanic visuals also revealed
The official website for Grendizer U, the 2024 television anime in Gō Nagai's UFO Robo Grendizer franchise, started streaming the anime's second promotional video on Tuesday. The video reveals more cast and the anime's July premiere on TV Tokyo and BS TV Tokyo. The video features the TV version of the opening theme song "Kaishin no Ichigeki" (Critical Hit) by the band Glay.
The newly announced cast members are:
The anime's staff also revealed visuals for new Mechanics that will appear in the series:
Previously revealed cast members include:
- Miyu Irino as Duke Fleed
- Hiro Shimono as Koji Kabuto
- Sumire Uesaka as Sayaka Yumi
- Nao Tōyama as Hikaru Makiba
- Minami Tanaka as Grace Maria Fleed
- Haruka Tomatsu as Teronna Aqua Vega and Rubina Beryl Vega
- Ayane Sakura as Naida Baron
- Yūma Uchida as Cassado Zeola Whiter
- Shō Hayami as Gennosuke Yumi
- Takuya Kirimoto as Genzō Umon
- Takehito Koyasu as Gandal
- Akeno Watanabe as Lady Gandal
- Wataru Takagi as Blacky
- Tomokazu Seki as Zurill
Shun Kudō (Kimi dake ni Motetainda) is directing the anime. Tatsuto Higuchi (Shine Post) is writing the script. Arakimari is the sub-character designer. Kō Inaba, AF_KURO, and Junichi Akutsu (Astrays) are in charge of mechanical design.
The new anime is described as a reboot of the original 1975-1977 anime.
Mitsuo Fukuda (Mobile Suit Gundam Seed, Gear Fighter Dendoh, Future GPX Cyber Formula) is the anime's chief director at GAINA, and Gō Nagai is the executive producer on the project. Ichiro Okouchi (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury) is writing and overseeing the series scripts. Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Neon Genesis Evangelion, Wolf Children, Gunbuster 2: Diebuster) is designing the characters, and Kōhei Tanaka (One Piece, Sakura Wars, Dirty Pair) is composing the music.
Additional staff includes:
- Design Works: Pinakes, Tomoyuki Aoki, zenseava, Masato Yoshinaga
- Main Animators: Hiroyuki Taiga, Takashi Hashimoto, Masahiro Yamane, Tōru Yoshida
- Art Directors: Hiroshi Katō, Hirofumi Sakagami (Totonyan)
- Color Design: Tomoe Yoshimura
- Compositing Director of Photography: Atsushi Usuta (Nexus)
- Sound Director: Yukio Nagasaki
- Sound Effects: Toshiya Wada, Maki Takuma (Swara Pro)
- Music Production: PONY CANYON
The Mazinger franchise had teased a new project for UFO Robo Grendizer in August 2022, stating that the project would be announced in 2023.
In France, the anime was titled Goldorak when it premiered in 1978. The series helped to boost the impact and popularity of anime in the country.
That led to French publisher Microids (formerly Anuman Interactive) and Dynamic Planning announcing an action game in 2021. Endroad developed the UFO Robot Grendizer: The Feast of the Wolves action game. Microids released the game for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on November 14. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions are scheduled for release after. The Nintendo Switch version will then launch this year.Nagai launched the Grendizer Giga manga in Akita Shoten's Champion RED magazine in September 2014, and ended it in July 2015. The story is a full reboot of Nagai's UFO Robo Grendizer story. When a great fleet of flying saucers invades Earth, it awakens the true power of Daisuke Uryū. (The main lead of UFO Robo Grendizer was named Daisuke Umon.)
The manga received an animated promotional video in April 2015 to commemorate the launch of the first compiled manga volume, as well as Grendizer's 40th anniversary.
Sources: Grendizer U anime's website, Comic Natalie