Netflix canceled Iron Fist and Luke Cage, and now it’s canceling the apocalypse. The streaming giant is expanding its original anime offerings with five new shows, among them a series based on the mecha film franchise Pacific Rim and Netflix’s original sci-fi series Altered Carbon.
Netflix announced its latest anime expansion on Wednesday, revealing that the Altered Carbon anime will inhabit the same universe as the live-action sci-fi. The other three are original dark fantasy and sci-fi shows.
Here’s the quick and dirty breakdown of all five new anime series coming to Netflix:
- Pacific Rim: Based on the Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures film franchise, where alien monsters called kaiju rise from the oceans to invade Earth. The series will follow two siblings who must pilot an abandoned Jaeger mecha across a “hostile landscape in a desperate attempt to find their parents.” Marvel writer and Thor: Ragnarok screenwriter Craig Kyle and Greg Johnson (X-Men: Evolution) are its co-showrunners.
- Altered Carbon: The anime Altered Carbon will take place in the same continuity as the live-action series on Netflix, of which its second season with Anthony Mackie (Avengers: Infinity War) is currently in production. The series comes from anime studio Anima and is written by Tsukasa Kondo and Dai Sato, best known for his work on Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo.
- Cagaster of an Insect Cage: From Gonzo, the same studio that created Afro Samurai, this post-apocalyptic series explores a world where a disease called “Cagaster” turns people into giant insects. The series is based on the manga and is directed by Full Metal Panic! director Koichi Chigira.
- Trese: Based on Filipino mythology and the graphic novel of the same name, Trese takes place in Manila where the monsters of Filipino folklore live in hiding. DC animation director Jay Oliva (Batman: Bad Blood, The Dark Knight Returns) is executive producing with BASE Entertainment.
- Yasuke: A sci-fi fantasy, a retired ronin is forced to retake his sword when he must transport a mysterious child on the run from evil forces. Animation studio MAPPA will produce the series and will feature Sorry to Bother You star Lakeith Stanfield voicing the series protagonist. The series is inspired by the historical figure Yasuke, an African samurai who served under 16th century daimyō Oda Nobunaga.
On the heels of Netflix’s very popular dark fantasy series Castlevania and other major animation hits like Voltron Legendary Defender, the streaming giant is going all-in on anime and is quickly becoming a serious competitor against anime platforms like Crunchyroll, if it isn’t already.
