Crunchyroll and Adult Swim have shared further details on their project set in the beloved Blade Runner universe, to air in the fall. The series is produced by Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo), and directed by Shinji Aramaki (Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, Fullmetal Alchemist, Ultraman [Manga] ) and Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Eden of the East, Ultraman [Manga] ). Sola Digital Arts is the animation studio.
The show, originally announced in 2018, will be available on Crunchyroll with Japanese Voice-Over and English Subtitles. Adult Swim will carry the dubbed series on it’s Toonami block., and will run for 13 episodes of 30 minutes each. It’s announcement was accompanied by an original short anime film, BLADE RUNNER BLACK OUT 2022, which can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
Black Lotus takes place in 2032, and will feature both new and familiar characters from the franchise in a story centered around a female replicant. The cast per Crunchyroll, features:
Elle: Jessica Henwick / Arisa Shida – A female replicant created for a secret and unknown purpose.
Joseph: Will Yun Lee / Shinshu Fuji – A mysterious figure who owns a spare parts junkyard in Los Angeles.
Alani Davis: Samira Wiley / Takako Honda – A fresh LAPD recruit.
Niander Wallace Sr: Brian Cox / Takaya Hashi – Founder and CEO of the Wallace Corporation.
Niander Wallace Jr: Wes Bentley / Takehito Koyasu – Brilliant scientist working for his father.
Marlowe: Josh Duhamel / Taiten Kusunoki – a deadly Blade Runner.
Josephine Grant: Peyton List / Yoshiko Sakakibara – The wife of the police chief.
Earl Grant: Stephen Root / Hochu Otsuka – Police Chief of the LAPD.
Doc Badger: Barkhad Abdi /Takayuki Kinba – A black market dealer.
Senator Bannister: Gregg Henry / Masane Tsukayama – A politician with strong feelings on replicant production.
Doctor M: Henry Czerny / Akio Nojima – A brilliant doctor and professor of medicine.
Hooper: Jason Spisak / Kazuki Yao – A journalist in the pocket of the Wallace Corporation.
Check out Crunchyroll and Adult Swim’s trailers below, and be sure catch Blade Runner: Black Lotus this fall!
Japanese Trailer from Crunchyroll
English Trailer from Adult Swim
