The film will be produced entirely in hand-drawn 2D animation. Animation production is handled by Qzil.la Inc., with production and producing by KADOKAWA and ARCH Inc. respectively. Kenichi Kakuna directs, Takuya Sato writes the screenplay, Takahiro Kishida serves as character designer, and Shuta Hasunuma composes the music.
The returning cast from the original game has also been announced: Daisuke Namikawa as Wolf, Miyuki Sato as Kuro, and Kenjiro Tsuda as Genichiro Ashina, along with Jin Urayama as the Sculptor, Shizuka Ito as Emma, Umitsu Takase as Hanbei, Takaya Hashi as Owl, and Tetsuo Kanao as Isshin Ashina.
The teaser PV showcases thrilling sword-clashing action, the poignant beauty of the characters' lives, and the unique worldview blending the harshness of the Sengoku era with the timeless beauty of ancient Japan.
Teaser PV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5MiWXKGVyc
Additionally, the film's theme song has been announced as "Blu" by composer Ryuichi Sakamoto (from "The Best of 'Playing the Orchestra 2014'").
■ Staff Comments
<Kenichi Kakuna (Director)>
"In adapting the overwhelmingly beautiful 'SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE' into anime, I am gathering every ounce of 'beauty' I possess for this production. Whether you're a fan of the game or discovering 'SEKIRO' for the first time through this anime, I'm confident you'll take something meaningful away from it. Please look forward to it."
<Qzil.la (Animation Production) Shun Fukutome>
"Expressing the original work's charm—its combined beauty and intensity—as animation required great resolve and became a significant challenge. Together with the wonderful creators who joined us in this endeavor, we are experimenting daily in pursuit of visual beauty that only animation can achieve. We will devote ourselves wholeheartedly to creating a work that leaves a deep impression on original fans and newcomers alike."
<ARCH (Producer) Tetsufumi Suzuki>
"In planning this project as producer, we discussed with the staff how to best adapt this 'story of a solitary lord and retainer' into anime. Despite being a pair, they are alone—we wanted to explore a theme that deeply resonates with us living in the modern age. We also established Studio Beta, a creator collective led by Director Kakuna, with ARCH's management participation. We are grateful to FromSoftware who created the original, KADOKAWA who oversees domestic distribution, Crunchyroll who handles international distribution, and many others who made it possible to deliver this work."
■ Overview
Title: Sekiro: No Defeat
Original Work: SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE (FromSoftware, Inc.)
Director: Kenichi Kakuna
Screenplay: Takuya Sato
Character Design: Takahiro Kishida
Assistant Director: Shunsuke Fukui
Chief Animation Director: Kaito Mogi
Action Animation Director: Takashi Mukaida
Art Director: Yuji Kaneko
Color Design: Azusa Sasaki
Director of Photography: Keisuke Nozawa
Editor: Yoshinori Murakami
Sound Director: Yasushi Nakura
Music: Shuta Hasunuma
Producing: ARCH
Animation Production: Qzil.la
Cast: Daisuke Namikawa (Wolf), Miyuki Sato (Kuro), Kenjiro Tsuda (Genichiro Ashina), Jin Urayama (Sculptor), Shizuka Ito (Emma), Umitsu Takase (Hanbei), Takaya Hashi (Owl), Tetsuo Kanao (Isshin Ashina)
Official Website: http://sekiro-anime.jp/
Official X: https://x.com/sekiro_nd_anime
©2019 FromSoftware, Inc. All rights reserved. ACTIVISION is a trademark of Activision Publishing Inc.
©KADOKAWA/Sekiro: No Defeat PARTNERS
