A new teaser visual for Shinichiro Watanabe‘s upcoming original anime series Lazarus has been unveiled, with the series set to begin broadcasting in Japan in April 2025 on TV Tokyo and its affiliate channels. Details regarding the anime’s Adult Swim broadcast in the U.S. on the Toonami programming block have not yet been announced, but it will air for 13 total episodes.
Adult Swim producer and senior vice president and head of anime and action series Jason DeMarco confirmed that Watanabe will direct every episode of the series. John Wick director Chad Stahelski is designing the anime’s action sequences. American saxophonist Kamasi Washington, producer and DJ Floating Points, and musician Bonobo are composing the jazz and electronic-inspired musical score. Sola Entertainment is producing the series, with MAPPA handling the animation production.
Other staff include Akemi Hayashi (Maboroshi animation director) as character designer, Stanislas Brunet (Super Crooks, Symphogear XV) as concept designer, Miho Sugiura (Buddy Daddies) as art director, Kana Tanabe (RE-MAIN) as color designer, Takuma Sakamoto as cinematographer, and Mitsuhiro Sato (Pluto) as composting director.
Washington is also performing the anime’s opening theme “Vortex,” while English alternative rock band The Boo Radleys is performing the titular ending theme “Lazarus.”
Meanwhile, the anime’s main voice cast stars:
- • Mamoru Miyano as Axel
- • Makoto Furukawa as Doug
- • Maaya Uchida as Chris
- • Yuma Uchida as Leland
- • Manaka Iwami as Eleina
- • Megumi Hayashibara as Hersch
- • Akio Otsuka as Abel
- • Koichi Yamadera as Dr. Skinner
Adult Swim describes the main synopsis of Lazarus as:
The year is 2052 – an era of unprecedented peace and prosperity prevails across the globe. The reason for this: mankind has been freed from sickness and pain. Nobel Prize winning neuroscientist Dr. Skinner has developed a miracle cure-all drug with no apparent drawbacks called Hapuna. Hapuna soon becomes ubiquitous… and essential. However, soon after Hapuna is officially introduced, Dr. Skinner vanishes.
Three years later, the world has moved on. But Dr. Skinner has returned – this time, as a harbinger of doom. Skinner announces that Hapuna has a short half-life. Everyone who has taken it will die approximately three years later. Death is coming for this sinful world – and coming soon.
As a response to this threat, a special task force of 5 agents is gathered from across the world to save humanity from Skinner’s plan. This group is called “Lazarus.” Can they find Skinner and develop a vaccine before time runs out?
Source: Lazarus Official Anime Twitter
