MAO Anime Unveils New Cast and Visual for Second Part
The official website for Sunrise's television anime adaptation of Rumiko Takahashi's manga, MAO, unveiled a new visual and additional cast members for the anime's second part on Friday. The new cast members include:
- Takuya Satō as Hakubi, an onmyōji of metal and MAO's former fellow disciple
- Rie Kugimiya as Natsuno, an onmyōji of earth and MAO's former fellow disciple
- Katsuyuki Konishi as Daigo, an onmyōji of earth and MAO's former fellow disciple
- Tasuku Kaito as Soma Kagami, the second son of the Kagami family
- Shino Shimoji as Kagari Hosho, the daughter of the Kagami family
Additionally, the site revealed a new visual of Yurako, voiced by Reina Ueda. The site also streamed the clean version of the second half's opening credits sequence, featuring the opening theme song "Bokura ga Uwagaki suru Sekai" (The World We Overwrite) by the boy group 20th Century.
The second cours of the MAO anime will start with its 14th episode on July 4. The anime debuted on April 4 on NHK's General channel at 11:45 p.m. (10:45 a.m. EST) and will run for two continuous cours without breaks. Hulu is streaming the anime in the U.S., and on Disney+ in Canada, Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand.
The cast members are:
- Yūki Kaji as MAO
- Natsumi Kawaida as Nanoka Kiba
- Hiro Shimono as Hyakka
- Toshiyuki Toyonaga as Kamon
- Momoka Terasawa as Otoya
- Kazuyuki Okitsu as Shiranui
- Motoko Kumai as Funa Uozumi
- Yōko Hikasa as Tenko
- Risa Shimizu as Sana
- Reina Ueda as Yurako
- Takashi Matsuyama as Byōki
The staff members are:
- Director: Teruo Sato
- Series Script Supervisor: Yūko Kakihara
- Character Designer, Chief Animation Director: Yoshihito Hishinuma
- Art Director: Hiroshi Katō and Izumi Hoki
- Color Key Artist: Masumi Ōtsuka
- CG Director: Tomohiro Fujie
- Compositing Director of Photography: Akane Fushihara
- Editing: Kazuhiro Nii
- Sound Director: Hiromi Kikuta
- Music: Shū Kanematsu
Boy band Kis-My-Ft2 performs the first opening theme song "HEARTLOUD," and TRUE performs the ending theme song "Juai" (Cursed Love).
Viz publishes the manga in English, describing it as an "era-spanning supernatural adventure" story where Nanoka travels back in time to the Taisho era, gets recruited by the aloof exorcist MAO, and together they seek answers while kicking some demon butt along the way.
In her career spanning over three decades, Takahashi has created manga such as Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku, Mermaid Saga, Rumic Theater, Ranma 1/2, One-Pound Gospel, and InuYasha, many of which have become internationally popular and inspired anime and live-action adaptations.
