The upcoming TV anime adaptation of Shun Umezawa’s award-winning manga, The Darwin Incident, has revealed its main cast in a newly released first promotional video and key visual. The highly anticipated series is set to premiere in January 2026 on the TV Tokyo network.
The reveal introduces Atsumi Tanezaki as Charlie, Mitsuho Kōbe as Lucy Eldred, and Akio Ōtsuka as Rivera. The promotional video offers a glimpse into the dramatic sci-fi thriller, showcasing Charlie’s origins, his interactions with human society, and the looming threat of the Animal Liberation Alliance (ALA).
Meet the Main Cast
The core cast members bring a wealth of experience to their roles, voicing key characters in this complex narrative about a “humanzee” navigating a world grappling with his existence.
Atsumi Tanezaki as Charlie
Atsumi Tanezaki, renowned for her role as Anya Forger in SPY×FAMILY, takes on the challenging lead role of Charlie, the half-human, half-chimpanzee protagonist. Tanezaki expressed how deeply the manga affected her, stating it was “so fascinating that I couldn’t put it down” and made her “reflect deeply on Charlie and everything surrounding him.” She also admitted that playing Charlie was “the first time in my career that I truly struggled,” emphasizing the emotional depth required for the character. Charlie’s story begins with his birth after his chimpanzee mother was rescued from an animal testing lab by the Animal Liberation Alliance.
Mitsuho Kōbe as Lucy Eldred
Mitsuho Kōbe steps into the role of Lucy Eldred, the brilliant human girl who becomes Charlie’s first friend at high school. Kōbe shared her immediate connection to the story, noting that “amid the larger-than-life fiction, the story’s realism and tension drew me in instantly.” She aimed to “express Lucy’s intelligence and drive” in her performance.
Akio Ōtsuka as Rivera Feyerabend
Veteran voice actor Akio Ōtsuka, known for roles like All For One in My Hero Academia, will portray Rivera Feyerabend, the leader of the extremist Animal Liberation Alliance (ALA). Rivera relentlessly targets Charlie as the ALA’s ideology grows more extreme. Ōtsuka embraced the antagonist role, stating he is “fully prepared to bear all the audience’s hostility” and that the work exciting viewers would be his “greatest reward.”
Production Details and Acclaim
The Darwin Incident anime is being produced by BELLNOX FILMS. Naokatsu Tsuda, known for his work on JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, is directing the series, with Katsuichi Nakayama serving as series director. Shinichi Inozume is handling the series composition, and Shinpei Tomooka is responsible for character designs. Music for the series will be composed by Alisa Okehazama and Mariko Horikawa, with Yoshikazu Iwanami as the sound director.
The original manga, written and illustrated by Shun Umezawa, began serialization in Kodansha’s Monthly Afternoon magazine in June 2020. It has garnered significant critical acclaim, winning the 15th Manga Taishō award in 2022 and an Excellence Award at the 25th Japan Media Arts Festival. With over 2 million copies in circulation, the manga explores themes of identity, humanity, and eco-terrorism through the eyes of Charlie, the “humanzee.” Kodansha USA publishes the official English version of the manga.
