A new trailer for the upcoming Undead Unluck one-hour special has revealed significant production changes, with Sung Hoo Park (known for Jujutsu Kaisen) stepping in as the director and his studio, E&H production, handling the animation. The special, slated for winter 2025, will feature an original story penned by the manga’s creator, Yoshifumi Tozuka.
Key Changes in Production Staff and Studio
The most notable shifts for the Undead Unluck one-hour special involve the director and animation studio. Sung Hoo Park will not only direct but also handle the storyboards for the special. His studio, E&H production, is taking over the animation, marking a departure from david production, which animated the first season of the TV series and will now provide cooperation. This change comes after Yuki Yase directed the initial TV anime series.
Returning Crew and Creative Input
Despite the new director and primary animation studio, several key staff members from the original Undead Unluck TV anime series are returning for the one-hour special. Yamato Haishima, who served as the series composer for the TV anime, is returning for the screenplay. Hideyuki Morioka and Shun’ichi Ishimoto are back to design characters, with Ishimoto having been a co-chief animation director for the TV series. Kenichiro Suehiro is once again composing the music. UNLIMITED PRODUCE by TMS is also returning for production and planning.
The special is set to feature a completely original story crafted by Yoshifumi Tozuka, the author and illustrator of the Undead Unluck manga. Tozuka has also designed a new UMA (Unidentified Mysterious Animal) creature specifically for this special.
What to Expect from the Undead Unluck Special
The one-hour special, titled UNDEAD UNLUCK: Winter Arc, is scheduled to premiere in winter 2025. The newly released teaser visual for the “Winter Arc” depicts Juiz wielding a flame-cloaked saber and Billy aiming a revolver, both with intense expressions, set against a snow-covered landscape. The teaser trailer itself includes highlight scenes from the previous TV series alongside new footage from the upcoming arc, hinting at a new chapter centered on a cryptic conversation between Juiz and Billy.
The Original Story and Manga’s Conclusion
The Undead Unluck manga, written and illustrated by Yoshifumi Tozuka, began serialization in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump in January 2020 and concluded in January 2025. The television anime adaptation ran for 24 episodes from October 2023 to March 2024. The manga has also inspired two novels, released in 2023. The new anime special’s original story and reveals coincide with August 1, the in-universe date of main characters Fuuko and Andy’s first meeting.
Viz Media describes the Undead Unluck manga’s premise: “All Fuuko wants is a passionate romance like the one in her favorite shojo manga. Unfortunately, her Unluck ability makes that impossible. But just as Fuuko hits rock bottom, Andy sweeps her off her feet—literally! Now she’s become Andy’s unwilling test subject as he works to find a way to trigger a stroke of Unluck big enough to kill him for good. However, when the pair discovers a secret organization is hunting them, it puts Andy’s burial plans on hold.”
