Danica Davidson
January 24, 2025 
The names Shinichiro Watanabe and MAPPA Studio are sure to get the attention of many otaku. And while their new collaboration, the anime Lazarus, is being made for Toonami, the latest news is that it will debut in Japan in April. We’re still waiting on word for when it will begin on Toonami. The above teaser visual was additionally released.
Shinichiro Watanabe is known as the director of iconic titles Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, while MAPPA is the studio behind big names like Attack on Titan The Final Season, Chainsaw Man and Jujutsu Kaisen.
Looking toward the cast, Mamoru Miyano plays Axel, Makoto Furukawa plays Doug, Maaya Uchida plays Christine, Yūma Uchida plays Leland, Manaka Iwami plays Eleina, Megumi Hayashibara plays Hersch, Akio Ōtsuka plays Abel, and Kōichi Yamadera plays Skinner.
Lazarus is an original anime, meaning it’s not based on something else, like a manga or light novel series. Adult Swim gave this description for it:
Lazarus Plot
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: ANN
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
