The official website for the television anime of KOEI Tecmo Games' Samurai Warriors (Sengoku Musou) game franchise unveiled the main cast, staff, first key visual, and story for the series on Thursday.
The cast includes (note: historical names are written family name first, while voice actors are written family name last):
Takeshi Kusao as Sanada Yukimura
Daisuke Ono as Sanada Nobuyuki
Eiji Takemoto as Ishida Mitsunari
Masaya Takatsuka as Naoe Kanetsugu
Yuko Nagashima as Kunoichi
Makiko Ohmoto as Ina-hime
Satoshi Hino as Ōtani Yoshitsugu
Masaya Matsukaze as Tōdō Takatora
Hideo Ishikawa as Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Tomokazu Sugita as Katō Kiyomasa
Takahiro Fujimoto as Fukushima Masanori
Akio Ohtsuka as Honda Tadakatsu
Jouji Nakata as Tokugawa Ieyasu
Additionally, the staff has also revealed the character designs for Tokugawa Hidetada.
The key phrase of the anime's story is: "What are you fighting for?" The story takes place in Japan's tumultuous Sengoku era, where violent battles are being raged across the country. The "passionate and painful" story follows the "troubled fate" of the Sanada brothers, who have sworn an oath that no matter what, they will fight to the bitter end together.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi is on the verge of unifying the realm, and all that remains is the Odawara Castle protected by the "Lion of Sagami" Ujiyasu Hōjō. Hideyoshi's personally trained generals — Ishida Mitsunari, Katō Kiyomasa, and Fukushima Masanori — as well as Ōtani Yoshitsugu, Shima Sakon, and Naoe Kanetsugu are all on the frontline of the battle. Amidst the battle formation are the two young warriors of the Sanada household: older brother Nobuyuki and younger brother Yukimura. As the stalemate begins to break down, Sanada Yukimura rides on a lone horse into the fray. His brother follows him right after.
KOEI Tecmo Games software development head Hisashi Koinuma is serving as chief production supervisor of the series. Kōjin Ochi (La Corda D'Oro - primo passo, Case Closed, Sengoku Musou SP: Sanada no Shou) is directing the series, Yuka Yamada (Neo Angelique Abyss, Mushi-Shi, Black Butler) is handling the series composition, and Aki Tsunaki (Chōyaku Hyakunin Isshu: Uta Koi, Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 3: Owari Naki Unmei) is designing the characters. Tezuka Productions and TYO Animations are both animating the series, and NAS is producing the series.
Wagakki Band, a group that combines rock with traditional Japanese instruments and features a vocalist who recites Japanese or Chinese poetry, will perform the show's theme song "Ikusa."
The series will premiere in January 2015 on the TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, and BS Japan channels.
