Since the release of Baki the taste for more martial art titles has been immense. The next anime that should satisfy that hunger is the upcoming release of Kengan Ashura. Brutal in its own regard, this anime series could be one of Netflix’s best anime titles to date. Here’s everything we know so far on the first season of Kengan Ashura, including the Netflix release date, plot, cast and trailer.
Kengan Ashura is an upcoming Netflix Original martial-arts anime based on the manga of the same name created by Yabako Sandrovich. First debuting in 2012 in the Ura Sunday Magazine, the series published a total 236 chapter for a total 26 volumes. What is surprising is how long Kengan Ashura took to earn an anime adaptation. Ultimately it was left to the fans when Ura Sunday published a poll in 2015 asking them what manga should receive an anime adaptation. In May 2015 it was announced Kengan Ashura won.
Fans have since waited an incredibly long time since that poll was won. Larx entertainment and key staff that were involved in the project weren’t announced until March 2018. The first episode was showcased at the Los Angeles Anime Expo in July 2018. With the release only a short time away, Kengan Ashura will be debuting in the same month as 2019 has already been a solid year for anime on Netflix. With the release of Knights of the Zodiac and Kengun Ashura, July is pretty stacked, making July a pretty stacked month for anime on Netflix.
What is the plot of Kengan Ashura?
Since the Edo period of Japan, combatants have taken part in gladiatorial combat. Within the arenas are the powerful, wealthy and greedy businessman that hire gladiators on their behalf in a winner takes all fights. Bursting his way onto the scene is Tokita Ohma, joining the arenas and annihilating his opponents with ease. His skill and ability to destroy opponents has caught the eye of many within the arenas, with many fighters lining up to take Tokita Ohma on.
Tokita Ohma fighting on behalf of the Yamashita Trading Co. takes part in the Kengan Annihaltion Tournament. With even more gladiators to fight Tokita Ohma can’t wait to test his might.
Who is in the cast of Kengan Ashura?
Kengan Ashura has one of the most diverse lists of characters for any anime/manga title. It has been reported of least 74 of the cast members are in supporting roles.
Instead of listing all 74, here are the core group of cast members that play a major role in the series:
| Role | Cast Member | Where have I seen/heard them before? |
|---|---|---|
| Tokita Ohma | Tatsuhisa Suzuki | Free! | The Seven Deadly Sins | Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters |
| Yamashita Kazuo | Chō | Redline | Batman Ninja | One Piece |
| Nogi Hideki | Jouji Nakata | Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works | Street Fighter 2: The Animated Movie | Ninja Scroll |
| Kaede Akiyama | Yumi Uchiyama | Yuki Yuna is a Hero | Nisekoi | Bunny Drop |
| Rihito | Hayato Kaneko | Dusk Maiden of Amnesia | WataMote: No Matter |
| Sekibayashi Jun | Tetsu Inada | *Debuting voice work in Kengan Ashura* |
| Imai Cosmo | Junya Enoki | Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure | Digimon Adventure | Beyblade Burst |
| Kiryu Setsuna | Daisuke Namikawa | Bleach | K | Gatchaman Crowds |
How much manga will Kengan Ashura Season 1 cover?
As we’re unsure if the ‘first season’ will be split into parts like Baki it’s rather hard to predict where the first season will end. From what we do know is that a whole heap of voice actors has been cast for various roles in the anime. Many of these characters don’t appear until the first round of the Kengan Annihilation Tournament.
So from the information, we do have to hand it’s likely the first season will end during the first round of the Annihilation Tournament. This would cover of least 61 chapters of the manga.
Artwork from the Kengan Ashura manga. Illustrated by Daromeon – Copyright. Shogakukan
Are subscribers hyped for Kengan Ashura?
The manga is indeed fantastic, after reading some for the chapters safe to say I can’t wait to read more!
If you like Baki, keep an eye out for Kengan Ashura coming to Netflix. The manga is great 👍
— Rivuzu (@Rivuzu) May 7, 2019
One fan isn’t too happy about the animation…
You see what Netflix did to Kengan ashura?😢
— Fai the terrible (@SirWofai) May 6, 2019
wow,,, kengan ashura anime in only 2 monthjs, hope it doesnt suck ass when ive been defending it for so long
— Akoyash (@captainashdavis) May 5, 2019
So what is the animation style of Kengan Ashura
The production company behind the animation of Kengan Ashura is Larx Entertainment. As you would have seen in the images above Larx Entertainment have used 3DCG (Three-Dimensional Computer Graphic) for the animation of the series.
The use of CG in anime has definitely been controversial. Some see the use of CG as lazy and dishonors the source material. Such opinions are justified when you consider the level of detail and artwork that go into the creation of the manga illustrations.
Kengan Ashura is one such series that is well known for its unique and albeit incredibly detailed artwork. Larx Entertainment has a huge job on its hands to please the fanbase.
The anime (left) and manga (right) art style comparison – Copyright. Shogakukan and Larx Entertainment
How many episodes will Kengan Ashura Air?
The episode count for the anime hasn’t been confirmed by Netflix or Larx Entertainment. Typically anime seasons air around 10-13 episodes per season. Kengan Ashura will likely follow this format.
What are the episode run times?
Still yet to be confirmed, each episode will likely be around 25 minutes.
Is there a trailer for Kengan Ashura?
Netflix released a teaser trailer for Kengan Ashura at the end of March. As we’ve already discussed fans of Baki will likely love Kengan Ashura! We can expect to see a full-length trailer in the coming months.
When is the release date for Kengan Ashura?
The first season of Kengan Ashura will be arriving on Wednesday the 31st of July! Sadly not a Friday release date but for any of you lucky kids on summer vacation will all the time to binge the series to your heart’s content.
Will Kengan Ashura be available in my region?
Oh yes. Any worried subscribers out there will have their doubts eased as Kengan Ashura will be available to fans worldwide.
What time will Kengan Ashura be available in my region?
Depending on where you are in the world will dictate what time the Original anime will stream in your region.
More specifically the time that titles are added is dictated by PST (Pacific Standard Time). This means that if you’re a subscriber in New Zealand, you’re 20 hours ahead of PST, therefore, your new titles aren’t available to stream until 20:00 PM.
If you wish to know what time Kengan Ashura is available in your region, then check out the timetable below:
| Time Zone | Time available to stream |
|---|---|
| Pacific Standard Time | 12:00 AM |
| Mountain Standard Time | 1:00 AM |
| Central Standard Time | 2:00 AM |
| Eastern Standard Time | 3:00 AM |
| British Summer Time | 8:00 AM |
| Central European Time | 9:00 AM |
| Eastern European Time | 10:00 AM |
| India Standard Time | 12:30 PM |
| Japan Standard Time | 16:00 PM |
| Australian Eastern Time | 18:00 PM |
| New Zealand Day Light Time | 20:00 PM |
Are you looking forward to the release of Kegun Ashura?
