Almost 40 years after the source material was first published, Garouden: The Way of the Lone Wolf is finally coming to the screen in animated form, with Netflix unveiling the first trailer and release date for the anime series.
Author Baku Yumemakura’s serial novel published its first 13 instalments between 1985 and 2003, with Jirō Taniguchi’s manga adaptation arriving in 1989, which was followed by Keisuke Itagak taking over for a manga of his own that stretched between 1996 and 2010.
Between those two points, Garouden has given rise to literary prequels and sequels, as well as a pair of video games and a feature-length movie directed by that premiered in 1995. However, the stories have never been translated to anime until now, with Netflix hoping to add the show to its ever-expanding list of in-house animated favourites.
Focusing on Juzo Fujimaki, the streaming service’s official synopsis paints the protagonist as being “on the run from his troubled past,” which forces Juzo “into competing in a deadly underground fighting tournament.” Along the way, he’ll make an enemy of Bunschichi Tanba, “all while dealing with a bounty of three million yen on his head and a detective on his trail.”
Garouden promises innovative fight sequences by using performance capture techniques to realistically emulate a number of disparate fighting styles including boxing, karate, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling, and sumo, adding an extra layer of authenticity to the fisticuffs.
The series is directed by Atsushi Ikariya, while the voice cast features Ryota Takeuchi leading the line as Juzo, with Tetsu Inada, Shunsuke Takeuchi, Rintaro Nishi, Tessho Genda, Aya Endo, Ryota Suzuki, Hidenobu Kiuchi, Junya Enoki, Yoshimasa Hosoya, Junichi Suwabe, Kenjiro Tsuda, Shiro Saito, Maki Izawa, Yume Miyamoto, and Yuhko Kaida also part of the ensemble.
Juzo “must navigate a path filled with formidable foes and his personal demons,” and with anime having become increasingly popular on Netflix in recent times, it stands to reason that Garouden will be appointment viewing for subscribers all over the world as the platform continues to bolster its line-up of both original and legacy content.
Netflix has invited everyone to step into the ring with Garouden: The Way of the Lone Wolf, which premieres in its entirety on May 23rd, 2024. To get those pulses racing, the first trailer for the upcoming anime teases plenty of hard-hitting action and narrative excitement, and there’s only one month to go until it explodes onto streaming.
