Adult Swim has announced that they have given the greenlight to a full series of Rick and Morty: The Anime from director Takashi Sano (Tower of God) as well as an all-new original series called Ninja Kamui from director Sunghoo Park (God of High School, Jujutsu Kaisen). Both series are in production and will premiere on Adult Swim and HBO Max.
Rick and Morty: The Anime is, of course, based on the Emmy-award-winning adult animated series and will be debuting on both HBO Max and Adult Swim. This is not the first time that Sano has made an anime series based on the multiverse-hopping series, having directed both Rick and Morty vs. Genocider and Summer Meets God (Rick Meets Evil) anime shorts that were released in July 2020 and August 2021, respectively. Since their release, both of these shorts received widespread acclaim from both audiences and critics and have amassed over 10 million views on Adult Swim digital platforms as of current writing.
The upcoming series will consist of 10 episodes and will stand on its own as an original work, but Sano has assured viewers that he will adapt the themes and events of the original show, which comes as no surprise as his previous work on it has shown his love for the original series. “The multiverse-straddling exploits of Rick and the gang pose challenges to the family bond, but they always rise to the occasion,” Sano explains. “It’s such a life-affirming sight, and Jerry is no exception. I am honored to have been given an opportunity to tell a new story about this amazing family. I hope you enjoy their adventures!” Like Sano’s previous Rick and Morty anime shorts, the series is from Telecom Animation Film (Lupin the IIIrd Series, Shenmue the Animation, Tower of God).
The other anime series that received the greenlight at Adult Swim is Ninja Kamui. It follows a man named Joe Higan who is a Nukenin or a runaway shinobi. He is a former ninja who escaped his clan and is hiding from his violent past in rural America with his family. This was an act that wasn't taken lightly as one night, assassins from his former organization ambush him and his family and take their revenge on him and his family for breaking his code. Rising from what appeared to be his death, Joe embraces his former self, the titular Ninja Kamui, to avenge his family and friends.
As the official description of the show puts it, "Kamui is a 21st-century ninja, a shadowy anachronism who pits his ancient skills against high-tech weaponry with brutal finesse. He must face off against trained assassins, combat cyborgs, and rival ninjas to bring down the very clan that made him." Ninja Kamui features character designs by Takeshi Okazaki (Afro Samurai, Star Wars Visions, Batman: Ninja), and is produced by E&H Production and Sola Entertainment (Lord of The Rings: War of The Rohirrim, Blade Runner: Black Lotus, Ultraman).
“This is a story I've always wanted to tell,” said Park. “Transgression and punishment of a ninja who loses everything and goes out for revenge, and what lies at the end of his road. I am very excited about this new project and hope fans will be too.”
Both Rick and Morty: The Anime and Ninja Kamui are in production and will premiere on Adult Swim and HBO Max. Neither series currently have a release date, but in the meantime check out posters for both below:
