A website opened on Friday to announce the 2023 science-fiction detective anime Special Kid Factory. Director Atsushi Ikariya (Sabikui Bisco, character designs on Fate/Zero, ID: INVADED), writer Otaro Maijo (The Dragon Dentist, ID: INVADED, storyboards on Sabikui Bisco opening), and supervisor Ei Aoki (The Garden of Sinners, Fate/Zero, ID: INVADED, Aldnoah.Zero) are collaborating at the studio NAZ (Sabikui Bisco, ID: INVADED).

The story follows a protagonist and his clones. The website describes the story:

I, well, I don’t know if I should be saying this myself, but I am ordinary.

This “special I” who looks exactly like me came to my house. But he is not a fake version of me. Actually, I am the fake and he is the one that’s real. I am only his clone.

I’m not me. I’m not me! Everything till now has been for another “special me”. Yet I have taken it all for granted as if they were mine and simply enjoyed my life.

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“I am special,” says the “Special I.”
“A detective. That’s what they would call me on Earth.”
“I still have a lot to learn about this so-called “family love,” but I’m sure I can figure it out. It should be easier than finding Earth.”

The other creators include assistant director Daisuke Mataga (Sabikui Bisco, character designs on Patema Inverted, main animator on ID: INVADED), original character designer Yūki Kodama (Blood Lad manga, ID: INVADED, Rhapsody), main animator Ai Asari (ID: INVADED animation director, Sabikui Bisco character designs), and producer Yasuo Suda (ID: INVADED, Thermae Romae Novae, Sabikui Bisco).

Sources: Special Kid Factory anime’s website, Mainichi Shimbun’s Mantan Web

The official website for the 3D CG anime of Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi‘s Ultraman manga unveiled a new cast member, the May 11 worldwide Netflix debut, and a new visual for the anime on Friday.

Hideaki Tezuka voices the character Daisuke Arashi (seen above), a former colleague of Hayata in the Science Special Search Party (SSSP).

M.A.O and Kōji Ishii join the cast as the characters Balkyua and Mephisto, respectively.

Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Eden of the East, Napping Princess) and Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed, Harlock: Space Pirate, Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars) are returning to direct the final anime season. Production I.G (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Eden of the East, Napping Princess) and Sola Digital Arts (Appleseed Alpha, Starship Troopers: Invasion, Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars) are again producing the anime in 3D CG. Nobuko Toda and Kazuma Jinnouchi are returning to compose the music.

Netflix describes the anime’s story:

Several years have passed since the events of Ultraman, with the legendary “Giant of Light” (光の巨人 Hikari no Kyojin) now a memory, as it is believed he returned home after fighting the many giant aliens that invaded the Earth. Shin Hayata’s son Shinjiro seems to possess a strange ability, and it is this ability, along with his father’s revelation that he was Ultraman, that leads Shinjiro to battle the new aliens invading the Earth as the new Ultraman.

Kamiyama, Aramaki, Production I.G, and Sola Digital Arts returned from the first season for the second one.

Tatsuhisa Suzuki was slated to play the new Ultraman character Kōtarō Higashi/Ultraman Taro in the second season, but he offered to step down from the role, due to his hiatus from “all entertainment industry activities” last year. Tomoaki Maeno is voicing the character instead. Suzuki performed the opening theme songs for the first season as a member of OLDCODEX.

Sources: Ultraman CG anime’s website, Tsuburaya Productions, Comic Natalie