Shinichirō Watanabe is best known for his work on Cowboy Bebop, arguably the most acclaimed anime ever made. But since then, he’s largely stayed away from science-fiction — until his new show for Adult Swim, Lazarus.
“After Cowboy Bebop, I wanted to try something different genre-wise, which was how I ended up making Kids on the Slope and Carole & Tuesday,” he told The Verge. “When I wound up working on Blade Runner Black Out 2022, it felt so good to come back to sci-fi, but because that was just a short, I still felt like I needed to find an opportunity to stretch those specific creative muscles.”
Watanabe continued, “I didn’t just want to repeat or rehash what I’d done with Cowboy Bebop, though, and that’s part of why I initially reached out to Chad Stahelski, who worked on the John Wick films. I thought that he was able to really update action sequences in a new way, and I wanted to bring that kind of energy to my next project.”
Here’s everything to know about Lazarus.
Plot
Lazarus begins in 2052, when the world is on the verge of a Common Side Effects-level change thanks to the miracle drug known as “Hapna.” Developed by Dr. Skinner, it supposedly frees people from all pain. But in 2055, it’s discovered that Hapna is “designed with a fatal, retroactive effect, which manifests three years after ingestion, even by those who have only taken it once,” according to the official plot synopsis.
Humanity is doomed in 30 days… unless five agents, including Axel, can find Skinner and get the cure to save civilization.
“We’re talking Watanabe here – this show is an amazing mix of great characters, super fun high-stakes, brilliant directing, and of course, some pretty great music,” Adult Swim president Michael Ouweleen said in a statement. “We are all so lucky to be able to watch this genius do his thing.”
Since this is a Shinichirō Watanabe show we’re talking about, Lazarus obviously has killer action sequences, courtesy of the aforementioned Chad Stahelski, and an amazing soundtrack.
“Lazarus is made up of elements I have created in the past. But I am not reviving them, I’m doing something new,” he told Vulture. “There is a certain flavor to this work that is not just action — it’s a story about the end of the world. It is futuristic, but there’s something profoundly sad and melancholic. So with those moods and themes, I picked musicians I thought would fit. I first decided on Bonobo and Floating Points, and the producer Jason Demarco asked me what I thought of Kamasi Washington. I was of course a big fan, and he offered to introduce us. The series goes into a lot of big questions, and Kamasi’s music is suited to that.”
The animation is provided by Studio MAPPA, who also work on Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Vinland Saga (season 2 only).
Cast
The English-language voice cast features David Matranga (who also voices Shoto Todoroki in My Hero Academia) as Dr. Skinner, Jade Kelly as Hersch, Jack Stansbury as Axel, Luci Christian as Chris, Bryson Baugus as Leland, Jovan Jackson as Doug, Annie Wild as Elaina, and Sean Patrick Judge as Abel.
Release Date
Lazarus premieres in English on Saturday, April 5, at midnight during Adult Swim’s Toonami block, and streams the next day on Max. English-language encore airings will debut every Thursday at midnight beginning April 10. Episodes in Japanese with English subtitles will debut in the U.S. on Adult Swim and Max 30 days after the English-language premiere.
Trailer
You can watch the trailer for Lazarus below.
