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The Darwin Incident anime just released its official trailer. And wow, it looks amazing. This series is an adaptation of Shun Umezawa’s prize-winning manga about Charlie, a teenager who is half human and half chimpanzee.
The story deals with terrorism, discrimination, and what it means to be human. But don't let that scare you off. It's actually a school comedy at heart. Fans have been waiting for this since the manga won the Manga Taisho award in 2022. Now we finally have the cast, release date, and a taste of what's coming.
Release Date and Where to Watch The Darwin Incident anime
The trailer:
The anime debuts in January 2026. It will broadcast on TV Tokyo and its affiliates in Japan. There is no official word on international streaming yet. But it’s a popular manga all around the world, so it’ll show up on Crunchyroll or Netflix pretty quickly. Production’s been moving fast ever since that announcement earlier this year. That's a good sign that the team in charge feels they’re on the right path.
The Story Behind The Darwin Incident anime
An eco-terrorist group called the Animal Liberation Alliance (ALA) breaks into a lab and rescues a pregnant chimpanzee. Then the chimp gives birth to Charlie, a "humanzee" who's half-human and half-chimp. Fast forward fifteen years, and Charlie's foster parents finally send him to regular high school. There, he meets Lucy, a smart loner who becomes his first real friend.
Everything's cool until the ALA comes back, except now they're way more extreme, and they want Charlie for their terrorist schemes. The Darwin Incident anime mixes heavy social issues with real heart. It's not all doom and gloom. It's mainly about two teens just trying to figure life out together.
The Cast behind The Darwin Incident anime
The voice cast is stacked. Atsumi Tanezaki voices Charlie Stein. You might know her as Anya from Spy x Family or Frieren from Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, so she's got serious range. She brings this natural quality to Charlie that just works. Actually, she didn't even audition at first. Director Naokatsu Tsuda specifically requested her after other auditions didn't click. Original author Shun Umezawa said her performance felt so real, like Charlie had actually come to life.
Lucy Eldred is voiced by Mitsuho Kanbe. She is the voice of Izutsumi from Delicious in Dungeon. The whole staff agreed on her instantly, which basically never happens in casting. Her delivery captures Lucy's cynical-but-sincere vibe perfectly.
Then there's Akio Otsuka as Rivera Feyerabend. He is one of the most popular voice actors in the industry. Some of his works include Rider from Fate/Zero, Shunsui Kyoraku from Bleach, Yujiro Hanma from Baki, and All For One in My Hero Academia. His audition got the staff so hyped, which tells you everything about how well he nails the character in the anime.
The Team Behind the Scenes of The Darwin Incident anime
The Darwin Incident anime's got serious talent behind it. Naokatsu Tsuda directs. He worked on JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and Planetarian: Storyteller of the Stars. Katsuichi Nakayama is the series director.
Shinichi Inozume handles series composition. He worked on SKET Dance and Yona of the Dawn. Shinpei Tomooka designs the characters. He worked on Pompo: The Cinéphile. Alisa Okehazama from The Apothecary Diaries and Mariko Horikawa are doing the music. Studio BELLNOX FILMS is producing.
One big challenge? Animating Charlie's movements. He's not quite human, not quite chimp. The team's using motion capture but constantly adjusting because Charlie's skeleton is different from a regular human's. They want him to feel natural but still unique in The Darwin Incident anime. It's tricky but super important for making the character believable.
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Conclusion
The Darwin Incident anime looks like something special. Unique premise. Talented people who care about the source material. And a manga that's already proven itself. January 2026 feels far away, especially for fans who've been waiting forever, but the trailer looks incredible. Whether you're a manga reader or brand new to the story, put this on your watch list.
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