A new anime series is coming to Netflix based on Usagi Yojimbo, the long-running comic book series by Stan Sakai. The CGI animated show, Samurai Rabbit: the Usagi Chronicles, won’t focus on the beloved character, but on his descendent Yuichi living in the distant future. The anime series will mix Sakai’s art style with ancient Japanese elements and a futuristic landscape.
Samurai Rabbit: the Usagi Chronicles will follow teenage rabbit samurai Yoichi on an epic quest to become a true samurai. Yuichi is joined on his quest by a ragtag group of misfit heroes: a roguish bounty hunter, a cunning ninja, an acrobatic pickpocket, and a pet lizard. Together they battle depth-charging moles, metal-tipped winged bats, and extra-dimensional monsters.
Sakai, the creator, writer, and illustrator of Usagi Yojimbo, will be an executive producer along with along representatives from Gaumont, Dark Horse Entertainment, and Atomic Monster. Candie and Doug Langdaleare attached as executive producers and showrunners. Ben Jones will be the Supervising Producer and Khang Le will serve as Art Director.
Mumbai-based 88 Pictures (Trollhunters, 3Below: Tales of Arcadia) will handle the CGI animation.
“It is a pleasure working with Gaumont and Netflix,” said Sakai. “I am involved in each step of the production and am enthusiastic with the direction we are going into. It is wonderful to expand the Usagi universe by collaborating with so many talented people. I am working with an awesome team and I’m looking forward to finally seeing an Usagi series on the screen! I thank my wonderful fans, friends and family for their support and encouragement over the last 35+ years.”
LEGENDARY CHARACTER
Usagi Yojimbo (“rabbit bodyguard”) was first published by Sakai in 1984. Set in Japan’s Edo period, Miyamoto Usagi travels across Japan on a warrior’s pilgrimage. All the characters are anthropomorphic animals. The characters and stories are heavily influenced by Japanese cinema, especially samurai movies like Zatoichi and the Wolf and Cub series, and of course Akira Kurosawa classics like Yojimbo, Sanjuro, and The Seven Samurai.
Netflix hasn’t announced when Samurai Rabbit: the Usagi Chronicles will arrive on the streaming service. We’ll keep an eye on the progress and will let you know.
