TV Anime Ganglion Main Visual

TV Anime Ganglion Isobe Kenji VA: Ueda Youji

TV Anime Ganglion Shadow Taisa (Real Name Kageyama Minoru) VA: Tachiki Fumihiko

TV Anime Ganglion Hopeman VA: Sugita Tomokazu

TV Anime Ganglion Isobe Setsuko VA: Koga Aoi

TV Anime Ganglion Isobe Takashi VA: Aoyama Yoshino

TV Anime Ganglion Yumiko VA: Toono Hikaru

TV Anime Ganglion Yatai no Oyaji VA: Itao Souji

Anime Adaptation Announcement for Ganglion! Ueda Youji Takes First Anime Series Lead Role, Itao Souji Also Cast – “Undoubtedly a Hidden Gem!” Broadcast Begins October 3

The highly anticipated manga Ganglion is officially receiving a TV anime adaptation! The broadcast is set to kick off on October 3, 2025, on TV Tokyo and other channels. The main cast has also been unveiled, with Ueda Youji taking on his very first leading role in an anime series.

Ganglion is a manga series originally serialized in “Comic Yoshimoto” by Shiraiwa Hisaya (original story) and Itsuki Takashi (manga), and later published by Yoshimoto Books in 2009. Set in early 2000s Tokyo, the story masterfully portrays the tragic comedic daily life of Isobe, a salaryman foot soldier working for the sinister “Ganglion Corporation” which harbors ambitions of world domination.

The TV anime will be helmed by director Watanabe Ayumu, with Fujita Shigeru handling character design and serving as chief animation director. Shiono Tomoaki is in charge of series composition. The animation production is handled by studio maf.

The striking main visual, specially drawn by Fujita Shigeru, depicts Isobe in his combat tights, standing at attention while exchanging business cards – a perfect blend of the mundane and the absurd! Additionally, a special illustration by Itsuki Takashi commemorating the anime adaptation has also been released.

TV Anime Ganglion Itsuki Takashi Commemorative Illustration

A star-studded cast has been assembled for the series, featuring Ueda Youji as Isobe Kenji, Tachiki Fumihiko as Shadow Taisa, Sugita Tomokazu as Hopeman, Koga Aoi as Isobe Setsuko, Aoyama Yoshino as Isobe Takashi, Toono Hikaru as Yumiko, and Itao Souji as Yatai no Oyaji.

To coincide with this exciting announcement, the official website and official X (formerly Twitter) account have both launched simultaneously. Currently, the official X account is running a campaign to win a signed shikishi (illustration board) from Ueda Youji, the voice of Isobe Kenji! Additionally, comments from the staff and cast have been released, offering fascinating insights into the production.

Messages from the Creators and Cast

Original Creator: Shiraiwa Hisaya

All the characters that appear in this work are modeled after real people. Old companies used to be like this… from a modern perspective, it might seem like an inappropriate era. But these days, I sometimes find myself thinking about how interesting those old times were.

Manga Artist: Itsuki Takashi

Roughly 20 years have passed since this work first began its serialization. I am absolutely thrilled about this anime adaptation. It’s a series centered on the evil organization “Ganglion,” imbued with a certain nostalgic charm and a touch of melancholy. I truly hope many people will watch it!

Director: Watanabe Ayumu

What is righteousness? What is strength? You’ll find hints to those answers right here. Just dive into it first and see. The title itself won’t come up if you search for its meaning. It’s a crossroads of logic and emotion, filled with so many things that can’t be easily resolved. You’ll find yourself loving the part of yourself that resists, even while thinking, “Well, that’s just how the world is.” Was it something that seemed unlikely? Or something that existed but we forgot? Is it really unnecessary to depict such ordinary things? Ganglion offers a glimpse, from behind a mask, into such mundane, unremarkable, everyday ways of life.

Isobe Kenji VA: Ueda Youji

I’m Ueda Youji, playing the role of Isobe. This is a personal note, but this is actually my very first leading role in an anime series! I want to enjoy playing this down-to-earth, everyday man, giving it my all without overdoing it – a relaxed performance, yet with a burning passion in my heart. The episodes will fly by, leaving you eager for more, and before you know it, you’ll be completely hooked. Please look forward to this work!

Shadow Taisa (Real Name: Kageyama Minoru) VA: Tachiki Fumihiko

The values of justice and evil seem to be overturned, and I saw the preciousness and difficulty of living as an individual and as part of a group. Shadow Taisa is, quite literally, a man with a shadow, a quintessential middle manager! He only sees himself, or, to put it positively, he’s a very honest man. Having played villains as a profession in countless stories, this time, I was able to portray this naturally comical, permed old man with his inherent sorrow in a very raw way. His true self… lies hidden deep behind the mask. I hope that such a character and the theme of this work will resonate with many people.

Hopeman VA: Sugita Tomokazu

As Hopeman, I play a hero who thwarts Ganglion’s evil schemes. He has a strangely realistic side that might make you wonder if there’s a real-life model, so please enjoy that aspect! During recording, I imagined how much Ganglion would dislike him and performed accordingly. Rather than a pure sense of justice, I tried to build his character around a selfish psychology that prioritizes his own motivation. Justice is always in hope! HOOOOPE!!

Isobe Setsuko VA: Koga Aoi

I’m Koga Aoi, and I’ll be playing the role of Setsuko in Ganglion. I’m quite nervous, as I never imagined I’d get to play a wife and mother alongside esteemed seniors like Ueda-san and various comedians. Still, I hope to portray a wonderfully kind and warm Setsuko-san with all my heart. Recording is well underway, and I’m incredibly grateful to be recording with people I don’t usually get to work with. I’m deeply impressed by the versatility and adaptability of everyone who performs on stage, and I feel like I’m learning so much on set. Please look forward to it! Thank you very much for your support.

Isobe Takashi VA: Aoyama Yoshino

This work might seem like a typical hero story at first glance, but it actually depicts the common struggles and realities of the villains’ foot soldiers that appear in such stories, which truly surprised me with its fresh perspective! Takashi, whom I play, is the son of that very foot soldier, Isobe. He’s a very innocent child, living happily in a warm home with his mother, Setsuko. It really made me think again about how every single person has a life and a story. I would be delighted if everyone could lend their hearts to the villains’ side for a little while!

Yumiko VA: Toono Hikaru

I’m Toono Hikaru, playing Yumiko. This work depicts the daily lives of villains, brimming with an ineffable sense of melancholy. Its world-view has a strange realism, and its addictive humor really hits you! I hope it reaches all the adults working hard in society (laughs)! I’d also be delighted if you’d pay attention to the banter between the strong-willed Yumiko and Hope-rin!

Yatai no Oyaji VA: Itao Souji

I had the honor of voicing Yatai no Oyaji, the owner of the oden stall where the protagonist, Isobe, stops by after work. Surrounded by such famous voice actors, I was quite nervous, and before I knew it, it was over. I think not many people are familiar with the original manga, but it is undoubtedly a hidden gem!

Ganglion Anime Production Details

Broadcast Information

• TV Tokyo: From October 3 (Friday), every Friday from 25:53 to 26:00 (effectively Saturday 1:53 AM – 2:00 AM JST)
• TV Osaka: From October 7 (Tuesday), every Tuesday from 21:55 to 22:00 JST
• AT-X: From October 3 (Friday), every Friday from 20:30 to 20:45 JST
  *Earliest Broadcast
• BS Yoshimoto: From October 4 (Saturday), every Saturday from 22:55 to 23:00 JST

Synopsis

Set in early 2000s Tokyo, the story follows Isobe, a foot soldier for “Ganglion Corporation,” an organization bent on world domination. His workplace is a battlefield. Donning nothing but tights, he bravely tackles missions like the “Tokyo Cedar Pollen Operation” and the “Mount Fuji Bombing Operation,” only to suffer humiliating defeats at the hands of the hero Hopeman, whose attacks are fueled by “justice.” In the dawn of compliance regulations, Isobe tirelessly endures and struggles against his unreasonable superiors. This is a dedicated “workplace drama” for all working individuals, a poignant tale of a salaryman foot soldier whose struggles feel all too familiar.

STAFF

CAST

(C) Shiraiwa Hisaya, Itsuki Takashi/Ganglion Production Committee

_

Source