Winter Anime ‘Daauin Jiken’ Episode 1 “HUMANZEE” Details Released
From the winter anime ‘Daauin Jiken’ (which can be translated as “Darwin Incident”), the synopsis and advance scene cuts for episode 1 “HUMANZEE” have been unveiled. The episode is set to start broadcasting on Tuesday, January 6, 2026.
‘Daauin Jiken’ is a human & non-human drama based on the manga by Umezawa Shun, serialized in Kodansha’s monthly comic magazine ‘Afternoon’. It follows the story of Charlie, a “humanzee” born from a human and a chimpanzee, as he confronts human issues like terrorism, online backlash, and discrimination from a “non-human” perspective.
A Award-Winning Manga Sensation
The manga has been a massive hit, with the series cumulative circulation exceeding 2.2 million copies up to volume 10. It’s bagged numerous awards, including the Grand Prize at the Manga Taisho 2022, ranked 10th in the “Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2022” men’s division, received the Excellence Award in the Manga Division at the 25th Japan Media Arts Festival, and placed 2nd in the “Publishers’ Comic Editors’ Recommended Comics 2022”. Internationally, it won the BDGest’Arts Asian Section at the 50th Angoulême International Comics Festival in France, showcasing its popularity both in Japan and overseas.
Meet the Staff and Cast
The TV anime is directed by Tsuda Naokatsu, with animation production by Bellnox Films. The voice cast features some big names in the industry.
Staff Table
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Original Work | Umezawa Shun (serialized in Kodansha’s “Afternoon”) |
| Director | Tsuda Naokatsu |
| Series Director | Nakayama Katsuichi |
| Series Composition | Inotsume Shinichi |
| Character Design | Tomooka Shinpei |
| Art Director | Nomura Masanobu |
| Color Design | Hashimoto Ken |
| Director of Photography | Yamada Kazuhiro |
| Editing | Hirose Kiyoshi |
| Music | Okehazama Arisa & Horikawa Mariko |
| Sound Director | Iwanami Miwa |
| Animation Production | Bellnox Films |
| Production | “Daauin Jiken” Production Committee |
Cast Table
| Character | Voice Actor |
|---|---|
| Charlie | Tanezaki Atsumi (note: the character “崎” is read as “tatsusaki”) |
| Lucy Eldred | Kanbe Kouho |
| Rivera Feuerabend | Ootsuka Akio |
| Gilbert Stein / Bart | Morikawa Toshiyuki |
| Hannah Stein | Satou Rina |
| Philip Graham / Phil | Ueda Yoji |
| Gale | Ishikawa Kaito |
| Leslie K. Lipman / Major | Egashira Hiroya |
Episode 1 “HUMANZEE” Synopsis
Charlie, a hybrid “humanzee” born from a human and a chimpanzee, is raised by the Gilbert couple, authorities in chimpanzee research.
Fifteen years later, the grown-up Charlie transfers to high school, where his extraordinary physical abilities draw attention. As he begins to interact with Lucy, whom he meets there, ominous shadows start to take notice of him.
Broadcasting and Streaming Details
Episode 1 “HUMANZEE” of the winter anime ‘Daauin Jiken’ will air on TX Network (TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TV Setouchi, TV Hokkaido, TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting) starting at 24:00 on Tuesday, January 6. Other channels include BS TV Tokyo from 24:00 on Wednesday, January 7, and AT-X from 21:00 on Friday, January 9.
For streaming, it will be available exclusively on Prime Video from 0:30 on Wednesday, January 7.
Opening Theme
The opening theme is “Make Me Wonder” by Official Hige Dandism, adding to the anticipation with their thrilling sound.
Source: Original article
By Nakase Koutarou
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