Get ready for a unique twist on the classic hero-villain dynamic this autumn season! We’re excited to share the synopsis and some fantastic preview cuts for Episode 1 of the new autumn anime, Ganglion, titled “Tokyo Cedar Pollen Operation ~Berube Army, Chief Isobe~”, which is set to premiere on Friday, October 3, 2025.
About the Anime
Ganglion is a TV anime adaptation of the manga originally serialized in “Comic Yoshimoto” and published by “Yoshimoto Books” in 2009. Written by Shiraiwa Hisaya and illustrated by Itsuki Takashi, the series delves into the poignant and all-too-relatable tale of a sorrowful salaryman combatant.
The anime is helmed by director Watanabe Ayumu, with animation production by studio maf. The cast features UEDA Youji as the protagonist, Isobe Kenji, alongside Tachiki Fumihiko as Shadow Taisa (real name Kageyama Minoru), Sugita Tomokazu as HOPEMAN, Koga Aoi as Isobe Setsuko, Aoyama Yoshino as Isobe Takashi, Touno Hikaru as Yumiko, and Itao Itsuji as the Stall Owner.
Set in early 2000s Tokyo, the story plunges us into the battlefield workplace of Isobe, a combatant for “Ganglion Co., Ltd.”, an organization bent on world domination. Despite bravely undertaking missions like the “Tokyo Cedar Pollen Operation” and the “Mount Fuji Explosion Operation” in nothing but a bodysuit, Isobe consistently suffers crushing defeats at the hands of the hero, HOPEMAN, who delivers justice with every blow. This “workplace” drama, a dedication to all hardworking individuals, unfolds in the dawn of compliance culture, depicting the struggles of an employee stoically enduring his boss’s unreasonable demands.
Episode 1 Synopsis: “Tokyo Cedar Pollen Operation ~Berube Army, Chief Isobe~”
Isobe Kenji is a melancholic middle manager and salaryman combatant, serving as the chief of the Berube Army in the World Domination Department of the villainous organization “Ganglion Co., Ltd.”
Even for combatants in an evil organization aiming for world domination, everyday life as a salaryman persists.
Episode 1 of the autumn anime Ganglion, “Tokyo Cedar Pollen Operation ~Berube Army, Chief Isobe~”, will broadcast on TV Tokyo starting at 25:53 on Friday, October 3. The fastest broadcast will be on AT-X at 20:30 on the same day.
TV Anime Ganglion Basic Information
Broadcast Information
- TV Tokyo: From October 3 (Friday), every Friday from 25:53 to 26:00
- TV Osaka: From October 7 (Tuesday), every Tuesday from 21:55 to 22:00
- AT-X: From October 3 (Friday), every Friday from 20:30 to 20:45 *Fastest Broadcast
- BS Yoshimoto: From October 4 (Saturday), every Saturday from 22:55 to 23:00
STAFF
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Original Work | Shiraiwa Hisaya |
| Manga | Itsuki Takashi (Yoshimoto Books) |
| Planning | Yoshimoto Kogyo |
| Script | Harise |
| Director | Watanabe Ayumu |
| Assistant Director | Tanaka Ryousuke |
| Character Design, Chief Animation Director | Fujita Shigeru |
| Storyboards | Tanaka Ryousuke, Miyamoto Takuji, Miyaji Masayuki, Yamamoto Yutaka, Yamamura Hinata, Ushijima Shinichirou, Soga Megumi, Abe Yuujirou |
| Series Composition | Shiono Tomoaki |
| Color Design | Nakano Naomi |
| Art Director | Nakamura Yoshihiro |
| Photography Director | Yokoyama Yuuya |
| Animation Director | Niida Fuuka |
| CG Director | Mukai Takumi |
| Editing | Hirose Kiyoshi |
| Music | Asami Takeo |
| Music Production | INSPION |
| Sound Director | Koizumi Kisuke |
| Sound Production | INSPION Edge |
| Animation Producer | Fukae Nobu |
| Animation Production | studio maf |
| Cooperation | Yoshimoto Broad Entertainment |
| Production | Ganglion Production Committee |
| Ending Theme Song | “Miracle” |
| Vocals | NIKO NIKO TAN TAN |
| Lyrics, Composition | OCHAN |
| Arrangement | OCHAN, Anabebe |
| Label | Victor Entertainment / Getting Better |
CAST
| Character | Voice Actor |
|---|---|
| Isobe Kenji | UEDA Youji |
| Shadow Taisa (real name Kageyama Minoru) | Tachiki Fumihiko |
| HOPEMAN | Sugita Tomokazu |
| Isobe Setsuko | Koga Aoi |
| Isobe Takashi | Aoyama Yoshino |
| Yumiko | Touno Hikaru |
| Stall Owner | Itao Itsuji |
(C)Shiraiwa Hisaya, Itsuki Takashi / Ganglion Production Committee
Nakase Koutarou
_
