Focus: Dive Into the Bloody War of Oni & Momotaro in 'Tougen Anki'

by tingy
Jul 24, 4:04 PM | 0 Comment

In an unexpectedly stacked Summer season, with too many titles to choose from, it's easy to stick to the anime you already know. But there are many new adaptations to discover, and one of those you should be watching is Tougen Anki. With banger opening and ending themes, slick power systems, and likeable characters, this is a series that anyone can enjoy.

On Day 3 of Anime Expo 2025, anime and manga fans gathered to watch the world premiere of the first episode, and hear from the creator and staff behind the Summer 2025 TV anime.

Guests:

Yura Urushibara (Mangaka) via voice call
Kazuki Ura (Voice Actor of Shiki)
Miku Kobato (Guitarist and Vocalist of BAND-MAID)
Takanori Matsuoka (Producer)

What is Tougen Anki?

Synopsis
Shiki Ichinose, who is living a normal life as an ordinary human, is suddenly attacked by a mysterious man affiliated with the Momotaro Agency. While fleeing with his foster father, he learns that their pursuers are descendants of the folk hero Momotaro and that he himself has Oni blood. This is a modern tale about the descendents of Momotaro and the Oni that's very different from the stories that take place a long time ago in a land far far away! – Official Anime Site

Reception on MAL (Manga)
"The fighting and art style of the manga is high amongst its competitors. The thought of two species that are non-human are fighting each other to live within the human world is quite interesting. The powers each person holds is unique to themselves, making you wonder what their backstories may be." – You Should Read This Manga 2024, "Should Be Anime"

"This series delivers everything you'd want—demons, bloodline powers, an underdog MC, and high-stakes battles that keep getting better."

"I suggest it for anyone who wants to indulge in a well written world of blood and controversy."
―Nominations for You Should Read This Manga 2025

Tougen Anki Panel Q&A Session

───Urushibara-san, I understand this is your first time speaking publicly about the anime to fans. How do you feel about this moment as the creator?

Mangaka Urushibara: When Tougen Anki started, I wasn't very well known—and neither was the series. But now that it's crossed the sea and so many people in the U.S. and other countries know the title, I feel so grateful.

───How was it when you heard that Tougen Anki would be adapted into an anime series?

Urushibara: I first heard about the anime project a long time ago, but as you know, some anime projects don't actually get made. So at that time, I honestly didn't believe it would happen. But as a mangaka, one of your biggest dreams is to see your manga adapted to anime, so I'm really glad this project progressed to here.

───Ura-san, you auditioned for Tougen Anki and were chosen to play the main character. Could you tell us your first impression of the manga?

Actor Ura: I thought it was a really interesting manga. While it was like a conventional shounen manga, it was somehow very new to see that the Oni—who would normally be considered villains—are the protagonists fighting against the Momotaro, who are considered righteous. The action scenes were also very cool and made me want to act them out right away.

───How did you feel when you were offered the role of Shiki Ichinose?

Ura: I was really happy, but at the same time, I thought it would be really hard to play this role. As you saw in the first episode, the action scenes where Shiki goes berserk were incredible. I had to think a lot about how to deliver the scenes to everyone, and I tried a lot of different approaches. It was so tough that I wished I had two or three more throats!

───Kobato-san, what was your first impression of Tougen Anki?

Miku Kobato (BAND-MAID): When I first got the offer to work on the ending song, I already knew that it was a popular manga. But when I read it, I thought it was amazing that such an interesting manga exists, and I couldn't stop reading. Having just watched the first episode with the audience here today, it's a really interesting story, and I want more and more people around the world to watch it.

───The ending theme "What is justice?" was actually written by Kobato-san. What were you feeling when you were writing the song, and what were you trying to express through the lyrics?

Kobato: Tougen Anki is really about Momotaro. In Japanese folktales, the Oni are evil and Momotaro is absolute justice. But in Tougen Anki, both the Momotaro and the Oni can be righteous or evil, which I thought was very important.

The anime production team asked me to write the lyrics from the Momotaro side of the story. So I tried to think about the feelings of the Momotaro. I wanted to express the conflict between what the Momotaro uphold as justice as a group and their own individual sense of justice. And how despite that conflict, they have a strong desire to continue fighting. So I wrote lyrics deep into the theme of what justice really is.

───Matsuoka-san, as the music producer, could you tell us about the decision to bring in BAND-MAID for the ending theme?

Producer Matsuoka: We asked Oral Cigarettes to write the opening theme from the Oni's perspective, and we asked BAND-MAID to write the ending from the Momotaro's perspective.

I wanted both the opening and ending songs to be a little more intense and cool to keep the flavor of Tougen Anki. Normally, ending themes are more relaxed, but I wanted both songs to feel fierce and powerful—just like the characters. I thought BAND-MAID could create a powerful, awesome track, and they delivered exactly that. This is why I asked them to do the ending song.

───Kobato-san, what was your reaction when you first saw the ending song paired with the animation?

Kobato: When I first saw the ending animation, I couldn't imagine how our song would go with a dance scene. I was really moved when I saw the ending like this because I'm sure people who watch it will want to learn the dance. I was happy, and it made me want to learn the dance, too.

───Urushibara-san, what was your impression of the ending song and animation?

Urushibara: When I first heard the ending theme, I simply thought it was super cool. As mentioned before, anime endings are usually more mellow, but the song turned out to be really cool, so I was glad to see that there was a high level of understanding of Tougen Anki.

When I saw the ending animation, I was impressed that the characters in Tougen Anki could dance like this. Even as the creator, I didn't know that was possible. I was able to learn a new side to the work by listening to the ending, and I was grateful for that.

───Ura-san, could you tell us what you find compelling about Shiki as the main character of Tougen Anki, and what you focused on to bring him to life?

Ura: He's amazing. He's amazing because he's a delinquent (makes some rough Shiki noises). Shiki has a very rough side to him, but when interacting with others, he actually listens carefully to what they have to say. He also has a pure and innocent heart, so I wanted to bring out that contrast properly. With his very charming personality, I wanted to create a character that people would love, so I worked hard to portray him as a rough but lovable character.

───What kind of thoughts and feelings led to the creation of Shiki Ichinose and what kind of story did you really want to tell for him?

Urushibara: Shiki, after all, is the protagonist. Since many of the characters in Tougen Anki have quite strong personalities, I wanted to make Shiki a main character who is like a sponge, absorbing all kinds of things. I also wanted to make him as honest as possible.

In chapter one, he was a bit mischievous, and sort of like a blank slate. How will Shiki continue to change as he fights against the Momotaro? He may change for the better, but he can surely also change for the worse—I hope that readers will enjoy seeing which way he grows.

───Kobato-san, is there a particular character that really caught your attention in episode one?

Kobato: I really like Shiki Ichinose's father, Tsuyoshi, who appeared in the first episode. I was most moved by the line, "It'd be nice if Momotaro and Oni could live like this, side by side."

As for characters who haven't appeared yet, there's Homare-chan. I really like that Homare-chan has the same pink hair as me. Although she hasn't appeared in the anime yet, I think her character and her way of thinking is really wonderful. I hope you will keep an eye out for future developments.

───Matsuoka-san, what can you tell us about how the story unfolds after episode two?

Matsuoka: At the very end of episode one, various characters appear. Of course other than Shiki-kun, characters with the blood of Oni will continuously appear from now on, and characters from the Momotaro bloodline will also continue to appear.

Each character has their own reason for fighting, and each has their own sense of justice. With their own purpose and way of doing things, you can enjoy the characters' individual stories. And that's exactly what the title of the ending song is, "What is justice?" I hope you will keep that in mind while watching Tougen Anki.

Closing Message

Matsuoka: Thank you, everyone, for joining us for the Tougen Anki special panel—and a big thank you again to Urushibara-sensei for joining us so early in the morning from Japan.

Tougen Anki will begin streaming very soon, and the manga is also available in English. So you can enjoy the anime while reading the manga as well.

Of course, you can enjoy Tougen Anki by finding a character that you like, or you can watch it while thinking about "what is justice?" I think this is a work that can be enjoyed in many different ways. I look forward to everyone's support. Thank you very much!

Kobato: I'm really happy to have been invited to Anime Expo this time, and I'm really happy that I could meet so many of you and see your faces. It's great that everyone here could listen to our ending song ahead of the broadcast. We will work hard alongside the anime as it airs, and I would be happy if more people could enjoy the anime while listening to the song. Thank you very much!

Ura: As you saw in the first episode, Tougen Anki has a lot of really cool action scenes and also cool characters. From now on, there will be many interesting stories that will be spun, so please look forward to them!

And please remember: (Ura says this in English) Blood Eclipse Release! Memorize it, okay?

Urushibara: I'm really sorry I couldn't visit you today. I wanted to, but I was a bit busy with work so unfortunately I couldn't go. As a mangaka, I'm really happy that Tougen Anki was able to cross the ocean and reach people overseas. I think it's really thanks to everyone's support that it could be made into an anime. Thank you. I hope you will continue to support Tougen Anki.