The fantasy-action manga Chained Soldier is being adapted into an anime that's set to release early next year, and in anticipation of its release, the first character trailer featuring protagonist Yuki Wakura has been revealed.
The trailer, which was posted by entertainment company Pony Canyon on YouTube, provides a first look of the series' main character. Yuki is a third-year student at Kaminoge High School, but he also joins forces with the chief of the Anti-Demon Corps to fight evil. The trailer displays the animation and soundtrack for the anime, which will be primarily directed by Junji Nishimura (Ranma ½ Nettōhen, Glasslip) and Goro Kuji at studio Seven Arcs, with series composition by Yasuhiro Nakanishi (Kaguya-sama: Love is War, My Love Story With Yamada-kun at Lv999), character designs by Hiroyuki Yoshii and music by Kohta Yamamoto (86 Eighty-Six, Attack on Titan: The Final Season).
The manga, known as Mato Seihei no Slave in Japan, has been running since 2019 and published by Shueisha’s Shōnen Jump+. Its plot revolves around a demon-filled dimension known as Mato that has now opened, threatening humanity. In this world, there is a type of "peach" tree that grants special powers to women, giving humanity a chance at survival while also establishing a societal matriarchy. As humankind’s protectors, women rise in social status, relegating men to the position of second-class citizens.
Main protagonist Yuki Wakura has a sister who was taken during a Mato event five years prior to the events of the manga. One day, while Yuki is reflecting on the many difficulties of life, an event opens before him, threatening to take him away just like his sister. However, he is saved by Captain Kyouka Uzen of the Anti-Demon Corps’ 7th Division.
Kyouka grants Yuki powers as her "slave," which turns Yuki into a powerful beast that can viciously mow down demons. The arrangement comes at a cost, but it isn’t Yuki who has to pay it; after each transformation, whoever grants Yuki his power must also grant him a "reward." Chained Soldier continues to follow Yuki as he risks his life and well-being to fight off monsters known as Shuuki for the Anti-Demon Corps.
Fans of the manga can look forward to the anime adaptation’s release in January 2024.
Source: Pony Canyon via YouTube