Nearly three years after it was first announced, Wit Studio's sci-fi epic Moonrise is about ready to premiere. Netflix announced today that the animated series will debut on the streaming service on April 10th.
Moonrise is easily one of the most anticipated projects set to debut on Netflix, featuring a collaboration between popular writer Tou Ubukata and character designer Hiromu Arakawa. The series is an adaptation of the novel by Tou Ubukata (author of “Tenchi Meisatsu” and series composition/scriptwriter for Fafner in the Azure and Psycho-Pass) and explores the question: "What happens when Earth's peaceful existence clashes with the Moon's fight for independence?"
The series description reads:
In a not-too-distant future, humanity has established a loosely organized world government with everything managed by an international AI network called Sapientia. People live peaceful lives by loyally obeying its rational decisions. However, Sapientia’s lunar development project, which sends criminals and pollutants to the Moon to maintain Earth’s peace, creates disparity and poverty on the Moon, sparking a catalyst for war. Jacob "Jack" Shadow gets caught up in this conflict after losing his family to a terrorist bombing by the Moon's rebel army. Vowing revenge, Jack joins the Earth army as a scout on the Moon, only to discover an unexpected leader among the resistance forces.
Moonrise is directed by Masashi Koizuka (Attack on Titan Seasons 2 and 3) and produced by Wit Studio (Spy x Family, Attack on Titan Seasons 1-3). Character concepts were designed by manga artist Hiromu Arakawa (Fullmetal Alchemist, Silver Spoon).
Our first look at Moonrise came back in 2022 when Netflix shared the first teaser. We haven't seen or heard much about it in the years since, but now we're just weeks away from its debut. Netflix still hasn't shared a proper trailer for Moonrise, although a batch of new stills has been released, offering a glimpse into the epic space battle that awaits.
"The key to the intense cosmic conflict lies in Jack and Phil's roots," Netflix teased. "As this vast tale of destiny and rebellion unfolds, what awaits beyond the tragic struggle between the Earth and the Moon?"
Voicing Jack, the series protagonist, is Chiaki Kobayashi. Yuto Uemura lends his voice to Phil Ashe, Jack's childhood friend. Netflix also confirmed "Daijoubu" by AiNA THE END will serve as the original theme song for the anime series.
"This may be WIT Studio's first space opera. It is our team's first original work produced with Netflix. There was a real sense of excitement and a sort of madness as we were making it, and I believe that's visible throughout the series," said director Masashi Koizuka. "I've looked over the completed footage many times, and it's clear that the voice actors infused their performances with passion, and the staff elevated the production far beyond what we'd envisioned. I hope everyone will enjoy the results of that synergy."
Moonrise will begin streaming on Netflix on April 10th.