The anime adaptation of The Darwin Incident (Darwin Jihen), based on Shun Umezawa’s award-winning manga, has officially dropped a teaser promotional video, a second teaser visual, and additional staff members on the official Twitter / X account for the anime. The announcement also confirmed that the anime is set to premiere in January 2026. Check out the teaser promo video below:
The latest update for the anime introduces new staff members. Arisa Okehazama (The Apothecary Diaries) and Mariko Horikawa (Sumikkogurashi – Good to be in the Corner) as the music composers, while Yoshikazu Iwanami (Ajin, Fate/Zero) joins as the sound director.
The anime is being produced by BELLNOX FILMS, with a talented team leading the adaptation:
- Director: Naokatsu Tsuda (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)
- Series Director: Katsuichi Nakayama (Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time)
- Series Composition: Shinichi Inotsume (PERSONA 5 the Animation)
- Character Design: Shinpei Tomooka (BUILD-DIVIDE -#000000- CODE BLACK)
With a team of industry veterans that have worked on some big shows in past, The Darwin Incident is shaping up to be a visually and narratively compelling adaptation of the acclaimed manga.
Here is the official teaser art that dropped from their Twitter / X page as well.
The Darwin Incident follows Charlie, a half-human, half-chimpanzee hybrid known as a “Humanzee”—the result of a controversial biological experiment. Raised by human parents, Charlie has lived a seemingly normal life for fifteen years and is now starting high school.
There, he meets Lucy, a sharp-witted loner who becomes his first true friend. But just as Charlie begins adjusting to his new life, the animal rights extremists who freed his mother from the lab reappear—this time as terrorists, determined to kidnap him at any cost. As Charlie fights for his freedom and identity, the world around him grapples with what it truly means to be human.
Written and illustrated by Shun Umezawa, The Darwin Incident began serialization in Kodansha’s Afternoon magazine in 2020. After going on hiatus in January 2023, the manga resumed serialization in May 2023.
The series has received widespread acclaim, earning several prestigious awards:
- 15th Manga Taisho Award Winner (2022)
- Excellence Award, 25th Japan Media Arts Festival (2022)
- #10 Ranking in Kono Manga ga Sugoi! (2022 Edition)
- Nominated for the 47th and 48th Kodansha Manga Awards (2023 & 2024)
- Kodansha has published eight compiled volumes to date, and Kodansha USA is releasing the manga in English for international readers.
With its thought-provoking themes, gripping narrative, and strong production team, The Darwin Incident could be one of the darkhorse anime releases of 2026. As more details emerge in the coming months and with AnimeJapan 2025 later this month, viewers can expect more details and production updates leading up to the premiere next year.
What are your thoughts on the promo video and what we know so far? Have you read this series before? Let us know your answers in the usual box below, as always, stay tuned to Animemojo.com for more anime and anime related news!