HIDIVE Acquires BLADE & BASTARD for 2027 Simulcast
The acquisition gives HIDIVE a high-profile exclusive tied to a major creator and a classic RPG franchise, positioning the service for a competitive 2027 season.
Key Facts
- HIDIVE announced on June 30 that it will stream the BLADE & BASTARD anime adaptation as part of its 2027 simulcast lineup.
- The series is directed by Tomoki Kobayashi, with animation production by studio xingfu.
- The voice cast includes Makoto Furukawa as Iarumas, Tomori Kusunoki as Garbage, Daiki Yamashita as Raraja, Saori Hayami as Ainikki, and Shion Wakayama as Berkanan.
- The light novel series by Kumo Kagyu began in December 2022 and has six volumes; a manga adaptation launched in June 2023 and has eight volumes.
- At Anime Expo 2026 on July 4, a panel with voice actors Makoto Furukawa and Daiki Yamashita will take place at 1:00 p.m. Pacific.
Reporting from 2 sources: Anime Corner, OtakuKart Anime.
HIDIVE announced on June 30 that it will exclusively stream the dark fantasy anime adaptation of Kumo Kagyu's light novel series BLADE & BASTARD as part of its 2027 simulcast lineup. The series will be available to subscribers in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and other select markets. The announcement included the release of an English-subtitled teaser trailer. The anime is directed by Tomoki Kobayashi, with series composition by Naruhisa Arakawa, character designs by Rina Iwamoto, and music by Hayato Matsuo. Animation production is handled by studio xingfu. The voice cast includes Makoto Furukawa as Iarumas, Tomori Kusunoki as Garbage, Daiki Yamashita as Raraja, Saori Hayami as Ainikki, and Shion Wakayama as Berkanan. The story follows Iarumas, a man resurrected from death with no memories, who retrieves bodies from a dungeon and eventually partners with a young swordswoman named Garbage. The light novel series, illustrated by so-bin, began in December 2022 and has six volumes. A manga adaptation launched in June 2023 and has eight volumes. HIDIVE president John Ledford said the company is thrilled to add the series to its 2027 slate. Fans at Anime Expo 2026 can attend panels and a voice actor Q&A on July 4.
The announcement came with the first English-subtitled teaser trailer, which Anime Corner shared exclusively. The anime adapts Kumo Kagyu's light novel series, which draws directly from the Wizardry role-playing game franchise, a property of Drecom Co., Ltd. The novels began under Drecom Media's DRE Novel label in December 2022 and have since grown to six volumes. A manga adaptation followed in June 2023 and now spans eight collected volumes. English editions of both the light novels and manga are available through Yen Press, with digital editions of the novels published by J-Novel Club.
The main staff includes director Tomoki Kobayashi, series composer Naruhisa Arakawa, character designer Rina Iwamoto, monster design cooperation from Jun Suemi, sound director Kisuke Koizumi, and composer Hayato Matsuo. Animation studio xingfu is producing the series. The previously announced voice cast features Makoto Furukawa as Iarumas, Tomori Kusunoki as Garbage, Daiki Yamashita as Raraja, Saori Hayami as Ainikki, and Shion Wakayama as Berkanan.
At Anime Expo 2026 on July 4, the Warner Bros. Japan Animation Production Industry Panel will present production updates and giveaways at 11:30 a.m. Pacific. Later at 1:00 p.m. Pacific, the Dre Industry Panel will host a Q&A with voice actors Makoto Furukawa and Daiki Yamashita.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.