Monday, 10 August 2026
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HIDIVE Expands MBS Deal, Licenses Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden

The deal extends a partnership that began in 2023 and previously delivered titles like My Gift Lvl 9999 Unlimited Gacha and I Parry Everything, now covering multiple seasons of MBS programming outside Asia.

Key Facts

  • HIDIVE will simulcast MBS's multi-year series lineup exclusively in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and other markets outside of Asia.
  • Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden will make its North American premiere at Anime NYC on August 26.
  • The anime debuts on October 6 on Tokyo MX at 9:25 p.m. JST, followed by BS NTV and MBS channels.
  • Honoka Inoue stars as Nia Liston, with Motoki Nakanishi directing at KONAMI animation.
  • The light novel series by Umekaze Minamino launched on Shosetsuka ni Narou in 2019, and Hobby Japan published the 11th volume on June 1.

Reporting from 3 sources: Anime News Network, Anime Corner, OtakuKart Anime.

HIDIVE Expands MBS Deal, Licenses Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden

AMC Global Media announced on Monday that it will extend and expand the distribution agreement between its subsidiary Sentai Filmworks and Japan's Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS) in a new multi-year deal. HIDIVE will simulcast MBS's upcoming multi-year series lineup exclusively in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and other markets outside of Asia. The expanded deal launches with the television anime of Umikaze Minamino's Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden light novel series as the first title. The anime will make its North American premiere at Anime NYC on August 26, ahead of its Japanese debut on October 6 on Tokyo MX at 9:25 p.m. JST, followed by BS NTV and MBS channels. Honoka Inoue stars as the titular Nia Liston. Motoki Nakanishi directs at KONAMI animation, with Haruta Segi as assistant director. Gigaemon Ichikawa handles series scripts, and Naoki Endo composes the music. HIDIVE President John Ledford called the agreement the service's largest content programming deal to date. The two companies first established their distribution partnership in March 2023. Additional titles in the new agreement have not yet been announced.

  • Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden (Kyōran Reijō Nia Liston: Byōjaku Reijō ni Tenseishita Kami-goroshi no Bujin no Kareinaru Musō Roku) is the first title under the expanded deal, with HIDIVE set to reveal other fall 2026 simulcast titles at a later date.
  • An advance screening of the first three episodes is set for September 22 at esports TOKYO BAY studio.
  • The voice cast includes Fuka Izumi as Lynokis Funk, Rinna Honnizumi as Hildetaura Altoire, and Rina Hidaka as Reliared Silver.
  • Yūki Itō (Mob Psycho 100 II OAV key animator) and Kana Tosaoka (Kantai Collection -KanColle- film in-between animator) design the characters, and Hiromi Kikuta (Aikatsu!, Blue Period, Haikyu!!) directs the sound.
  • Minamino launched the story on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website in 2019 and ended its run there in 2021. Hobby Japan began publishing the novels with illustration by Jishaku in September 2022; Katana Canata took over illustration from the third volume in 2023. The 11th volume shipped June 1.
  • Kabuto Kodai launched the manga adaptation on Square Enix's Manga UP! service in 2022. The eighth compiled volume shipped February 6, and Manga UP! Global publishes it in English.
  • MBS Director Mihoko Shibata said the partnership "has significantly expanded the global reach of MBS animation" over the past three years.
  • Prior titles under the 2023 agreement include My Gift Lvl 9999 Unlimited Gacha, I Parry Everything, The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen: From Villainess to Savior, and Hell Mode: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World With Garbage Balancing.

Synthesized by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.

Nia Liston: The Merciless Maiden MBS

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