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Daemons of the Shadow Realm
Daemons of the Shadow Realm is an ongoing two-cour anime adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa's manga, currently airing its second cour since July 4. The series has progressed through a major emotional breakdown for protagonist Yuru and is building toward confrontations with Ivan and Hayato.
Synthesized from 15
Yomimono stories · updated
3d ago
Daemons of the Shadow Realm, the anime adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa's manga, premiered on April 4 and is set for two consecutive cours. The production is led by director Masahiro Ando at Bones Film, with Noboru Takagi on series scripts, Nobuhiro Arai on character designs, and Kenichiro Suehiro composing the music. The first cour opened with a gory, violent premiere that drew praise for its feminist themes and visceral horror, and it closed with a turning point: episodes 13 through 15 saw Yuru break down after learning his best friend Danji and his little sister are Daemons, spiraling into paranoid suspicion before recognizing his own avoidance patterns.
The second cour, which began July 4, shifts the tone with new theme song artists. Kei Sugawara performs the ending theme "Kujaku" (Peacock), and Masanori Otoda provides the opening theme "back shot." The story has moved into political manipulation, with episode 16 pitting Yuru against an interrogation by Hayato and Asuma, who try to recruit him with promises of freedom. Episode 17 then paid off a setup from episode 4, revealing that Akio, a member of Jin's squad, wanted Yuru dead, while Gabby tries to kill Akio after he threatens to destroy the Kagemori compound.
Coverage has been mixed. Anime News Network criticized episode 10 for contrived fight logic, giving it a community score of 4.1, while other reviews praised Arakawa's long-game plotting. The cast has expanded steadily, adding veteran actors like Shinichiro Miki as Ivan Yosano, Kappei Yamaguchi as Hikaru Kagemori, and Yoshiko Sakakibara as Kai, plus five more members including Ayumu Murase and Shigeru Chiba. The English dub, streamed same-day on Crunchyroll, features Ben Stegmair as Yuru and Molly Zhang as Asa.
Key facts
- Second cour debut
- July 4 ↗
- Animation production
- Bones Film ↗
- Series scripts
- Noboru Takagi ↗
- Character design
- Nobuhiro Arai ↗
- Music
- Kenichiro Suehiro ↗
- Opening theme (cour 2)
- "back shot" by Masanori Otoda ↗
- Ending theme (cour 2)
- "Kujaku" (Peacock) by Kei Sugawara ↗
- Streaming
- Crunchyroll with same-day English dub ↗
Timeline
- Aug 6, 2026 Daemons of the Shadow Realm Episode 17 Turns a Traitor Into a Twist
- Jul 27, 2026 Daemons of the Shadow Realm Episode 16 Pits Yuru Against Manipulation
- Jul 21, 2026 Daemons of the Shadow Realm Episodes 13-15: Yuru Finally Breaks Down
- Jun 27, 2026 Daemons of the Shadow Realm Cour 2 Trailer Reveals Theme Song Artists
- Jun 22, 2026 Daemons of the Shadow Realm Episode 12 Expands World-Building and Raises New Questions
- Jun 15, 2026 Daemons of the Shadow Realm Episode 11 Reveals Ken as Dera's Half-Brother
- Jun 8, 2026 Daemons of the Shadow Realm Episode 10 Criticized for Contrived Fight Logic
- Jun 3, 2026 Ben Stegmair Discusses Mentorship and Manga Rushmore on Something Genuine
- Jun 1, 2026 Daemons of the Shadow Realm Episode 9 Ties Up Loose Ends
- May 31, 2026 Daemons of the Shadow Realm Anime Adds Five Cast Members
- May 31, 2026 Daemons of the Shadow Realm Episode 1 Is a Gory, Thrilling Premiere
- May 30, 2026 Daemons of the Shadow Realm Anime Previews 9th Episode
- May 19, 2026 Daemons of the Shadow Realm Casts Shinichirō Miki as Ivan Yosano
- May 19, 2026 Daemons of the Shadow Realm Episode 5 Delivers the Long-Awaited Sibling Meeting
- May 17, 2026 Daemons of the Shadow Realm Adds Kappei Yamaguchi and Yoshiko Sakakibara to Cast
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
Facts
- Release
- tv · 2026-08-06 · 2026-08-06
- Release
- tv · 2026-07-27 · Japan · 2026-07-27
- Release
- tv · 2026-07-21 · 2026-07-21
- Release
- tv · 2026-07-04 · Japan · 2026-06-27
- Release
- tv · 2026-06-22 · 2026-06-22
- Release
- tv · 2026-06-15 · 2026-06-15
- Release
- tv · 2026-06-01 · global · 2026-06-01
- Release
- tv · 2026-04-04 · Japan · 2026-05-17
- Release
- tv · 2026-05-31 · Japan · 2026-05-31
- Release
- tv · 2026-04-04 · 2026-05-30
- Release
- tv · 2026-04-04 · JP · 2026-05-19
- Noted
- The episode also develops Gabby, who tries to kill Akio after he threatens to destroy the Kagemori compound. · 2026-08-06
- Noted
- Kei Sugawara performs the ending theme song "Kujaku" (Peacock), while Masanori Otoda provides the opening theme song "back shot." · 2026-06-27
- Noted
- Episode 10 criticized for contrived fight logic · 2026-06-08
- Noted
- has released its first preview for the 9th episode, which airs on May 30, 2026 · 2026-05-30
- Licensed by
- Crunchyroll (global) · 2026-05-30
- Licensed by
- Crunchyroll (worldwide) · 2026-05-17
Connections
Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/daemons-of-the-shadow-realm.
CC BY 4.0.
Claim activity
When a claim about Daemons of the Shadow Realm was confirmed, debunked, or disputed against
open-web sources. The record stays even after a claim drops off the facts list.
- Confirmed Daemons of the Shadow Realm voices Shigeru Chiba Jun 12 · source
- Confirmed Daemons of the Shadow Realm voices Ako Mayama Jun 12 · source
- Disputed Daemons of the Shadow Realm voices Ayumu Murase Jun 12 · source
- Confirmed Daemons of the Shadow Realm voices Hayato Fujii Jun 12 · source
- Confirmed Daemons of the Shadow Realm voices Yū Shimamura Jun 12 · source
- Confirmed Molly Zhang voices Daemons of the Shadow Realm Jun 5 · source
- Confirmed Ben Stegmair voices Daemons of the Shadow Realm Jun 4 · source
- Confirmed tv 2026-05-31 Japan Jun 1 · source
- Confirmed platform: Crunchyroll; region: global May 31 · source
- Confirmed tv 2026-04-04 May 31 · source
- Confirmed tv 2026-04-04 Japan May 28 · source
- Confirmed tv 2026-04-04 JP May 28 · source
All coverage
3d ago
Anime News Network's review of episode 19 reads the installment as a study of how Yuru and Asa think. Yuru, who walked into a trap to save Fake Asa and a village girl, must choose between the hostages and his long-held goal of finding his parents. Asa rescues the hostages and saves Fake Asa as a calculated move, putting her brother's need for the truth ahead of vengeance. Yuru responds by agreeing to meet her after the crisis.
Aug 14
Episode 18 of Daemons of the Shadow Realm centers on Asuma, whose motives remain ambiguous despite Yozakura's claim that his daemons are held hostage by a loathed relative. The episode ends on a cliffhanger with Asa arriving to save the captives while Yuru faces a moral dilemma between saving a friend or an innocent child.
Aug 6
Episode 17 of Daemons of the Shadow Realm reveals that Akio, a member of Jin's squad, wanted Yuru dead, a fact set up back in episode 4. The episode also develops Gabby, who tries to kill Akio after he threatens to destroy the Kagemori compound. The review praises Hiromu Arakawa's long-game plotting.
Jul 27
Episode 16 of Daemons of the Shadow Realm focuses on Yuru's interrogation by Hayato and Asuma, who try to recruit him with promises of freedom and reminders of betrayal. Yuru resists, trusting his allies and stalling for rescue. Dera's loyalty is also questioned in a separate scene.
Jul 21
In episodes 13-15 of Daemons of the Shadow Realm, protagonist Yuru reaches a breaking point after learning his best friend Danji and his little sister are Daemons. He spirals into paranoid suspicion of everyone around him before eventually recognizing his own avoidance patterns. The episodes also set up a confrontation with Ivan and Hayato, who kidnap the fake Asa to draw Yuru out.
Jun 27
The staff for the television anime of Hiromu Arakawa's Daemons of the Shadow Realm manga released the main promotional video, key visual, and theme song details for the second cour on Sunday. Kei Sugawara performs the ending theme song "Kujaku" (Peacock), while Masanori Otoda provides the opening theme song "back shot." The second cour debuts on July 4. The anime, directed by Masahiro Ando at Bones Film, premiered on April 4 and is set to run for two consecutive cours. Crunchyroll streams the series with a same-day English dub. The cast includes Kensho Ono as Yuru, Yume Miyamoto as Asa, Yuichi Nakamura as Dera, and Misaki Kuno as Gabu-chan. Noboru Takagi oversees series scripts, Nobuhiro Arai handles character design and chief animation direction, and Kenichiro Suehiro composes the music. Arakawa launched the manga in Square Enix's Monthly Shonen Gangan in December 2021, with the 13th volume releasing July 10.
Jun 22
Episode 12 of Daemons of the Shadow Realm shifts focus from Yuru and Asa's personal story to broader world-building, showing how different demon-wielding factions react to recent events. The episode introduces Ivan's infiltration of Higashi Village, reveals that villagers were aware of a plot to kill Yuru, and questions the effectiveness of the village's barrier defenses.
Jun 15
Episode 11 of Daemons of the Shadow Realm introduces Ken, Dera's previously unknown half-brother, who claims to have found powerful Daemons by chance. The episode also reveals that Dera's father helped Yuru and Asa's parents escape their village before disappearing. The review questions Ken's trustworthiness and suggests he may be a spy.
Jun 8
Anime News Network's review of episode 10 of Daemons of the Shadow Realm gives the episode a community score of 4.1 but criticizes the fight choreography as contrived. The reviewer argues that Dera's use of a sniper rifle is illogical, as he could have ended the battle immediately but instead made choices that prolonged the fight for dramatic effect.
Jun 3
Voice actor and ADR assistant director Ben Stegmair appeared on the podcast Something Genuine Season 2, Episode 2. He discussed his early focus on voice acting, the mentors who shaped his career, and his role as Yuru in Daemons of the Shadow Realm. Stegmair also shared his Mt. Rushmore of manga and his ambition to create original comics.
Jun 1
Episode 9 of Daemons of the Shadow Realm is a necessary but not particularly entertaining episode that focuses on tying up loose ends. The Kagemoris investigate the mastermind behind the previous night's attacks, revealing a fool-proof lie detector and that the attack was an inside job. Meanwhile, Dera takes Yuru shopping for arrow-making supplies, leading to discussions about the bandits who attacked Yuru and the likely involvement of Higashi Village. The episode ends with Dera and Yuru leading their pursuers into a trap, but two of the three are killed by Tenaga-Ashinaga, setting up a fight between Left and Right and Tenaga-Ashinaga.
May 31
The television anime adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa's manga Daemons of the Shadow Realm (Yomi no Tsugai) announced five new cast members on Sunday, May 31. Yū Shimamura will voice Natsuki Kurotani, and Hayato Fujii will play Fuyuki Kurotani. Ayumu Murase joins as Blacklist. Ako Mayama and Shigeru Chiba will voice the dual role of Tenaga Ashinaga (Long Arms Long Legs), debuting in the anime's 10th episode on June 6. The anime premiered on April 4 on Tokyo MX, BS11, and other channels, and is set for two consecutive cours. Crunchyroll streams the series with a same-day English dub. Bones Film produces the anime, with Masahiro Andō directing, Noboru Takagi handling series scripts, and Nobuhiro Arai designing characters. Kenichiro Suehiro composes the music. Vaundy performs the opening theme "Tobu Toki" (Time to Fly), and singer yama performs the ending theme "Tobō yo" (Let's Fly). Arakawa launched the manga in Monthly Shonen Gangan in December 2021; the 13th volume ships July 10.
May 31
Anime Feminist reviewed the first episode of Daemons of the Shadow Realm, the new anime based on Hiromu Arakawa's manga. The review praises the premiere for its extreme violence, gore, and thrilling action, calling it a strong start that sets up intriguing world-building questions. The story follows Yuru, a young man in a seemingly peaceful mountain village, and his sister Asa, who is locked up as part of a community ritual tied to a prophecy about controlling Daemon forces. The review highlights the show's feminist themes, particularly the critique of patriarchal control and women's complicity in subjugation, embodied by the Granny character who forces Yuru's mother to delay childbirth. The episode tears apart the village's status quo, forcing Yuru to venture out into the world. The review notes the excellent execution from director Masahiro Ando and Studio Bones, with sublime character animation and action. The character designs follow Arakawa's style of broad-shouldered men and curvy women. The review avoids spoiling the twist but says the community hides a terrible secret revealed by episode's end.
May 30
The anime adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa's manga Daemons of the Shadow Realm (Yomi no Tsugai) has released its first preview for the 9th episode, which airs on May 30, 2026. The series debuted on April 4, 2026, and streams on Crunchyroll. The manga, which began in 2021, has over three million copies in circulation. The anime is directed by Masahiro Ando with scripts by Noboru Takagi, character designs by Nobuhiro Arai, and animation production by Bones Film. The Japanese cast includes Kensho Ono as Yuru, Yume Miyamoto as Asa, Yuichi Nakamura as Dera, and others. The opening theme is "Tobu Toki" by Vandy, and the ending theme is "Tobo Yo" by yama. In a separate interview, English dub voice actors Ben Stegmair (Yuru) and Molly Zhang (Asa) discussed their approaches to the roles, with Stegmair noting he plays three distinct versions of Yuru and Zhang describing how she used a different voice for the fake Asa.
May 19
The anime adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa's manga has added Shinichirō Miki to the cast as Ivan Yosano, a mysterious daemon user who debuted in episode 6. The series premiered on April 4 and is set for two consecutive cours on Crunchyroll.
May 19
Episode 5 of Daemons of the Shadow Realm brings Yuru and Asa together at last, avoiding a tease and instead advancing the layered mysteries of the series. The meeting adds complexity to the parents' disappearance and reveals more than two factions are after the siblings, leading to an action scene that forces Yuru to fight alongside the Kagemori clan.
May 17
The staff for the television anime of Hiromu Arakawa's Daemons of the Shadow Realm confirmed two new cast members on May 16. Kappei Yamaguchi voices Hikaru Kagemori, and Yoshiko Sakakibara voices Kai. Both characters debuted in the seventh episode, which aired in Japan on the same day. The anime premiered on April 4 on Tokyo MX, BS11, Gunma TV, and Tochigi TV, and is set to run for two consecutive cours. Crunchyroll streams the series with a same-day English dub. Masahiro Ando directs at Bones Film, with Noboru Takagi overseeing series scripts and Nobuhiro Arai handling character designs. Kenichiro Suehiro composes the music. Vaundy performs the opening theme "Tobu Toki," and yama performs the ending theme "Tobo yo." The manga, which Arakawa launched in Monthly Shonen Gangan in December 2021, has 12 compiled volumes as of March 2026. Square Enix Manga & Books publishes the English edition. The story follows twins Yuru and Asa, separated at a young age, who must reunite and claim their birthright over powerful entities called Daemons.