DARK MACHINE THE ANIMATION is broadcasting on Fuji TV and other channels following its October 13, 2026 start, with Crunchyroll streaming. A review of the premiere found clean execution but flat emotional grounding, while the companion game DARK MACHINE THE GAME has a Steam page and a 2027 release window.
The DARK MACHINE project reached airwaves in October 2026. DARK MACHINE THE ANIMATION, an original TV anime from Project Carbuncle, was announced for an October television premiere in August with a second promotional video, four new cast members playing rival e-sports players, and the opening theme "Sonzai Riyu Kai" by BUCK-TICK. By September the debut was fixed: Fuji TV on October 13 at 25:45 JST, Kansai TV on October 15, BS Fuji on October 20, with Crunchyroll streaming. Within days the date moved to 1:45 AM on October 14 in a later announcement, while a Tokyo Game Show stage event on September 18 described an 11-episode broadcast starting October 13.
The anime and a competitive game were developed together as an esports-themed media mix. LIONA opened the Steam page for DARK MACHINE THE GAME on September 14. It is a free-to-play mecha action shooter with a PvE mode and PvP for up to 7-vs-7, scheduled for release in 2027 on PC (Steam), and the stage event said the game opens beta in 2027. Production +h. handles animation, Kazuo Terada directs, and the cast includes Kensho Ono, Miyuki Sawashiro, Koki Uchiyama, and Yuichi Nakamura. Goro Taniguchi is credited as creative producer on the premiere.
A manga adaptation by Kei Kondo launched September 24 in Comic Ruelle and Comic Jardin. The ending theme "Galaxy Mode" by Sandaime J SOUL BROTHERS came out with the band's album on October 21. A review of the premiere described a half-drowned city, Kairi delivering a photo to Senki and joining Rudra's team after stealing data from a rival, and found shiny backgrounds and a long robot fight paired with flat emotional grounding. The review's central point was that a tie-in with cryptocurrency and an NFT marketplace behind it can execute cleanly and still give the viewer no reason to care who wins.
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DARK MACHINE THE ANIMATION, an original TV anime from Project Carbuncle, begins broadcasting on Fuji TV and other channels from 1:45 AM on October 14. The series is developed alongside the game DARK MACHINE THE GAME. Production +h. handles animation, Kazuo Terada directs, and Kensho Ono, Miyuki Sawashiro, Koki Uchiyama, and Yuichi Nakamura are in the cast.
At a Tokyo Game Show 2026 stage event on September 18, the DARK MACHINE project presented updates for the TV anime and the competitive game developed together as an esports-themed media mix. Anime director Kazuo Terada said the 11-episode broadcast, starting October 13 on Fuji Television, packs battle scenes into 10 episodes. A comic adaptation begins September 24, and the game opens beta in 2027.
Dark Machine the Animation will begin airing on Fuji TV on October 13 at 25:45 JST, with Kansai TV on October 15 and BS Fuji on October 20. The third promotional video previews the ending theme "Galaxy Mode" by Sandaime J SOUL BROTHERS, out with the band's album on October 21. A manga adaptation by Kei Kondo launches September 24 in Comic Ruelle and Comic Jardin. Crunchyroll will stream the series.