Yuki Kaji Cast as Joe Shimamura in Cyborg 009: Nemesis Anime
This is the first new Cyborg 009 anime in a decade, and the casting of Kaji as the iconic Joe Shimamura signals a deliberate effort to bridge the classic franchise with a contemporary audience.
Reporting from 3 sources: Anime News Network, Anime Trending, The Fandom Post.
Ishimori Production announced on May 15 that Yuki Kaji will voice Joe Shimamura, the main character and first returning Cyborg 009 character, in the new anime Cyborg 009: Nemesis. The series is set to stream in summer 2026. The announcement also included a key visual for the Nemesis group and revealed nine additional cast members for that organization: Yuichi Nakamura as Graviton, Ayane Sakura as Deps, Maaya Uchida as Morphone, Shion Wakayama as Blitz, Tetsu Inada as Aspida, Kikuko Inoue as Opro, Hiroshi Kamiya as Crack, Yoshimasa Hosoya as Blizzard, and Rina Hidaka as Mu. The anime is directed by Hideki Ambo at studio Arect, with Atsuhiro Tomioka and CHARATEX writing the screenplay and sanorin designing characters. Singer Kyoko from the band Barbee Boys performs the theme song "Taga Tame ni," originally used for the 1979 Cyborg 009 TV series. The anime's website had been revealing one Nemesis cast member per week for the past two months. Yuu Hayashi was later announced on May 19 as Cyborg 008/Pyunma.
The theme song "Taga Tame ni" was originally performed by Ken Narita and Koorogi '73 for the 1979 Cyborg 009 TV series. Ishinomori himself wrote the lyrics. Singer Kyoko from the rock band Barbee Boys performs the new version.
Hideki Ambo, who directed Yakitori: Soldiers of Misfortune, is directing the series at studio Arect. Atsuhiro Tomioka, known for Pokémon and Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest, co-writes the screenplay with CHARATEX. Sanorin, creator of the manga My Girlfriend is Big and Cute, designs the characters.
The Nemesis organization believes that Cyborg 009 and his allies cannot guide the world to peace. The group's leader, Graviton, is voiced by Yuichi Nakamura, announced last month.
The original Cyborg 009 manga debuted in Shonengahosha's Weekly Shonen King on July 19, 1964. The story follows nine people captured by the Black Ghost organization, turned into cyborg soldiers, who rebel. The franchise has inspired TV anime series in 1968, 1979, and 2001, plus films in 1966, 1967, and 1980. The most recent anime entry before Nemesis was the 2016 Netflix film Cyborg 009: Call of Justice. A 2012 novel trilogy, Cyborg 009 Kanketsu-hen 2012 009 conclusion GOD'S WAR, based on Ishinomori's manuscripts, served as the story's conclusion. A new manga, Cyborg 009 Taiheiyō no Bōrei, by scriptwriter Masaki Tsuji and artist Masato Hayase, launched in April 2024.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Anime News Network Cyborg 009: Nemesis Anime Casts Kentarō Tone as Cyborg 007
- Anime Trending Cyborg 009: Nemesis Adds Kentaro Tone to Voice Cast
- The Fandom Post Kentaro Tone Joins The ‘Cyborg 009: Nemesis’ Anime