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Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- TV Anime Delayed to October Due to COVID-19

The production committee for Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- Rhyme Anima, the television anime of the Hypnosis Mic mixed-media franchise, announced on Wednesday that the anime's broadcast and streaming premiere has been delayed from July to October. The committee explained that it is prioritizing the health and safety of the staff and cast, in light of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the resulting government declaration of the state of emergency.

The committee will announce more details, such as the new premiere date, on the anime's official website as soon as they are decided. In addition, the Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- Official Guide Book has been delayed from June 25 to September 2. The franchise had announced the cancellation of May's Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- Rule the Stage -track.2- stage play production, but now reports that efforts are underway to bring it back in August. The Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- 5th Live@AbemaTV (Six Shots Until the Dome) special will have a Blu-ray Disc and DVD release on August 19 with all 27 songs on the set list and bonus video extras.

Katsumi Ono (Hataraki Man, Senki Zesshō Symphogear sequels, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, Girly Air Force) is directing the anime at A-1 Pictures, and Minako Shiba (Black Butler, DAKAICHI -I'm being harassed by the sexiest man of the year-, .hack//SIGN, Noir) is designing the characters for animation. Shin Yoshida (Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, Zone of the Enders) is in charge of the series scripts.

The franchise's Division All Stars are performing the opening theme song "Hypnosis Mic -Rhyme Anima-." The musical duo invisible manners penned the song's lyrics, music, and arrangement, as they have done for the franchise's anthem songs in the past.

The franchise's cast members are reprising their roles for the anime.

The anime will air on the Tokyo MX, BS11, Tochigi TV, Gunma TV, MBS, and other channels, and it will also stream on AbemaTV and other services.

The rap-themed project features voice actors who rap in the personas of original characters, and it launched in September 2017. The Hypnosis Mic performers are Ikebukuro Division Busters Bros (Subaru Kimura, Haruki Ishiya, Kōhei Amasaki), Yokohama Division Mad Trigger Crew (Shintarō Asanuma, Wataru Komada, Shin'ichirō Kamio), Shibuya Division Fling Posse (Yusuke Shirai, Sōma Saitō, Yukihiro Nozuyama), Shinjuku Division Matenrō (Shō Hayami, Ryūichi Kijima, Kent Itō), Osaka Division Dotsuitare Hompo (Kengo Kawanishi, Ryōta Iwasaki, Takaya Kuroda), and Nagoya Division Bad Ass Temple (Yūki Sakakihara, Shouta Hayama, Eiji Takeuchi). (The last two units are not yet listed in the anime's credits.)

The group earned the top spot as the most popular voice actor Twitter account in Japan for 2018. The project includes multiple manga tie-ins, a mobile game, stage plays, and live events.

Source: Comic Natalie