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Future Card Buddyfight Anime Gets English Dub Simulcast on YouTube, Hulu

Bushiroad announced on Monday that it will stream the Future Card Buddyfight television anime series on YouTube and Hulu with an English dub starting on January 3. Both sites will stream new episodes on Fridays, immediately after the episodes air in Japan. Cartoon Network will also air commercials for the anime starting on January 6.

The anime takes place around the year 2030, in Japan's new capital city of Chō Tokyo. Humans intermingle with beings from the parallel world of "Shinkinkai." The "Buddyfight" game chooses humans ("Buddyfighters") and partners them with Buddy Monsters from Shinkinkai, and the duo fight against other Buddyfighters. The battles in these games can sometimes even influence the fate of nations. Gaō Mikado is a sixth-year student at the "Aibo Academy" elementary division who longs to be a Buddyfighter and to be partnered with a Monster. One day Gaō notices a young boy being bullied by delinquents, and he helps him out using his Aiki-jujutsu skills. Drum Bunker Dragon, a Monster and the son of the hero of Dragon World, watches Gaō's actions, and decides to form a pact with him as his buddy.

Bushiroad is currently streaming an English-dubbed promotional video for the series.

The Japanese cast is as follows:

Gaō (voiced by Marie Mizuno) and his buddy Drum Bunker Dragon (Shintarou Oohata)

Gaō's classmate Kuguru Uki (Mikoi Sasaki)

Kurugu's childhood friend Baku Ōmori (Shūta Morishima)

Buddyfight celebrity Tasuku Ryūenji (Souma Saitou) and his buddy Jackknife Dragon (Hiroki Yasumoto)

Tetsuya Kurodake (Kazutomi Yamamoto) and his buddy Demon Lord Asmodai (Tetsuharu Ohta)

Gaō's classmate Noboru Kodō (Izumi Kitta)

Gaō's classmate Paruko Nanana (Sora Tokui)

Kiri Hyōryū (Aimi), a boy saved by Gaō

Gaō's little sister Hanako (Suzuko Mimori)

Shigetaka Ikeda (Jewelpet assistant director, Cardfight!! Vanguard, Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal episode director) is directing the series, and Masanao Akahoshi (A Certain Magical Index, Freezing) is handling the series composition. Quily handled the original character design. Psychic Lover and Suara are performing the opening theme song "Card of the Future," and Sora Tokui is performing the ending theme song "Buddy Buddy Fight!"

The series will premiere in Japan on TV Aichi on January 4 at 8:00 a.m.

Bushiroad had announced in June that the new trading card game would receive manga and anime adaptations. The official website describes the trading card game as "the ultimate card game of this century" and features art by animation studio Oriental Light and Magic (Pokémon, Utawarerumono).

The Future Card Buddyfight trading card game will get a simultaneous release worldwide with editions in both Japanese and English. The game launches with the Trial Deck Volume 1: Dominant Dragons, and Trial Deck Volume 2: Savage Steel on January 24. The Booster Pack Volume 1: Dragon Chief will launch on January 31, and Bushiroad will release other products throughout the rest of 2014.

Bushiroad is also streaming an English tutorial video for the trading card game.