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Uverworld, Rin Akatsuki Sing Themes for Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga Anime

The January 2017 issue of Shueisha's Jump SQ. magazine announced the theme songs for the upcoming Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga (Ao no Exorcist: Kyoto Fujō Ō-hen) sequel television anime on Friday. Rock band UVERworld will perform the opening theme song and singer Rin Akatsuki will perform the ending theme song.

UVERworld performed the first opening for the first Blue Exorcist television anime in 2011, as well as the theme song for the Blue Exorcist anime film. The band has also contributed theme songs for Bleach, D.Gray-man, and Puzzle & Dragons X, among other anime. Akatsuki debuted this year with the ending theme song for the second season of The File of Young Kindaichi Returns.

In addition, the magazine announced that the anime will premiere at night on Friday, January 6 at 2:10 a.m. (effectively Saturday morning) on MBS's "Animeism" programming block. It will also air on TBS, CBC, and BS-TBS.

Aniplex of America licensed the series for its winter lineup.

The new anime will adapt the "Kyoto Impure King Arc" that started in the fifth volume of Kazue Katō's original Blue Exorcist manga. Aniplex of America describes the series:

Assiah, the realm of humans, and Gehenna, the realm of demons. Normally, these two dimensions would never intersect, but having possessed all material substances, the demons are now intruding on the material world. But among the human race, there are those who can exorcise such demons—the exorcists.

Rin Okumura kept the fact that he was Satan's offspring a secret from everyone and decided to become an exorcist. He began his training at True Cross Academy but following the incidents involving Amaimon's raid, his lineage became apparent. Fearing his true nature and the blue flames marking his connection to Gehenna, Rin's classmates all distanced themselves from him. Meanwhile, the academy was on high alert when they realized that the “Left Eye of the Impure King” had been stolen! What lies ahead for Rin and his classmates?

The show's new and returning cast includes:

• Nobuhiko Okamoto as Rin Okumura
• Jun Fukuyama as Yukio Okumura
• Kana Hanazawa as Shiemi Moriyama
• Kazuya Nakai as Ryuji Suguro
• Koji Yusa as Renzo Shima
• Yuuki Kaji as Konekomaru Miwa
• Eri Kitamura as Izumo Kamiki
• Ayahi Takagaki as Kuro
• Rina Satou as Shura Kirigakure
• Hiroshi Kamiya as Mephisto Pheles
• Hiroaki Hirata as Shiro Fujimoto (replacing Keiji Fujiwara)
• Takashi Inagaki as Tatsuma Suguro
• Katsuyuki Konishi as Jūzō Shima
• Kishō Taniyama as Kinzō Shima
• M.A.O as Mamushi Hōjō
• Kazuhiro Yamaji as Saburōta Tōdō

Koichi Hatsumi (Deadman Wonderland, Gangsta., Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King) is replacing Tensai Okamura as the director of the new series at A-1 Pictures. Toshiya Ono (The Perfect Insider, tsuritama, Gatchaman Crowds) is handling the series composition, replacing Ryota Yamaguchi. Keigo Sasaki is returning from the first season to design the characters, and he is also the chief animation director alongside Akira Takata (Durarara!!, Natsume's Book of Friends). Shigeki Kawai (episode director for Kingdom, Galilei Donna) is serving as assistant director. Hiroyuki Sawano is additionally returning to compose the music alongside newcomer Kohta Yamamoto (the same Legendoor management company represents both artists).

In addition to the new television anime season, the 19th volume of the original manga will bundle an original anime DVD on April 4.