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Aguu: Tensai Ningyō Anime's Trailer Emphasizes Horror
posted on by Karen Ressler
Studio DEEN began streaming a second promotional video for Aguu: Tensai Ningyō (Aguu: Genius Dolls), the television anime adaptation of Yichun Jun's Chinese comic Aguu (Devil Dolls), on Monday.
The anime's official website also announced on Monday that a television special titled "Teaching How to Make Geniuses" will air on July 2 on Tokyo MX, Sun TV, KBS Kyoto, and BS11. Several members of the cast will host the special.
The anime will premiere on July 9 and air on Monday nights at midnight (effectively Tuesdays at 12:00 a.m.). The series will air on Tokyo MX, Sun TV, KBS Kyoto, and BS11. A pre-broadcast special featuring the voice cast will premiere in the same time slot on the same networks on July 2.
In the story, there are people around us — leaders, entrepreneurs, famous stars, and prodigies — who don't have to put in much effort, and are called geniuses. But these geniuses all have something in common: they all possess a certain "something," a secret that they can't talk about with ordinary people. That secret is "Aguu."
The anime focuses on Ai, who is an ordinary girl and a dancer. Her friend Machi is also a dancer, but Machi is a genius. Watching Machi's talent often makes Ai feel down. But one day, Ai finds out Machi's secret: the existence of the Aguu, palm-size entities who grant genius talent upon those who hold them. In order to save Machi, who has become a "Seamstress" who makes Aguu, Ai becomes a "Savior." The Saviors are a group of people who have fought the Seamstresses for generations.
Bob Shirohata (Hetalia - Axis Powers, Momoiro Sisters, Gravitation, Hiiro no Kakera - The Tamayori Princess Saga) is directing the series at Studio DEEN. Yuiko Katō (live-action Hanabi series) is overseeing the series scripts. Masaaki Kannan (Hetalia World Series, Gifū Dōdō!! Kanetsugu to Keiji) is serving as both chief animation director and character designer. Maho Aoki is the prop designer, Masakazu Miyake (KonoSuba – God's blessing on this wonderful world!!, Himōto! Umaru-chan R) is the art director, Imari Katsuragi (Super Lovers, Kabukibu!) is the color designer, and Hozumi Gōda (Vampire Knight, Junji Ito "Collection") is the sound director. Yūki Shibasaki is composing the music.
The show stars:
Noriko Shibasaki as Ai, 16 years old. Her specialty is ballet. She is virtuous, passionate, and a hard worker. She has both courage and a sense of justice, and charms the people around her. But, she believes what others say a bit too easily, and she is sometimes an airhead.
Eriko Matsui as Machi, 16 years old. Her specialty is ballet. Her wariness and vanity is a bit strong. She had beauty, talent, and money, and was a genius ballet dancer, but one day her life changed in a big way.
Wataru Takagi as Rashō, 81 years old. His specialty is Go. He is honest and virtuous. His abilities are average, but he has a stout heart that never gives up. He can also be quite stubborn sometimes. He is the 140th generation evangelist of the Savior Brothers and Sisters Association
Satoshi Shibasaki as Rafu, 15 years old. His specialty is fighting. He has a strong sense of justice but gets easily emotional and is hot-tempered. He also tends to solve everything with violence. He highly respects his grandfather Rashõ.
Hiroki Yasumoto as Erbat, a mysterious person who lived more than 800 years ago. His specialty is song writing. He was born in the suburbs of France, and he continues to collect Aguu. He is not selective about the means he uses to achieve his goals, and he has no moral sense.
Kikuko Inoue as Rijuntei, Rihakumen's mother. Her specialty is cooking. As a single mother, her son is the only thing she lives for. She has strong determination, and she seems to easily become emotional. She carries a secret she can't let out in the open. 
MAO as Rihakumen, Rijuntei's son. His specialty is superhuman mental math abilities. He is a prodigy but usually timid. He is a quite shy child who absolutely cannot go against his mother's commands.
The cast also includes Risa Mizuno as Ōinin and Aya Uchida as Karurichi.
The musical group Denkishiki Karen Ongaku Shūdan will perform the anime's opening theme song "prima dynamis." The single will launch digitally on July 10, and the single CD will ship on July 25. Noriko Shibasaki, who plays the main character Ai, will perform the ending theme song "Tsugihagi."
Yichun launched the comic on the Tencent Comic website in 2014, and it has more than 9.5 billion views as of April 16. The spinoff comic Kyokugen (Utmost Limits) debuted on the Japanese horror manga website Osoroshiya in October 2016.
Studio Deen and Tencent's television anime adaptation of Guo Wang Bi Xia's (lit. His Majesty the King) popular Chinese online novel and comic titled Cong Qian You Zuo Ling Jian Shan (lit: There Was a Spiritual Sword Mountain) premiered under the title Reikenzan: Hoshikuzu-tachi no Utage in 2016. The sequel television anime series Reikenzan: Eichi e no Shikaku debuted in 2017.
Source: Studio Deen's YouTube
