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HIDIVE Adds Giant Beasts of Ars, Tunnel to Summer, Mirage Queen, UtaPri Maji Love ST☆RISH Tours Anime; Reveals 4 Dubcasts

HIDIVE announced at its panel at the Anime Weekend Atlanta event on Friday that it will stream the Giant Beasts of Ars anime, the Mirage Queen Prefers Circus theatrical anime, the The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes anime film, and the Utano☆Princesama Maji LOVE ST☆RISH Tours anime film. HIDIVE will also release the Utano☆Princesama Maji LOVE ST☆RISH Tours and The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes anime films in theaters before they debut on HIDIVE.

Additionally, HIDIVE announced it will stream Dubcasts for the following fall 2022 season anime: Akiba Maid War, The Eminence in Shadow, Urusei Yatsura, and Reincarnated as a Sword. The company will reveal debut dates and English dub casts at a later date.

HIDIVE also confirmed that it will stream the Ragna Crimson anime next year. Sentai Filmworks has licensed the series.

Giant Beasts of Ars (Ars no Kyojū) is an original co-production anime between DMM and HIDIVE. Asahi Production is animating the series. The anime will premiere in January 2023 and is part of HIDIVE's winter 2023 simulcast season.

HIDIVE describes the series:

The great beasts created the land, but humans stole it. Angered, the beasts began eating humans, who in turn called upon the gods to fight the beasts. In the age of the sword, heroes and mythology, giant beasts are hunted by humans for profit. Jiro, who makes his living hunting beasts, encounters Kuumi, who is being chased by someone, and in that moment decides to save her. As rumors spread regarding humanity and a mysterious experiment, together they seek to discover the world's secrets.

Akira Oguro (Namu Amida Butsu! -Rendai Utena-) is directing the anime at Asahi Production. Ashito Oyari designed the original characters, and Hiroshi Shimizu (Hinata no Aoshigure background art) and Masato Kato (Namu Amida Butsu! -Rendai Utena-, Peach Boy Riverside) are adapting those designs for animation. Norimitsu Kaihō (Astra Lost in Space, School-Live!, Akudama Drive) is both overseeing and writing the series scripts. Shūji Katayama (Overlord, Saga of Tanya the Evil) and Akinari Suzuki (Smile Down the Runway, Redo of Healer) are composing the music.

The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes (Natsu e no Tunnel, Sayonara no Deguchi) is an anime film adaptation of Mei Hachimoku and Kukka's young adult novel of the same name. The film opened in Japan on September 9. HIDIVE will screen the film in theaters in the first quarter of 2023 before streaming the series on its service.

HIDIVE describes the film:

Urashima Tunnel - Once you enter that tunnel, you can get whatever you want, but at a price. Kaoru Tohno, who seems to have an elusive personality and traumatic past, and Anzu Hanashiro, who is struggling to reconcile her ideal image and true-to-heart attitude, team up to investigate the Urashima Tunnel and get what they want. This is an unforgettable summer story of nostalgia and sprinting in a remote countryside.

Oji Suzuka stars as Kaoru Tōno and Marie Iitoyo plays Anzu Hanaki.

Tomohisa Taguchi (Akudama Drive, Kino's Journey - the Beautiful World-, Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna) directed the film at CLAP (Pompo: The Cinéphile), and was also the scriptwriter and storyboarder, as well as the line director alongside Kanji Miyake. Tomomi Yabuki (Pompo: The Cinéphile animation director) was the character designer and chief animation director, with Yabuki, Seiji Tachikawa, Akio Hasegawa, and Yasuhisa Kato as animation directors. Harumi Fuuki (Miss Hokusai, Forest of Piano, Tsurune) composed the music.

Seven Seas Entertainment has licensed both the original light novel and its manga adaptation.

Mirage QUEEN Prefers Circus (Kaitō Queen wa Circus ga Osuki) is a theatrical original video anime (OVA) based on Kaoru Hayamine's Kaitō Queen wa Circus ga Osuki (Mirage Queen Aime Cirque) novel. The 60-minute anime premiered in theaters in Japan on June 17. HIDIVE will stream the anime in 2023.

Yūga Yamato (Sailor Moon stage plays as Tuxedo Mask) starred in the anime as Queen.

HIDIVE describes the anime:

They always steal the prey they aim for. That is Phantom Thief Queen. Gender, age, nationality unknown. Together with their partner Joker, RD, they travel around the world on the airship Troubadour. This time, the Queen is aiming for a cursed jewel, the legendary Rose of Linden. A hypnotist, an acrobat, a magician...the talented circus members challenge the Queen! What is their purpose? In order to get back the jewel, the Queen stands up to the challenge in a bold and brilliant way (or disguise). Nothing is impossible for the Queen!

Saori Den (Pokémon episode director) directed the project at East Fish Studio, and Mariko Kunisawa (Ascendance of a Bookworm, Orient) wrote the script. Kumiko Kawashima (Fantasista Stella) designed the characters. Moe Hyūga (Steins;Gate 0, If My Favorite Pop Idol Made it to the Budokan, I Would Die) composed the music. Toshiki Kameyama was the sound director at Bit Groove Promotion. Pony Canyon distributed the anime.

Utano☆Princesama Maji LOVE ST☆RISH Tours (Gekijō-ban Utano☆Princesama♪ Maji Love ST☆RISH Tours) opened in Japan on September 2. HIDIVE will screen the film in theaters in the first quarter of 2023 before streaming the film on its service.

HIDIVE describes the film:

With the great success of "Maji LOVE LIVE Kingdom", the members of ST☆RISH have been busy with their idol activities. However, while their success has brought a sense of fulfillment, they began to have feelings they never felt before. "What do we do from now on..." At that time, a call comes in from the Shining Office summoning everyone to receive a "reward.” What is it...? This is the behind-the-scenes story of ST☆RISH, connecting "Maji LOVE Kingdom" to the "Maji LOVE ST☆RISH Tours."

The film — described as part of a "new theatrical film series" — is entirely composed of concert footage of the ST☆RISH idol group. Noriyasu Agematsu was once again credited as the original creator with Broccoli. Elements Garden composed the music, and A-1 Pictures produced the film. Shochiku is distributing the film.

Sources: Press release, HIDIVE's Twitter account