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Karasu wa Aruji o Erabanai Anime Unveils Ending Song Artist

The official website for the television anime of Chisato Abe's Karasu wa Aruji o Erabanai (The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master) novel, the second novel of her Yatagarasu novel series, revealed the anime's ending theme song "Tokoshie" (Eternity) by Akiko Shikata on Sunday. According to Shikata, she wrote the song specifically for the anime after reading the original novel and having a series of communication exchanges with Abe. Shikata added that she was impressed with the novel's deep worldview, detailed settings, and unique characters.

The anime will premiere on NHK on April 6 at 11:45 p.m. JST (10:45 a.m. EDT).

The anime stars:

• Mutsumi Tamura as Yukiya
• Miyu Irino as the Imperial Prince (Wakamiya)
• Rina Honnizumi as Asebi
• Hiroki Nanami as Hamayū
• Ayaka Fukuhara as Masuho no Susuki
• Rie Kugimiya as Shiratama
• Eiji Takeuchi as Sumio
• Satoshi Hino as Natsuka
• Hiroshi Shirokuma as Rokon
• Kengo Kawanishi as Atsufusa
• Yoshino Aoyama as Fujinami
• Atsuko Tanaka as Ōmurasaki no Omae

Yoshiaki Kyougoku (Laid-Back Camp first two seasons and film) is directing the series at Studio Pierrot, and Yukiko Yamamuro (Touch (live-action movie)) is overseeing the series scripts. Takumo Norita (Lagrange - The Flower of Rin-ne, Broken Blade) is designing the characters, Eishi Segawa (Ushio & Tora both seasons, Gintama (live-action movie)) is composing the music, and Yuji Tange is the sound director. NHK, NHK Enterprises, and Pierrot are producing the anime. Rock band Saucy Dog will perform the opening theme song "poi."

The books center on the world of the yatagarasu (the Japanese name for a variant of mythical god-crows that appear in East Asian folk mythologies). The yatagarasu are able to shape shift between human and crow forms, and live in the world of Yamauchi, a parallel world created by the yatagarasu god Yamagami. Within Yamauchi, the yatagarasu live in a society evoking Heian-era Japan, and the parallel world remains connected to our human world.

NHK describes the story of the anime:

Yamauchi, a fantastic world where the Yatagarasu live

Yukiya, a young Yatagarasu, is appointed as the personal attendant of the eccentric Crown Prince Wakamiya. Soon, he is entangled in a web of conspiracies attempting to overthrow the heir to the Imperial throne.

Abe launched the novel series with the first novel Karasu ni Hitoe wa Niawanai in 2012. The first part of the novel series has six novels (of which Karasu wa Aruji o Erabanai was the second novel, released in 2013) and one side story novel. The second part of the novel series has so far inspired three novels (the latest of which was released in October 2022), and one side story novel.

The first two novels in the series have inspired manga adaptations. Natsumi Matsuzaki drew the manga adaptation of Karasu ni Hitoe wa Niawanai, which ran in Kodansha's Comic Days app from June 2018 to April 2020. Kodansha is releasing the manga in English on its K MANGA service with the title A Raven for All Seasons. Matsuzaki launched the Karasu wa Aruji o Erabanai manga in Kodansha's Evening magazine in May 2020, and moved to Comic Days in December 2021, where it is ongoing.

Sources: Karasu wa Aruji o Erabanai anime's website, Comic Natalie