What’s Coming Exclusively to Amazon Prime for Anime in 2018

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2017 has seen a lot of anime made available through legal streaming services. The same has been said for Amazon, whom currently have two exclusive partnerships with major programming blocks along with a couple big hitters from various publishers over the past couple of seasons. 2018 will be offering more anime on the service, and while it’s not as much as Netflix or even Crunchyroll, there’s still something to share for Amazon Prime’s video service.

Here are a list of titles coming exclusively through Amazon Prime’s video service, bare in mind this list does not include any titles that are from Sentai Filmworks as they are generally available through HIDIVE outside of US & Canada.

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Banana Fish


Airing Date: 2018
Studio: MAPPA


Nature made Ash Lynx beautiful; nurture made him a cold ruthless killer. A runaway brought up as the adopted heir and sex toy of “Papa” Dino Golzine, Ash, now at the rebellious age of seventeen, forsakes the kingdom held out by the devil who raised him. But the hideous secret that drove Ash’s older brother mad in Vietnam has suddenly fallen into Papa’s insatiably ambitious hands–and it’s exactly the wrong time for Eiji Okamura, a pure-hearted young photographer from Japan, to make Ash Lynx’s acquaintance…


As part of the NoitaminA programming block, earlier in the year studio MAPPA, Aniplex and NoitaminA announced an anime adaptation of the 1985 manga written by Akimi Yoshida to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Yoshida’s debut as a manga creator. The anime details are slim for now as it won’t be airing for quite some time but we do know that Hiroko Utsumi (Free! Iwatobi Swim Club) will be directing, Hiroshi Seko (Inuyashiki) will be script supervisor, and Akemi Hayashi (Dou kyu sei) will be handling the character designs.

The manga has lasted 19 volumes from 1985 to 1994 and was also translated into English from Viz Media.

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Beatless


Airing Date: January 2018
Studio: Diomedéa


With the introduction of an ultra-advanced AI that surpasses human intelligence, beings that mankind is yet to fully comprehend made from materials far too advanced for human technology begin coming into being. Lacia, an hIE equipped with a black coffin-shaped device, is one of these. In boy-meets-girl fashion, 17-year-old Arato Endo has a fateful encounter with the artificial Lacia. For what purpose were these artificial beings created? Amid questions regarding the coexistence of these artificial beings and humans, a 17-year-old boy makes a decision…


As part of the Animeism programming block comes an adaptation of the 2012 light novel from Satoshi Hase and redjuice. Seiji Mizushima (Fullmetal Alchemist) will be directing the anime at studio Diomedéa with Tatsuya Takahashi (Eromanga Sensei) and Go Zappa (Blend-S) handling the script composition, and also Hiroko Yaguchi (Un-Go) as the character designer. Vocalists GARNiDELiA and ClariS will be providing the theme songs for the anime.

The novel was translated in English by Tokyo Otaku Mode.

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Fist of the Blue Sky REGENESIS


Airing Date: April 2018
Studio: Polygon Pictures


It is just before WWII, Kasumi Kenshiro hides as a quiet, absent-minded professor teaching literature at a small women’s college in Tokyo. Once the 62nd Grand Master of Hokuto Shinken, “God Fist of the North Star,” and known has Yan Wang, or “the King of Death,” who preserved the peace in the “City of Devils.” A fighter of thugs and drug dealers, Kasumi seeks anonymity and a quiet life until the death of his lover, and former brothers, forces him to return to Shanghai to fulfill his destiny and avenge the deaths of his associates.


Celebrating the 35th anniversary of Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star), an anime adaptation of the prequel manga series written by Buronson, Nobuhiko Horie, and Tetsuo Hara called Souten no Ken (Fist of the Blue Sky) was recently revealed. New details cropped up a couple days ago with studio Polygon Pictures providing the animation with Yoshio Kazumi (Ajin) as director and Satoshi Ozaki helming the script composition. Kazuma Teshigahara and Hiromi Satō will be designing the characters, and voice actor Kouichi Yamadera reprises his role for Kenshiro Kasumi.

Also celebrating the 35th anniversary is Hokuto ga Gotoku, an upcoming PlayStation 4 game from SEGA & Yakuza developers set for March 2018 (with a demo coming this February) featuring an original storyline set in the Hokuto no Ken universe.

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Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress Second Season


Airing Date: 2018
Studio: WIT

As part of the NoitaminA programming block. Another season of the Kabaneri anime series has been green-lit for a while now. Unfortunately there’s no new information aside from a 2018 release date and studio WIT returning to animate it.

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Killing Bites


Airing Date: January 2018
Studio: Liden Films


Killing Bites are underworld duels between human-animal hybrids. One beast who knows no fear will fight in this animalistic world full of fear and insanity. This ultimate battle of the beasts will shock you to your core!


As part of the Animeism programming block comes Shinya Murata’s 2013 manga series adapted into anime form. Animated by Liden Films the staff includes director Yasuto Nishikata (The Seven Deadly Sins), writer Aoi Akashiro (Classroom of the Elite) and character designer Kazuo Watanabe (The Heroic Legend of Arslan) with music composer Yasuharu Takanashi (Fairy Tail). Vocalists fripSide and Kitsunetsuki will be providing the theme songs for the anime.

The Amazon Prime stream will be the director’s cut version of the anime. There was a video game planned but it’s now no longer in development.

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Koi wa Ameagari no You ni


Airing Date: January 2018
Studio: WIT


17-year-old high school student Akira Tachibana is a girl who barely expresses herself. She harbors a secret crush on Masami Kondō, the 45-year-old manager of the family restaurant she works at part-time.


As part of the NoitaminA programming block next after Inuyashiki Last Hero is Jun Mayuzuki‘s 2014 manga series in anime form by studio WIT. Ayumu Watanabe (Space Brothers) will be directing the anime along with script composition writer Deko Akao (Noragami), character designer Yuka Shibata (Magical Sisters Yoyo & Nene) and music composer Ryo Yoshimata. Vocalist Aimer will be providing the ending theme song for the anime.

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Kokkoku: Moment by Moment


Airing Date: January 2018
Studio: Geno


In order to save her brother and nephew who have been kidnapped by a mysterious religious group known as the Genuine Love Society, Juri and her family cast a spell using a stone hidden by her grandfather to enter the world of stopped time known as Stasis. However, when they infiltrate the kidnapper’s base, they’re met by other people who can also move about freely. With grotesque creatures lurking about, will they be able to escape the parallel world and return to their normal lives?!


From the same animation studio behind Project Itoh: Genocidal Organ and the upcoming Golden Kamuy adaptation, the 2009 manga of the same name is their next major project. The anime staff includes director Yoshimitsu Ohashi (Galaxy Angel), script composition writer Noboru Kimura (Nyaruko: Crawling with Love!), character designers Yasuomi Umetsu (Kite) and Masaki Hinata (Katekyo Hitman Reborn!) with music composer MICHIRU. Music artist MIYAVI vs KenKen will perform the anime’s theme song.

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Otaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii


Airing Date: April 2018
Studio: A-1 Pictures


Narumi, a female office worker who hides her fujoshi lifestyle, and Hirotaka, a handsome and capable company man who is secretly a game otaku. The two seem perfect for each other, but love is difficult for a nerd.


As part of the NoitaminA programming block for the Spring season, Fujita’s 2014 manga series is getting an anime adaption by studio A-1 Pictures. Cast details have been revealed while more info is to be known in early January.

That is all of the announced titles confirmed so far. There will be more later down the line, most notably from the Animeism block from Spring onwards which are currently unknown at the time of this post. Remember all of the titles mentioned above will be available for all of the territories that have access to Amazon Prime’s video service (and for AnimeStrike in North America).

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Can't hide the fact that I'm really excited about Banana Fish coming from MAPPA. Now all we need is a new edition of the manga...

(Also Otaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii which - at first glance - looks as if it might be in the same vein as Recovery of an MMO Junkie. We can but hope... )
 
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