Netflix Opens First Global Fan Event 'TUDUM' With A Special Spotlight On Ambitious Anime Slate

-- Highlights include an anime adaptation of Mark Millar's Super Crooks, a new feature project by critically acclaimed Studio Colorido and sneak peek at an all new ULTRAMAN, Aggretsuko and Bright: Samurai Soul --

TOKYO, JAPAN - September 25, 2021 - Opening the first ever TUDUM global fan event, Netflix today celebrated their ever growing slate of anime, showcasing and celebrating both upcoming projects as well as stories fans already know and love. Anime continues to grow its fanbase on Netflix, with over 120 million households choosing to watch at least one anime on Netflix in the past year. Netflix is excited to continue bolstering their best-in-class lineup of anime from Japan and around the world.

During the virtual fan event presented and hosted by Netflix Anime V-Tuber N-ko, Netflix announced Drifting Home (premiering 2022), the next feature film project by critically acclaimed Studio Colorido, which delighted fans with their 2020 smash-hit A Whisker Away. The upcoming original story about two childhood friends that drift into a mysterious sea alongside an entire housing complex, will join previously announced projects like the super-powered heist story Super Crooks (premiering November 25, 2021) based on a story by comic book legend Mark Millar or Bright: Samurai Soul (premiering October 12, 2021), an ambitious anime spin-off to the original Hollywood blockbuster starring Will Smith.

Netflix also gave fans a glimpse at some of their returning series, including Aggretsuko Season 4 (premiering December, 2021) and ULTRAMAN Season 2 (premiering in 2022), revealing a new teaser art for the long awaited sophomore season of ULTRAMAN as well as the key art and premiere timing for the return of Aggretesuko.

The spotlight event also celebrated longtime fan favorite Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie. Fans joined host and actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Never Have I Ever) as she talked to the global voice cast about their experience as the voices of Super Sailor Moon / Usagi Tsukino and to celebrate the latest installment in the hugely successful, and timeless franchise.

See below for additional highlights and announcements:

AGGRETSUKO Season 4 - Global Premiere Date: December, 2021

www.netflix.com/aggretsuko

Frustrated with her thankless office job, Retsuko the Red Panda copes with her daily struggles by belting out death metal karaoke after work. After becoming an underground idol to pay off her debts, Retsuko decides to quit OTMGirls and enjoy living a happy, normal life... but just as the company she works for is facing big changes, her relationship with Haida finally begins to move. Staff: Original story by: Sanrio Directed by: Rarecho Animation Production: Fanworks

Bright: Samurai Soul - Global Premiere Date: October 12, 2021

www.netflix.com/brightsamuraisoul

In the time between the fall of the Shogunate and the rise of the Meiji era, a powerful bright light emitted from a wand brings an end to the long Shogunate period to avoid further bloodshed as Japan begins to shift toward a new era. Amid these circumstances, a one-eyed wandering ronin named Izou, who has lost his reason to live, and Raiden, an orc who detests murder and hopes to leave a life of thievery behind, separately meet a young elf girl named Sonya around the same time. Together, they go on a journey along the Tokaido road to bring her and the wand she holds safely to the land of the elves in the north. Standing in their path is the mysterious organization Inferni, which aims to obtain the wand and revive the Dark Lord, who intends to rule all of creation. Inferni also uses the new Meiji government in its attempt to steal the wand from Izou, Raiden and Sonya. Traveling along the Tokaido road from Kyoto to Yokohama, Izou and Raiden begin their journey to protect the wand. Staff: Directed by: Kyohei Ishiguro Written by: Michiko Yokote Character Designer: Atsushi Yamagata Animation Production: ARECT

Drifting Home - Global Premiere Date: Coming in 2022

www.netflix.com/driftinghome

Kosuke and Natsume have been friends since childhood, but as time goes on the relationship between the two sixth graders seems strained as they keep avoiding one another. One day during their summer vacation, they go to a housing complex that is scheduled to be demolished. Having grown up there, the place holds a lot of memories, but while playing, they suddenly get caught up in a mysterious phenomenon and when they regain consciousness, they see an entire ocean before them as the housing complex has drifted into a mysterious sea and Kosuke and Natsume with it. Will they be able to return to their previous world? A summer farewell journey begins...

Staff: Director: Hiroyasu Ishida Screenplay: Hayashi Mori, Hiroyasu Ishida & Minaka Sakamoto Character Designer: Akihiro Nagae Assistant Character Designer: Fumi Kato Composer: Umitaro Abe Producer: Koji Yamamoto Production: Studio Colorido Planning: Twin Engine

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie - Now Streaming

www.netflix.com/sailormoon

The upcoming adventures are set in April, when the cherry blossoms are in bloom and Tokyo is in a festive mood as it celebrates the largest Total Solar Eclipse of the century. As the new moon obscures the sun and gradually dims its light, Usagi and Chibi-Usa encounter Pegasus, who is in search of the chosen Maiden who can break the seal of the Golden Crystal. Meanwhile, a mysterious troupe called the Dead Moon Circus appears in town who's nefarious plan is to scatter the nightmare incarnations known as Lemures, seize the 'Legendary Silver Crystal,' rule over the moon and the earth, and eventually dominate the entire universe...

Staff: Originally created by: Naoko Takeuchi Directed by: Chiaki Kon ('The Way of the Househusband', 'Nodame Cantabile: Paris Edition & Finale'） Music by: Yasuharu Takanashi ('Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal', 'Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal Season III') Character designs by: Kazuko Tadano ('Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon', 'Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens'）Animation Production: TOEI Animation / Studio DEEN

SUPER CROOKS - Global Premiere Date: November 25, 2021

www.netflix.com/supercrooks

In this anime adaptation, small-time crook Johnny Bolt recruits the ultimate crew for one last heist -- for real! From comic book legend Mark Millar, this super-powered heist story about eight super-villains is jam-packed with action and told in 13x 30-minute episodes lushly produced by Bones. Staff: Original Graphic Novel created by: Mark Millar & Leinil Yu Director: Motonobu Hori Writer (Story Editor): Dai Sato Composer: Towa Tei Character Design Supervisor: Leinil Yu Character Design: Takashi Mitani Animation Production: bones (or BONES)

ULTRAMAN Season 2 - Global Premiere Date: Coming 2022

Several years have passed since the events of Ultraman, with the legendary "Giant of Light" (光の巨人 Hikari no Kyojin) now a memory, as it is believed he returned home after fighting the many giant aliens that invaded the Earth. Shin Hayata's son Shinjiro seems to possess a strange ability, and it is this ability, along with his father's revelation that he was Ultraman, that leads Shinjiro to battle the new aliens invading the Earth as the new Ultraman.

Staff: Based on a comic by: Tsuburaya Production, Eiichi Shimizu & Tomohiro Shimoguchi Directors: Kenji Kamiyama & Shinji Aramaki Music: Nobuko Toda & Kazuma Jinnouchi Production: Production I.G. & SOLA DIGITAL ARTS

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