Character appeared without voice credits in various episodes previously
The Oedo Fire Slayer -The Legend of Phoenix- television anime based on Hikuidori (Fire Eater), the first volume from Shōgo Imamura‘s Ushūboro Tobigumi historical novel series, confirmed in the credits for episode seven on Sunday that Ken Yasuda is playing the mysterious man Hidesuke.
© 今村翔吾／祥伝社／ぼろ鳶組一同
The character had appeared in various episodes before, but the series did not reveal his voice cast member until Sunday.
©今村翔吾／祥伝社／ぼろ鳶組一同
The series premiered on CBC, TBS, and 26 other channels across Japan on January 11, and airs in the “Agaru Anime” programming block on Sundays at 11:30 p.m. The anime had an advance screening of its first two episodes on January 8 at the United Cinema Toyosu in Tokyo with the cast in attendance.
Hiroshi Yasumi is directing the anime at Synergy SP and Hajime Kamegaki (Fushigi Yugi, Naruto Shippūden film, Lupin III vs. Detective Conan The Movie director) is the “head director.” Ryūsuke Mori (Magic Repo Man) is in charge of the series scripts. Mori also writes the scripts along with Shōhei Fukuda, Yoriko Tomita, and Kōhei Nishimura. BILBA is credited for the original character designs, Takeshi Sanada (Yowamushi Pedal, Gintama: The Movie) is the CG director, Akiyoshi Tanaka (KenIchi the Mightiest Disciple) is the sound director, and Yasuharu Takanashi (BASTARD!! -Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy-, Fairy Tail, Naruto Shippūden film) is composing the music.
Imamura launched the Ushūboro Tobigumi novel series with the Hikuidori story in 2017. Shodensha has published 12 volumes of the novel, and a volume of spinoff short story collection, which released in 2022. The novel won in the sixth Yoshikawa Eiji Bunko Award in 2021.
Shinobu Seguchi‘s manga adaptation of the Hikuidori novel, also titled Oedo Fire Slayer -The Legend of Phoenix-, launched in Akita Shoten‘s Weekly Shōnen Champion on April 24. emaqi started releasing the manga digitally in English in North America in July.
Imamura also wrote the 2022 Ikusagami (Last Samurai Standing) novels. Katsumi Tatsuzawa launched the novels’ manga adaptation in Kodansha‘s Morning magazine in 2022. Kodansha USA Publishing licensed the manga. Netflix produced a live-action series based on Imamura’s novels also titled Last Samurai Standing, which premiered on November 13. The series will get a second season.
Sources: Oedo Fire Slayer -The Legend of Phoenix- anime’s website, Comic Natalie