Battle In 5 Seconds After Meeting - What We Know So Far
Usually, when we think of anime adaptations, they're often based on print-published manga, light novels, or video games. Thanks to the success of digital comics, that notion is evolving. From Crunchyroll's partnership with the digital comic service Webtoons (via Otaquest) to the surprise smash of "One Punch Man" that began as a humble webcomic (via CBR), digital comics have conquered their way into anime territory. It looks like that trend will continue with the upcoming "Battle in 5 Seconds After Meeting."
The series is based on the manga by writer Saizō Harawata and art by Kashiwa Miyako. Per Anime News Network, the series started as a webcomic before Miyako remade the art, and it found new homes in Shogakukan's Ura Sunday service and Manga ONE app in 2015. The manga focuses on a group of young people granted special abilities and forced to battle together and against each other by a mysterious organization. With two million copies of the manga sold (via Comic Natalie), the anime series has the potential to be a surprise hit with fans this summer.
Here's everything we know about the anticipated anime adaptation of "Battle in 5 Seconds After Meeting."
When is the release date for Battle in 5 Seconds?
Anime fans interested in "Battle in 5 Seconds After Meeting" won't have to wait too long before its premiere. The second official trailer for the upcoming series revealed that "Battle in 5 Seconds" will debut in Japan in July. So far, Japanese broadcast dates announced are July 12th on Tokyo MX and BS11 and July 13th on AT-X. For North American fans trying to catch a broadcast stream during its first premiere, the debut time would equate to midnight on July 13th.
An official English premiere has not been stated. Still, with Crunchyroll consistently reporting on information on the series and streaming much of the summer anime season, fans will likely be able to stream the series on its site. What's especially curious is that the official anime website has a section on its menu for a Blu-ray and a movie. However, it's currently not up for access. This could mean that a Blu-ray release for "Battle in 5 Seconds" is expected to quickly follow the series' broadcast.
Who are the main characters in Battle in 5 Seconds?
Per Anime News Network, "Battle in 5 Seconds After Meeting" centers on protagonist Kei Shiroyanagi (voiced by Ayumu Murase), a high school student who is skilled at online computer games and loves candy. Five seconds after he crosses paths with the mysterious Mion (voiced by Mayumi Shintani), he's placed on a journey that grants him psychic powers. Specifically, in the manga, Kei's unique ability is that he's instantly able to use whatever ability his target thinks he has.
Of course, Kei isn't the only one mysteriously granted powers by Mion's organization. Per Anime News Network, the series will also star young high school girl Yūri Amagake (voiced by Aimi), who can increase her strength by five; third-year high schooler Madoka Kirisaki (voiced by Kazuya Nakai), who has the ability to turn wood into blades; pro wrestler Shin Kumagiri (voiced by Yūichi Nakamura), who can become invincible for two seconds; the bespectacled Ringo Tatara (voiced by Miyuri Shimabukuro), who can copy 1/10th of the power of someone else's ability, and Mion's follower Yan (voiced by Akari Kitō).
What is the plot of Battle in 5 Seconds?
As teased in the official trailers, it looks like "Battle in 5 Seconds After Meeting" will closely follow the manga. In the opening scene of the latest trailer, we see that Kei is bored by his daily life and wants a game that will help him forget it. Apparently, he's never heard of the adage of being careful of particular wishes because suddenly, he finds himself handcuffed in a room and now a participant in an experimental test by some shadowy organization. As the official anime website notes, he and every other participant are officially dead as far as the real world is concerned.
The trailer shows that Kei is confident in this real-life test if it's treated as a game. After all, in the manga, Kei is so good at games that his opponents rage quit. The official anime website states that Kei decides to use his ability to win the test and destroy the organization. And that's the direction the anime series will follow. It looks like it will also provide glimpses as to how the rest of the cast got involved with Mion's organization and how they got their powers. There's no official word yet on how many episodes "Battle in 5 Seconds" is, but with 16 volumes of the manga, there's plenty of story to use.