Deaimon - What We Know So Far

Everyone loves sweets. They're one of the most delicious categories of food. But, as social media has clearly illustrated, people like looking at food almost as much as they like eating it. So, if you've got a sweet tooth (or perhaps, sweet eyes), then you may want to check out the most recent upcoming anime from animation studio Encourage Films, "Deaimon" (via Anime News Network).

Based on author Rin Asano's manga of the same name, "Deaimon" not only takes place in a Japanese confections shop, but also goes the extra mile in depicting its traditional sweets. The original manga debuted in 2016 in Kadokawa's "Young Ace" publication, so "Deaimon" is long overdue for a decent anime adaptation. Like "Food Wars," "Deaimon" has the potential to find success where hunger and a love for anime intersect.

Thankfully — at least for all the starving anime fans out there — "Deaimon" has a relatively close release date on the horizon. On top of that, the anime's creators have already shared a fair amount of information regarding its characters and plot. So, let's take a look at what we know so far to see if "Deaimon" is worthy of a spot on your upcoming anime watchlist.

News on the "Deaimon" anime first dropped in April, when the official "Young Ace" Twitter account announced that production was already underway. In response, manga author Rin Asano posted a new illustration on his own Twitter account, commenting that he was nervous but looked forward to working with the animators. Further news on the "Deaimon" anime would not drop until September, when Kadokawa uploaded the show's first subbed promotional video on YouTube.

Along with a first glimpse at the show's animation and voice acting, the PV also clued viewers in on when the series would finally debut. Unfortunately, the release window it delivers is rather broad, revealing only that the anime would premiere sometime in 2022. In addition, it doesn't give any indication where viewers can tune in to watch "Deaimon" once it comes out. As usual, however, you can expect it to show up on streaming sites like Crunchyroll and Funimation soon after it releases.

So far, Encourage films have revealed more than their fair share of characters and voice actors set to appear in the "Deaimon" anime. 13 separate characters have been announced (via Anime News Network). However, there are only a few key characters that demand serious attention. The first is, of course, the protagonist, Nagomu Irino. Currently a failed musician, Nagomu returns to work in his father's confection shop after the latter falls ill. Nagomu is voiced by actor Nobunaga Shimazaki.

However, Nagomu isn't the only one working in the shop. Alongside Nagomu are his mother, Fuki (Sayaka Ohara) and a young girl named Itsuka Yukihira (Kozue Yūki). After returning to the shop, Nagomu forms a father/daughter relationship with the latter, though it's not quite as loving as you'd first imagine. Other members of Nagomu's family include Heigo Irino (Rikiya Koyama), Ikko Irino (Izou Oikawa), and Masayo Irino (Miho Yoshida).

You have likely heard the story a thousand times. A young man is born into a family that runs a business, and is raised to one day inherit that business when he comes of age. However, the young man has aspirations of his own, and leaves to go pursue his dreams. This is the age-old setup that "Deaimon" capitalizes on. However, that's not where "Deaimon's" story begins. By the time "Deaimon" starts, Nagomu (the young man in this situation) has already left his family's confection shop to pursue his dreams as a musician in Tokyo. A decade later, Nagomu is forced to return after his father becomes too ill to work.

So the prodigal son returns, but this time, his welcome isn't quite as warm as you'd expect. In the decade since Nagomu left to live his dreams, his parents adopted a 10-year-old orphan girl named Itsuka, who now works at the shop. Though Nagomu is forced to play father figure to Itsuka, the two are also in competition with each other. Both want to take over the shop once their father dies, and so the two begin competing to see who is more worthy of inheriting the business.