High Guardian Spice - What We Know So Far
Anime is getting more and more popular, both in Japan and in the United States. In February 2020, Crunchyroll Studios announced eight original anime series that span genres like dark fantasy, magical girl, horror, and more (via SlashFilm). Since that announcement, the rollout hasn't exactly gone smoothly, as Crunchyroll has been plagued by production delays and internal difficulties (via The Anime News Network). But one show that's hoping to right the ship is the upcoming series "High Guardian Spice."
Since "High Guardian Spice" was first announced in 2018, it's been one of the most anticipated anime series around. An anime-inspired American cartoon that was produced at Crunchyroll's Burbank, California, production facility, the show is best described as a cross between "Little Witch Academia" and the Harry Potter series (via Anime Independent).
Here's everything we know so far about "High Guardian Spice."
What is the release date of High Guardian Spice?
As reported by the Anime News Network, "High Guardian Spice" will premiere on October 26, 2021, with all 12 episodes from the first season available at once. Since it's a Crunchyroll Original series, it will be available on Crunchyroll's streaming platform.
As reported by The News Motion, Crunchyroll first announced the anime-inspired series in April 2018, and originally planned to release it in the spring of the following year. The first previews highlighted the show's diversity, including an all-female writer's room. Almost immediately, "High Guardian Spice" was met with backlash from certain corners of the Internet, but ComicBook.com reported in March of 2019 that most Crunchyroll fans were excited about the project.
Series creator Raye Rodriguez announced on Twitter in November 2019 that the series had finished production, but there was still no word then when it might premiere. Crunchyroll then shared a few seconds of footage in February 2020, but the premiere date wasn't announced until early October 2021.
Who are the main characters in High Guardian Spice?
"High Guardian Spice" follows four best friends and budding adventurers, Parsley (Amber Romero ), Sage (Lauren White), Rosemary (Briana Leon), and Thyme (Michelle Deco). They're central to the plot, so more on them below.
The show primarily takes place at High Guardian Academy, and the characters include several of their classmates, like: Parnelle (Barbara Goodson), the youngest student at the academy; Amaryllis (Katie McVay), a witch who's the school bully; Snapdragon (Julia Kaye), Amaryllis' best friend who feels like an outcast; and Slime Boy (Julian Koster), a year-two witch who loves music and monsters. There's also Neppy Cat (Cam Clarke), a cat who hangs out near the school and has a secret magical power.
The faculty includes Professor Hakone (Anthony Brandon Walker), who specializes in combat tactics; and Professor Caraway (series creator Raye Rodriguez), a Guardian and specialist in sacred alphabets.
Rounding out the main characters are Mandrake (A.J. Beckles), a witch and shapeshifter; and Lavender (Liisa Lee), Rosemary's mother and a Guardian who went missing four years prior (via Anime News Network).
What is the plot of High Guardian Spice?
"High Guardian Spice" is about four friends who attend High Guardian Academy, a training school for adventurers who become protectors of the city of Lyngarth (via ComicBook.com). As revealed by the trailer, that quartet includes: Rosemary, a justice-minded young girl who's on the Guardian track, but who might be a bit too eager to fight when other solutions are available; Sage, a magic-user from a family of mages who prefers traditional sorcery over "new magic"; Parsley, a skilled and loyal dwarven blacksmith; and Thyme, a gifted elf archer with trust issues.
Overall, the show follows the four friends as they learn to use their powers and combat various monsters and magical entities, like mermaids and fairies. The show will also be just as much about the ups and downs of friendship. Finally, as the show's creator Raye Rodriguez revealed earlier this year, the friends will eventually discover a mysterious power that threatens the entire world. They didn't specify what that is, but we'll find out in just a few more weeks (via ComicBook.com).