The production of the Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice game’s anime adaptation, SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT, will be completed soon, according to Shun Fukudome, who heads the anime’s production studio, Qzil.la.
Fukudome attended ANIAFF (Aichi-Nagoya International Animation Film Festival) alongside SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT director Kenichi Kutsuna, screenwriter Takuya Sato, and Tetsushi Suzuki, president and representative director of production company ARCH.
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Kutsuna discussed his work history, inspirations, and approach to the artwork; Sato shared how he joined the series and his trust in Kutsuna; and Fukudome described the anime as “impressive” and having an “edge.” You can read Comic Natalie’s coverage of the SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT event at ANIAFF here.
Another ANIAFF-related interview that attracted attention recently was Taro Maki’s sit-down with ITmedia. As an anime producer, Maki was involved in In This Corner of the World, Millennium Actress, Kino’s Journey, Patlabor, PLUTO, and Serial Experiments Lain. He currently serves as the president of the notable production company GENCO, and told ITmedia why he believes the Japanese anime industry often plays it safe with its projects.
You can check out the staff list for SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT here. It’s being produced by Kadokawa, Crunchyroll, Qzil.la (pronounced ‘Kujira‘), and ARCH. The anime faced heavy scrutiny over unsubstantiated claims that it used generative AI in its production, owing to Qzil.la’s association with the technology and a drawing error in the trailer. The production committee states that it was fully hand-drawn in its statement here.
SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT premieres in 2026; its format (TV, OVA, movie) is unconfirmed. It adapts FromSoftware’s bestselling Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice game, described on Steam:
In Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice you are the ‘one-armed wolf’, a disgraced and disfigured warrior rescued from the brink of death. Bound to protect a young lord who is the descendant of an ancient bloodline, you become the target of many vicious enemies, including the dangerous Ashina clan. When the young lord is captured, nothing will stop you on a perilous quest to regain your honor, not even death itself.
Explore late 1500s Sengoku Japan, a brutal period of constant life and death conflict, as you come face to face with larger than life foes in a dark and twisted world. Unleash an arsenal of deadly prosthetic tools and powerful ninja abilities while you blend stealth, vertical traversal, and visceral head to head combat in a bloody confrontation.
Take Revenge. Restore Your Honor. Kill Ingeniously.
Source: ANIAFF, via Comic Natalie
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