On October 16, 2022, the production team behind the upcoming Chained Soldier (都精兵のスレイブ, Mato Seihei no Slave) anime adaptation revealed that Akari Kitou will perform the OP theme song for the series. No additional information was made available on the occasion, so stay tuned for further announcements.
Mato Seihei no Slave will premiere in 2023. The exact release window is still unknown, so we’ll have to wait for additional info as well.
The Chained Soldier staff and cast
Mato Seihei no Slave (also known as Mabotai in Japan) is being produced by Studio Seven Arcs (Blue Period).
The staff members include:
- Junji Nishimura (Vlad Love) — chief director
- Gorō Kuji (Bungo to Alchemist) — director
- Hiroyuki Yoshii (Just Because!) — character designer
- Kaoru Nishimura (Dances with the Dragons) — color designer
- Ryota Kanō, Akira Kindaichi — scriptwriters
The cast is, as follows:
- Yūya Hirose — Yūki Wakura
- Akari Kitō — Kyōka Uzen
- Yume Miyamoto — Himari Azuma
- Hina Tachibana — Nei Ookawamura
- Mari Hino — Shushu Suruga
- Maaya Uchida — Tenka Izumo
- Nene Hieda — Yachiho Azuma
- Reina Ueda — Sahara Wakasa
Character designs for the two main leads — Yūki Wakura and Kyōka Uzen— were revealed on July 30. Character designs for supporting characters (Himari Azuma, Shushu Suruga, and Nei Ōkawamura) were released on Aug 29.
The Chained Soldier anime adaptation was reported in early April 2022.
About the Chained Soldier manga
The Mato Seihei no Slave anime is inspired by the eponymous isekai manga series written by Takahiro and illustrated by Yohei Takemura. The manga has been serialized via Shueisha’s Shōnen Jump+ online platform since January 5, 2019.
The individual chapters have been collected into eleven tankōbon volumes as of September 2, 2022.
The plot centers on Yūki Wakura, a youth who finds himself in another world. This parallel world (known as Mato) is inhabited by fearful monsters, a.k.a. Shuuki. A mysterious fruit called Peach that’s plentiful in Mato gives supernatural powers to women who eat them.
Simply put, the manga is set in a matriarchal society and poor Yūki needs to adapt fast in order to survive.
Fortunately, he encounters Kyōka Uzen, the commander of the 7th squad of the Demon Defense Force. Kyōka has the ability to enslave Shuuki but she’s in dire need of some help. Therefore, she asks Yūki for permission to enslave him in exchange for some benefits.
There’s an additional twist to the story — namely, Yūki’s sister had gone missing in Mato years before he found himself in the same world. Obviously, he needs some help, too.
Where to read the Chained Soldier manga online
As mentioned above, Chained Soldier is available via the Jump+ website. Good news, to be sure, but only for the Japanese fans of the series.
For an English edition, there are paperbacks and digital downloads available.
Yen Press has licensed the series; only two volumes are available as of October 4, 2022, so keep an eye on the developments!