Suikoden: The Anime
More actions
Suikoden: The Anime is a television anime adaptation of Suikoden II, produced by KONAMI animation as the studio's first TV anime series. In Japan the series is titled アニメ「幻想水滸伝 (Anime "Gensōsuikoden"). English materials use the title Suikoden: The Anime.[1][2][3]
It is an animated retelling of the Dunan Unification War, centred on the hero Riliu, his best friend Jowy, and Nanami. Broadcast began on October 3rd, 2026, with a 60-minute first episode, and is scheduled to run for two consecutive cours through March 2027 on TOKYO MX, Kansai TV, BS Asahi, and 30 other stations (32 in total), with streaming starting the same day.[4][5][6]
The series is animated by KONAMI animation in conjunction with NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan, with Satō Yūzō (credited as YUZO) as director and Tsuchiya Michihiro as series composer.[1][7]
Overview
The official tagline is 「その強さがあれば、すべてを守れると思った。」 ("I thought if I was that strong, I could protect everyone.").[1][8]
Two young boys... the hero, Riliu, and his best friend Jowy, were members of a youth brigade of their home nation, the Highland Kingdom - a powerful military nation located in the north-east of the Dunan region.
The two of them looked up at the same starry skies, slept in the same tent, and believed in the same future. Once the fighting was over, and the night ended, their daily lives were sure to return.
Contrary to their hopes, the two boys become swept up in the whirlpool of fate, guided by the flames of war.
The powerless boys reached for, and grasped immense power. As the 108 stars shine brightly in the murky horizon, the boys step forward, each with their own beliefs for an answer-less question.[2]
Episodes
| Episode # | Title | Broadcast Date |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Hometown 故郷, Furusato |
October 3, 2026 |
| Riliu awakes in the Mercenary Fortress after he and Jowy leap from atop Tenzan Pass, convinced their captain, Rowd, has sold Highland out to the City-States of Jowston. Jowy awakens in Toto Village and bonds with a girl, Pilika, while searching for clues on Riliu's whereabouts.
Jowy and Riliu manage to escape the Mercenary Fortress and with the help of Eilie, Rina, and Bolgan, return to Kyaro Town. Arrested and prepared for execution, the Mercenary Fortress crew arrived to rescue the duo and return to the Mercenary Fortress, along with Nanami and Mukumuku. Luca Blight prepares for war, his false flag attack having forced King Agares Blight's hand. | ||
Production
The adaptation was announced on March 4th, 2025, during the first official programme Gensōsuikoden Live, as KONAMI animation's first television series. KONAMI IP producer Naitō Rui described the HD remaster of Suikoden I and Suikoden II as the first step in reviving the franchise, and the anime as a second step meant to give both long-time fans and new audiences a way into the story, without shifting the axis of the late Murayama Yoshitaka's original work.[3][8]
NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan producer Hino Ryō said Suikoden II should be the first game in the series adapted, because of the universal dramatic core around the hero, Jowy, and Nanami, and because the setting's mix of cultures, humans, and demi-humans cooperating toward one goal could travel globally.[8] Satō, whose previous work includes the Netflix series exception and MUTEKING THE Dancing HERO, said the first priority was to respect the original, while still letting viewers with no series knowledge enter the world quickly. He also said the anime would show not only what players experienced in the game, but what was happening behind those scenes, and that war sequences would be depicted as thoroughly as possible using KONAMI animation's strengths.[8]
On the question of the 108 Stars, Satō told Famitsu that giving every recruit spoken lines would be difficult, but that the staff hoped to feature characters in some form in the opening, ending, or eyecatches. The story was not expected to use the game's party-building structure; characters would instead appear in the places they belong. Hino added that Riliu, Jowy, and Nanami would remain the dramatic axis, with further Stars chosen according to their roles in that story.[8]
A 2026 broadcast window and the first image visual were revealed on August 5th, 2025, on Gensōsuikoden Live vol. 3. Test footage shown there included a CG forest scene (used for storyboards, direction, and layout) and motion-capture for action, performed by motion actor Sugiguchi Hideki. The same stream opened the anime's official X account, @Suikoden_anime, and the campaign hashtag #アニメ幻水.[9]
October 2026 was locked in on March 5th, 2026, alongside the first PV and a large cast reveal.[10] At AnimeJapan 2026 (March 29th), a fourth image visual and further casting were unveiled on the WHITE STAGE, with a second talk held at the NBCUniversal booth.[11]
Naitō had already said the anime would finish Riliu and Jowy's story and would not fit in a single cour. That length was made official on September 20th, 2026, during Gensōsuikoden Live at TGS2026: two consecutive cours running through March 2027, still centred on the two leads in the time available.[5][6]
Cast Members
Official character notes below follow Japanese press profiles where those have been published.[10][11][12]
| Character | Voice Actor | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Riliu | Kumagai Toshiki | Unicorn youth brigade soldier from Kyaro |
| Jowy | Tsuchiya Shinba | Riliu's childhood friend; also in the Unicorn Brigade |
| Nanami | Hinohara Ayumi | Riliu's adoptive older sister |
| Viktor | Konishi Katsuyuki | Boisterous mercenary fighting for the City-State of Jowston |
| Flik | Nakamura Yuichi | Swordsman known for his blue cloak |
| Luca Blight | Yashiro Taku | Highland prince and commander of the First Army; feared as the "Mad Prince" |
| Jillia Blight | Anzai Chika | Highland princess; conflicts with the costs of her brother's war |
| Culgan | Kasama Jun | Tactician of Highland's Fourth Army |
| Seed | Matsuoka Yoshitsugu | Warrior of Highland's Fourth Army |
| Rowd | Mine Akihiro | Captain of the Unicorn Brigade; ambitious and money-minded |
| Pilika | Chikasada Tsukino | Kind girl from Toto, in Muse's territory; grows close to Jowy |
| Leknaat | Han Megumi | Bearer of one of the 27 True Runes, the Gate Rune |
| Luc | Murase Ayumu | Leknaat's disciple; also voices Luc in Suikoden STAR LEAP |
| Shu | Otsuka Takeo | Strategist; former top student of Mathiu, later a trader in Radat |
| Apple | Aoyama Yoshino | Young strategist; Mathiu's student and Shu's junior |
| Mukumuku | Niwa Masato | Flying squirrel from the forests of Greenhill; old friend of Riliu |
| Gengen | Hayama Shota | |
| Rikimaru | Watanuki Ryūnosuke | |
| Rina | Saya Hitomi | |
| Eilie | Umino Mizutama | |
| Bolgan | Sasaki Yūsuke | |
| Anabelle | Sawashiro Miyuki | Mayor of Muse and leader of the City-State of Jowston |
| Jess | Sakai Kōdai | Vice-mayor serving under Anabelle |
| Agares Blight | Yamanoi Jin | King of Highland |
Anime Staff
| Role | Staff |
|---|---|
| Original Work | Konami Digital Entertainment |
| Chief Director | YUZO |
| Series Composition | Tsuchiya Michihiro |
| Game Character Design | Ishikawa Fumi (Konami Digital Entertainment) |
| Anime Character Design Basis | Suzuki Arata (Konami Digital Entertainment) |
| Anime Character Design | Yamauchi Ryo |
| Sound Director | Iwanami Yoshikazu |
| Music | Nakamura Koji |
| Planning | NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan |
| Production Producer | Hino Ryō (NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan) |
| IP Producer | Naitō Rui (Konami Digital Entertainment) |
| Production & Produce | KONAMI animation |
| Production Committee | Suikoden: The Anime Project アニメ「幻想水滸伝」製作委員会 |
Music
Opening
Songwriter Akita Hiromu wrote that he once identified with the young people fighting bravely, and only later saw the story as one of children pulled into war against their will. The title is meant as a theme for youths who keep fighting while being toyed with by fate.[13][14]
The song was first heard in the second PV, released on July 5th, 2026.[15]
Ending
- Koji Nakamura — 「closed eye sun (feat. たかはしほのか)」 (Sony Music Labels)[4][14]
- Lyrics: Takahashi Honoka (Legal Lily)
- Composition: Koji Nakamura
- Arrangement: Koji Nakamura, Hiyama Gō[16]
Nakamura also composes the series score. Takahashi Honoka (Legal Lily) wrote the lyrics and sings the track; digital release is scheduled for October 4th, 2026, the day after the television premiere. A preview plays in the third PV.[4][16]
Broadcast and streaming
The first episode is a 60-minute extended special. On TOKYO MX, episode 2 does not air in the following Tuesday slot; October 6th is instead a Gensōsuikoden series special programme, with weekly episodes beginning October 13th.[4][17]
| Station | Episode 1 | From episode 2 |
|---|---|---|
| TOKYO MX | October 3rd, 2026 (Saturday) 20:00 | Tuesdays 23:30 from October 13th October 6th: series special programme |
| Kansai TV (関西テレビ) | October 6th, 2026 (Tuesday) 25:34 JST | Tuesdays 25:19 JST from October 13th |
| BS Asahi | Fridays 23:30 from October 9th, 2026 | Same slot |
The remaining stations begin around October 6th, mostly in late-night Tuesday slots. The official list is: HTB Hokkaido, ABA Aomori, Iwate Menkoi TV, TBC, AAB Akita, YBC Yamagata, FTV Fukushima, Tochigi TV, Gunma TV, NST Niigata, KNB, Ishikawa TV, Fukui TV, YBS Yamanashi, NBS Nagano, SBS, Nagoya TV (Me-Tele), TSK San-in Chūō, RNC, Hiroshima TV, KRY Yamaguchi, JRT Shikoku, Nankai Broadcasting, RKC Kōchi, TNC TV Nishinippon, KTN Nagasaki, RKK Kumamoto, OBS Ōita, and KTS Kagoshima.[17][4]
Streaming on Japanese platforms begins after 20:00 JST on October 3rd, 2026, including Amazon Prime Video, U-NEXT, Anime Hōdai, FOD, ABEMA, Lemino, Hulu, WOWOW On Demand, d Anime Store (and its Prime Video, Niconico, and LINE Manga storefronts), Bandai Channel, J:COM STREAM, TELASA, milplus, Niconico, DMM TV, AnimeFesta, TVer, Video Market, music.jp, Kantare Dōga, and HAPPY! Videos.[4][16]
Starting from 28th September, a number of International streaming platforms have announced they would add the anime to their catalogue: Ani-One Asia [18], ADN [19].
On October 3rd, the Official English Anime YouTube channel launched [20]. Episodes will be available to watch for free weekly on the channel in North America, South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Ireland, starting on October 6th.
Related media
Theatrical preview
Episodes 1–3 received a two-week premium theatrical screening from August 21st, 2026, at ten cinemas: Sapporo Cinema Frontier, Shinjuku Piccadilly, MOVIX Saitama, Yokohama Burg 13, Midland Square Cinema, MOVIX Kyoto, Osaka Station City Cinema, Namba Parks Cinema, MOVIX Hiroshima Station, and T-Joy Hakata. Attendees received a random character-line sticker (eight designs: Riliu, Jowy, Nanami, Viktor, Flik, Luc, Luca Blight, Jillia Blight) with a theatre-exclusive voice clip.[15][21]
A stage greeting was held at Shinjuku Piccadilly on August 23rd, 2026, with Kumagai Toshiki, Tsuchiya Shinba, Hinohara Ayumi, Konishi Katsuyuki, and Nakamura Yuichi.[15]
Manga
A lead-in comic, 幻想水滸伝 The Anime ～本物の英雄～ (Gensōsuikoden The Anime: The Real Hero), drawn by Kochiya, began in Comic Dengeki Daioh-ji VOL.155 (July 27th, 2026) as the cover and centre-colour feature. It also runs on Kadokawa's Kadocomi / Comic Walker and Niconico Seiga. VOL.157 used the series on the reverse of a double cover for the magazine's 13th anniversary.[22][4]
Suikoden STAR LEAP
At TGS 2026, Konami announced a collaboration with Suikoden STAR LEAP. A login bonus distributing anime Nanami as an SSR unit was scheduled from September 30th, 2026. An in-game event in late November 2026 is described as a prequel set on the day before the anime's story begins, focusing on Riliu and Jowy.[23]
Stage
The same TGS programme announced a two-part stage adaptation of Suikoden II. The first part, 舞台「幻想水滸伝-デュナン統一戦争篇-', is scheduled for July 2027 in Tokyo (Theatre H, July 3rd–19th) and Osaka (Sky Theatre MBS, July 24th–25th), with Kumagai Toshiki reprising Riliu. Script and direction are by Nakayashiki Norihito.[23][6]
Gallery
Image visual
-
Suikoden The Anime First Visual (Riliu and Jowy at the Unicorn Brigade camp, the night before the game begins)
-
Suikoden The Anime Second Visual
-
Suikoden The Anime Third Visual
-
Suikoden The Anime Fourth Visual (Riliu and Jowy confronted by Luca Blight; unveiled at AnimeJapan 2026)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpeg)
Character art
-
Riliu artwork
-
Jowy artwork
-
Nanami artwork
-
Viktor artwork
-
Flik artwork
-
Luca Blight artwork
-
Jillia Blight artwork
-
Culgan artwork
-
Seed artwork
-
Rowd artwork
-
Pilika artwork
-
Leknaat artwork
-
Luc artwork
-
Shu artwork
-
Apple artwork
-
Mukumuku artwork
-
Gengen artwork
-
Rikimaru artwork
-
Rina artwork
-
Eilie artwork
-
Bolgan artwork
-
Anabelle artwork
-
Jess artwork
-
Agares Blight artwork
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.png)
.png)
.png)
Trivia
- The first image visual features exactly 108 stars in the night sky. Naitō Rui and Satō Yūzō pointed this out on Gensōsuikoden Live vol. 3.[9]
- KONAMI animation's earlier Suikoden work includes the original animation music video bundled with the Symphonic Poem from Gensōsuikoden concert Blu-ray; the TV series is the studio's first weekly anime.[8][3]
- The official Japanese title does not include the English subtitle "The Anime"; that form is used on the English site and in some overseas materials.[1][2]
External links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 アニメ「幻想水滸伝」公式サイト
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Suikoden: The Anime official English site
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 公式番組「幻想水滸伝Live」でアニメ化・モバイルゲーム制作・舞台化・コミカライズなどの新情報を本日発表！！, Konami Digital Entertainment, March 4th, 2025.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 アニメ『幻想水滸伝』初回第1話60分SPは10/3に放送開始！, Dengeki Online, September 18th, 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 アニメ『幻想水滸伝』2027年3月までの連続2クールに。, Famitsu, September 20th, 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 「幻想水滸伝 STAR LEAP」第3章が9月24日に配信決定, GAME Watch, September 20th, 2026.
- ↑ Suikoden: The Anime announcement [1]
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 『幻想水滸伝2』がアニメ化。, Famitsu, March 4th, 2025.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 アニメ『幻想水滸伝』2026年放送決定。, Famitsu, August 5th, 2025.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 アニメ『幻想水滸伝』10月より放送開始。, Famitsu, March 5th, 2026.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 アニメ『幻想水滸伝』に笠間淳、松岡禎丞、潘めぐみなど豪華声優が出演決定！, Dengeki Online, March 29th, 2026.
- ↑ アニメ『幻想水滸伝』｜放送日・あらすじ・キャスト・声優まとめ, ORICON NEWS.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 オープニング主題歌がamazarashiの新曲『悲しみさえ大人びて』に決定, amazarashi official site, July 5th, 2026.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 MUSIC｜アニメ「幻想水滸伝」公式サイト
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 アニメ『幻想水滸伝』amazarashiによるOP主題歌が聴ける第2弾PV公開！, Dengeki Online, July 5th, 2026.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 アニメ『幻想水滸伝』初回放送は10月3日からスタート。, 電撃 – ファミ通.com / denfaminico gamer, September 18th, 2026.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 ON AIR｜アニメ「幻想水滸伝」公式サイト
- ↑ | Ani-One Asia YouTube post
- ↑ | ADN France and Polish catalogues
- ↑ | Suikoden: the Anime | Official English YouTube channel
- ↑ 【10月放送】アニメ『幻想水滸伝』キービジュアルが公開。, Dengeki Online, August 3rd, 2026.
- ↑ アニメ「幻想水滸伝」の先行コミカライズ版が、電撃だいおうじでスタート
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 『幻想水滸伝 STAR LEAP』の新章が9月24日に配信決定！, Konami Digital Entertainment via PR TIMES, September 20th, 2026.