# Marvel Anime

Marvel Anime (Japanese: マーベルアニメ, Hepburn: Māberuanime) is a 2010 Japanese superhero anime television series by Madhouse and is based on the Marvel Comics universe. It is an anthology collection consisting of four twelve-episode animated series and two direct-to-video films. The entire series notably depicts Iron Man, Wolverine, Blade, and the members of the X-Men going to Japan.

## Premise

The project reimagined select top Marvel characters and adapts them for a Japanese audience via four 12-part series; Iron Man, Wolverine, X-Men, and Blade, which aired in Japan on Animax between October 2010 and September 2011, and then in the United States on G4 between July 2011 and April 2012. Each of the series largely features Japan as the setting for the storyline.
Wolverine appears in all four of the anime, being a guest star in Iron Man and Blade, with each appearance taking place either before or after his anime.

## Production

The entire series was produced in collaboration between Marvel Entertainment, anime studio Madhouse, and Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan. The announcement was confirmed at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con. According to former Madhouse President and CEO Jungo Maruta, Marvel gave the anime studio free rein to re-imagine the Marvel superheroes for Japanese audiences. The series was guided by writer Warren Ellis. "It will create an entire parallel universe for Marvel," said Simon Philips, president of Marvel International about Marvel Anime.

## Iron Man

Iron Man (アイアンマン, Aian Man) (DVD title: Iron Man: Animated Series; spelled IRONMAN on-screen) is the first show of the series with 12 episodes. The series was directed by Yuzo Sato, with Warren Ellis writing the story and Jamie Simone serving as voice director, casting director, and reversion producer for the English version. A special preview ran on Animax on September 25, 2010, before the series began airing on October 1, 2010, and ended on December 17, 2010. While Iron Man premiered in the US on G4 on July 29, 2011, a "sneak peek" of the first episode aired on July 23, 2011, following G4's Comic-Con 2011 Live coverage. The entire series was released on DVD in the United States on April 24, 2012. It was also released on Blu-ray in Japan on June 22, 2011. A follow-up direct-to-video film called Iron Man: Rise of Technovore was released on April 16, 2013.

### Plot

Tony Stark goes to Japan to produce a new arc reactor power station and showcase the Iron Man Dio, a new prototype armor, that will replace him when he retires. However, the Iron Man Dio goes berserk and it is up to Tony as Iron Man to stop it along with an organization called the Zodiac. Iron Man even gains an ally in JSDF operative Captain Nagato Sakurai piloting the Ramon Zero armor that his military group made for him. Iron Man soon discovers that his old friend Ho Yinsen (who Tony thought was dead upon his first time as Iron Man) is alive and is operating the Iron Man Dio armor for the Zodiac's goals.

### Cast

| Role | Japanese voice actor | English voice actor |
| Iron Man/Tony Stark | Keiji Fujiwara | Adrian Pasdar |
| Iron Man Dio/Ho Yinsen | Hiroaki Hirata | Kyle Hebert |
| Dr. Chika Tanaka | Takako Honda | Laura Bailey |
| Rasetsu/Minister of Defense Kuroda | Unshō Ishizuka | Neil Kaplan |
| Nanami Ōta | Shizuka Itō | Eden Riegel |
| Pepper Potts | Hiroe Oka | Cindy Robinson |
| Ramon Zero/Captain Nagato Sakurai | Jin Yamanoi | Travis Willingham |
| Ichiro Masuda | Tomoyuki Shimura | Benjamin Diskin |
| Editor Nomura | Shinya Fukumatsu | Daran Norris |
| Righella (ep. 4) | Seiji Sasaki | Vic Mignogna |
| Wolverine/Logan (ep. 4) | Rikiya Koyama | Milo Ventimiglia |

## Wolverine

Wolverine (ウルヴァリン, Uruvarin) (DVD title: Wolverine: Animated Series) is the second show of the series with 12 episodes. It aired on Animax between January 7, 2011 and March 25, 2011. While Wolverine premiered in the US on G4 on July 29, 2011, a "sneak peek" of the first episode aired on July 23, 2011, following the Iron Man "sneak peek" and G4's Comic-Con 2011 Live coverage. Jamie Simone served as voice director, casting director, and reversion producer for the English version. The entire series was released on DVD in the United States on July 31, 2012. It was also released on Blu-ray in Japan on June 22, 2011.

### Plot

Logan learns that his true love, beloved sweetheart and girlfriend Mariko Yashida, who disappeared one year ago, has been taken to Tokyo by her father Shingen Yashida, the head of the Japanese crime syndicate Kuzuryu and a supplier of A.I.M., in order to be wed to Hideki Kurohagi, a bloodthirsty yakuza boss. Wolverine goes on a quest to rescue Mariko and defeat Shingen and Hideki, encountering several opponents along the way.

### Cast

| Role | Japanese voice actor | English voice actor |
| Wolverine/Logan | Rikiya Koyama | Milo Ventimiglia |
| Mariko Yashida | Fumiko Orikasa | Gwendoline Yeo |
| Shingen Yashida | Hidekatsu Shibata | Fred Tatasciore |
| Hideki Kurohagi | Kazuki Yao | Vic Mignogna |
| Juo Kurohagi | Shō Hayami | Tony Oliver |
| Yukio | Romi Park | Kate Higgins |
| Omega Red/Arkady Rossovich | Ryūzaburō Ōtomo | JB Blanc |
| Kikyo Mikage | Masato Hagiwara | Steve Blum |
| Vadhaka | Takanori Hoshino | Jamieson Price |
| Min | Misato Fukuen | Danielle Judovits |
| Koh | Iemasa Kayumi | JB Blanc |
| Tesshin Asano | Masaki Terasoma | Crispin Freeman |
| Agent Tsukino | Fumie Mizusawa | Stephanie Sheh |
| Agent Takagi | Hiroshi Tsuchida | Vic Mignogna |
| Agent Machida | Kousuke Takaguchi | Roger Craig Smith |
| Miyuki | Sayuri Yamauchi | Stephanie Sheh |
| Cyclops/Scott Summers (ep. 5 & ep. 6) | Toshiyuki Morikawa | Scott Porter |

## X-Men

X-Men (エックスメン, Ekkusu Men) (DVD title: X-Men: Animated Series) is the third show of the series with 12 episodes. It aired on Animax from April 1, 2011, to June 24, 2011. A preview trailer was released on February 18, 2011, featuring mutants and some from the 20th Century Fox X-Men franchise such as Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, Professor X and Beast. It premiered in the United States on G4 on October 21, 2011. Jamie Simone served as voice director, casting director, and reversion producer for the English version. The entire series was released on DVD in the United States on April 24, 2012. It was also released on Blu-ray in Japan on December 7, 2011.

### Plot

Following the death of Jean Grey (who was being controlled by the Dark Phoenix, due to the sinister influence of the Inner Circle), the X-Men are reassembled by Professor X to travel to Japan following the abduction of Armor and face the U-Men who are abducting young mutants in order to harvest their organs. During their fight with the U-Men, the X-Men discover that some of the mutants in Japan are suffering from the "Damon Hall Syndrome" which causes problems for mutants during their second mutation. The X-Men must also deal with the next plot of the Inner Circle.

### Cast

| Role | Japanese voice actor | English voice actor |
| Cyclops/Scott Summers | Toshiyuki Morikawa | Scott Porter |
| Wolverine/Logan | Rikiya Koyama | Steve Blum |
| Takeo Sasaki | Atsushi Abe | Steve Staley |
| Professor X/Charles Xavier | Katsunosuke Hori | Cam Clarke |
| Storm/Ororo Munroe | Aya Hisakawa | Danielle Nicolet |
| Dark Phoenix/Jean Grey | Yurika Hino | Jennifer Hale |
| Riko Nirasaki | Marina Inoue | Mary Elizabeth McGlynn |
| Mastermind/Jason Wyngarde/Jun Sanada | Tomokazu Seki (Jun Sanada) Haruhiko Jō (Mastermind) | Travis Willingham |
| Kōichi Kaga | Katsuyuki Konishi | Troy Baker |
| Marsh | Yuichi Nakamura | Mary Elizabeth McGlynn |
| Rat | Manabu Sakamaki | Michael Sinterniklaas |
| Yui Sasaki | Yoshiko Sakakibara | Gwendoline Yeo |
| Beast/Hank McCoy | Hideyuki Tanaka | Fred Tatasciore |
| Armor/Hisako Ichiki | Yukari Tamura | Stephanie Sheh |
| Emma Frost | Kaori Yamagata | Ali Hillis |
| Sublime/Jake | Rintaro Nishi | Troy Baker |
| Kick/Todd | Wataru Takagi | Dave Wittenberg |
| Kyoko | Ayumi Fujimura | Laura Bailey |
| Neuron | Yutaka Aoyama | Dave Wittenberg |

## Blade

Blade (ブレイド, Bureido) (DVD title: Blade: Animated Series) is the fourth and final show of the series. Comprising twelve episodes like the others, the story is written by Kenta Fukasaku, son of the late Kinji Fukasaku. Jamie Simone served as casting director, reversion producer, and voice director for the English version where he was assisted by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn. It aired on Animax from July 1, 2011, to September 16, 2011. The entire series was released on DVD in the United States on July 31, 2012. It was also released on Blu-ray in Japan on February 22, 2012.

### Plot

Blade is a "daywalker" vampire hunter who was born with human and vampire blood in his veins after a vampire attacked his mother. Blade is visiting Japan on a mission where he not only confronts Deacon Frost (the vampire who killed his mother Tara Brooks), but also goes up against a mysterious organization of vampires known as "Existence."

### Cast

| Role | Japanese voice actor | English voice actor |
| Blade/Eric Brooks | Akio OhtsukaJunko Minagawa (Young) | Harold PerrineauNoah Bentley (Young) |
| Deacon Frost | Tsutomu Isobe | JB Blanc |
| Lucius Isaac | Hiroki Tōchi | Christopher Corey Smith |
| Makoto | Maaya Sakamoto | Kim Mai Guest |
| Noah van Helsing | Osamu Saka | Troy Baker |
| Captain McRay | Shinpachi Tsuji | Steve Blum |
| Tara Brooks | Atsuko Tanaka | Nayo Wallace |
| Tanaka | Tetsu Shiratori | Michael Sinterniklaas |
| Mattes | Nanaho Katsuragi | Kat Purgal |
| High Council Chairman | Seizo Kato | Neil Kaplan |
| Wolverine/Logan (ep. 7) | Rikiya Koyama | Milo Ventimiglia |
| Kikyo Mikage (ep. 8–9, 12) | Masato Hagiwara | Steve Blum |

## Films

Following the 4 TV series, Madhouse animated different Marvel Anime films.
* The first was Iron Man: Rise of Technovore, a direct-to-video film directed by Hiroshi Hamasaki, which was released on April 16, 2013, in the United States.
* The second was Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher which was released on March 25, 2014, in the United States.

## Other Marvel anime projects

Other anime television series based on Marvel characters have also been produced.

### Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers

Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers is a 2014 anime series produced by Walt Disney Japan and Toei Animation. It follows five children that each gain the ability to summon a specific member of Avengers, who have been trapped in small devices called DISKs, as they travel the world to help the Avengers retrieve other superheroes' and supervillains' DISKs before they are used for evil. The series aired on TX Network and ran for 51 episodes.

### Marvel Future Avengers

Marvel Future Avengers is a 2017 anime series produced by Madhouse and Walt Disney Japan. It follows three children who are rescued from Hydra by the Avengers and trained to become superheroes. The series aired for 39 episodes on the Dlife satellite channel, and was released internationally via Disney+ in 2020.

## Release
### Broadcast

The Marvel Anime series aired in Japan on Animax between October 2010 and September 2011. An English-language version later aired in North America on G4 between July 2011 and April 2012. Additionally, the Marvel Anime series aired in Australia on Sci Fi.