Adult Swim’s Japanese animation programming block, Toonami released a trailer for the action anime coming in 2025, Lazarus and it looks incredibly exciting.

First of all, the plot seems intriguing. In the near future (2052) a sort of miracle “vaccine” is created, Lazarus, but as it turns out, it is too good to be true. Everyone who took this Lazarus is going to drop dead in three years time. Hmmmm.

Now it is a race against time for ex-con Alex Gilberto and a specially-assembled team to find those who took this drug to prevent this global disaster from happening: That alone makes this sound exciting, but the big announcement was the director behind it Shinichirō Watanabe. Watanabe is best known for one of the greatest mature animes ever created in my opinion, Cowboy Bebop. This is his first big directing stint since his fun “girl in the big city” rock-and-roll series Carole & Tuesday.

So far, I haven’t heard any announcements for an English language cast, but the action sequences are going to dominate. This is due to another name attached to the series, former stuntman and filmmaker Chad Stahelski, who has been put in charge of the action sequences. Stahelski was a stunt double for Keanu Reeves in The Matrix and Brandon Lee in The Crow, but now he is best known as director of all four John Wick films.

If Watanabe is involved, you know the music is going to be good, and a this one has award-winning American jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington behind it, teaming up with British electronic artist Samuel Shephard (aka Floating Points), and jazzy LA-based British DJ/producer Simon Green (aka Bonobo). Washington has worked with with pretty much everyone in the business, but his 2018 single “Street Fighter Mas” will give you a good idea of his vibe.

Finally, the animation studio behind it MAPPA, and anime lovers know their work well. Chainsaw Man, Attack on Titan and Jujustu Kaisen are only three of their hits. If this roster of names is any indiction. Lazarus might be the anime to watch next year. I know, at least, I’ll be tuning in.

The exact release date for Lazarus is still to be announced, but I will be on the lookout. It should be wild journey.