Crunchyroll Announces Streaming Lineup: Rurouni Kenshin, Shadowverse Flame: Seven Shadows Arc, The Duke of Death and His Maid Season 2, and More Anime Titles

Crunchyroll revealed on Wednesday that it is streaming the Rurouni Kenshin, Shadowverse Flame: Seven Shadows Arc, The Duke of Death and His Maid Season 2, and Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai 11 anime for the summer 2023 anime season:

The new television anime of Nobuhiro Watsuki‘s Rurouni Kenshin manga premiered on Fuji TV‘s Noitamina programming block and other venues on Thursday at 25:55 (effectively, Friday at 12:55 a.m. or Thursday at 11:55 a.m. EDT). The anime will run for two consecutive cours (quarter of a year).

The series centers around Kenshin Himura, once a deadly assassin during the Meiji Restoration, who is trying to find a new life beyond violence.

Hideyo Yamamoto (Strike the Blood, Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka, Cells at Work! Code Black) is directing the anime at LIDEN FILMS. Terumi Nishii is designing the characters, and Hideyuki Kurata is in charge of the series scripts. Yū Takami is composing the music. Singer-songwriter Reol performs the ending theme song “Kissaki” (Sword Tip).

Shadowverse Flame, the second anime in Cygames, Inc.’s Shadowverse card battle smartphone game franchise, will premiere the fifth cours (quarters of a year) on Saturday. Crunchyroll will premiere the cours on Friday at 10:30 p.m. EDT.

The Shadowverse Flame anime premiered on TV Tokyo in April 2022. Crunchyroll is streaming the anime as it airs in Japan. The anime’s fourth cours, titled “World Ranking arc,” ended in March with the anime’s overall 50th episode.

The Shadowverse anime features a completely original story, and features anime-only characters. The first season centers on Hiiro Ryūgasaki, a student at Tensei Academy. Through a strange incident, Hiiro obtains a mysterious smartphone. The smartphone has installed the popular digital card game “Shadowverse.” Through the game Hiiro meets rivals, participates in tournaments, and forms bonds with others.

The second season depicts the coming of age of the protagonist Light Tenryū and his friends via the Shadowverse.

The second season of the television anime of Koharu Inoue‘s The Duke of Death and His Maid (Shinigami Bocchan to Kuro Maid) manga will debut on Sunday.
The staff of the anime describes the season:

“Kill anyone he touches”… A young noble boy, “Bocchan” was once bewitched.
He has always been rejected because of the curse but he has never been lonely.
He was supported by his maid Alice and an old butler Rob who has been taking care of Bocchan since he was little. Recently he made a witch friend and his rather distant relationship with his own family has improved a little. But he still can’t figure it out because he has no clue how he lift the curse that will allow him to touch someone who he loves…
But finally, Bocchan and Alice start to figure out how to solve the situation and their destiny has moved dramatically. They can’t touch each other even if they want to… the romance story between two begins now!

The television anime’s first season premiered in Japan in July 2021, and aired for 12 episodes. Funimation streamed the anime as it aired in Japan.

Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai 11, the 11th season of the Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories anime, will premiere on Sunday.
The original Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories series of anime shorts featured six-minute horror stories based on urban legends in a modern day setting. The shorts draw inspiration from Shōwa-era illustrated paper theater (kamishibai) productions.

The anime’s first season premiered in July 2013, and the 10th and most recent season premiered in January 2022. The project inspired a spinoff, The World Yamizukan, in spring 2017. Crunchyroll streamed the previous seasons and The World Yamizukan as they aired. The anime also inspired the Ninja Collection spinoff anime. The anime premiered in July 2020. Crunchyroll streamed the anime as it aired in Japan. Anime studios ILCA and yell reunited for the original television anime series KJ File in July 2022.

Source: Crunchyroll (Kyle Cardine)