HIDIVE has revealed several anime streaming announcements at its Anime Weekend Atlanta 2022 industry panel. They include its streaming plans for the Giant Beasts of Ars anime series this upcoming Winter 2023, as well as the license acquisitions of The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes, Mirage QUEEN Prefers Circus, and Uta No☆Prince-sama Maji LOVE ST☆RISH TOURS.  

Earlier this week, HIDIVE also confirmed the upcoming premiere of the original anime LUPIN ZERO, which will be screened in November at Anime NYC 2022. 

Giant Beasts of Ars is a co-production between Japanese eCommerce brand DMM.com and HIDIVE. The anime series will premiere in January 2023 as part of the streaming platform’s winter anime lineup. 

The production staff includes Akira Oguro (Namuamida Butsu! Rendai Utena, Final Fantasy Legends: Hikari to Yami no Senshi character designer) as director with Norimitsu Kaihou (Akudama Drive co-series composer) as series screenwriter and scriptwriter. Illustrator Ashito Ooyari is serving as the original character designer, with Hiroshi Shimizu (Megalo Box) and Masato Katou (Peach Boy Riverside co-character designer) as series character designers. Shuuji Katayama (Overlord IV) and Akinari Suzuki (Bakugan: Evolution) are composing the musical score. Asahi Production is in charge of the anime production for the anime. 

The voice cast for Giant Beasts of Ars includes Hina Youmiya as Kumi, Toshiyuki Morikawa as Jiro, Yuu Serizawa as Mia, Hiromu Mineta as Meran, and Youko Hikasa as Romana.HIDIVE describes the series as: 

The great beasts created the land, but humans stole it. Angered, the beasts began eating humans, who in turn called upon the gods to fight the beasts. In the age of the sword, heroes and mythology, giant beasts are hunted by humans for profit. Jiro, who makes his living hunting beasts, encounters Kuumi, who is being chased by someone, and in that moment decides to save her. As rumors spread regarding humanity and a mysterious experiment, together they seek to discover the world’s secrets.

The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes will stream on HIDIVE after its theatrical release in North America sometime in the first quarter of 2023. It originally premiered in Japan on September 9, 2022. It is an animated film based on the award-winning 2019 light novel by Mei Hachimoku. 

Tomohisa Taguchi (Akudama Drive and Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War Arc director) is directing and writing the film. Tomomi Yabuki (Pompo: The Cinephile co-sub character designer) is serving as the character designer and chief animation director, Saori Gouda (Princess Connect! Re:Dive Season 2) as color designer, Yuuki Hatakeyama (Summer Time Render co-art director) and Daiki Kuribayashi (Toilet-bound Hanako-kun) as art directors, Kou Hoshina (Pompo the Cinephile co-photography director) as photography director, and Harumi Fuuki (The Deer King) as music composer.

Other staff members include Kanji Miyake (Pompo: The Cinéphile assistant director) as unit director and Seiji Tachikawa (Idolish Seven Third Beat!), Tomomi Yabuki (“Mado wo Akete” music video), Michio Hasegawa (Shadows House), and Yasuhisa Katou (Pompo the Cinephile) as animation directors. CLAP is the animation production company for the film.  

The voice cast is headlined by Ouji Suzuka as Kaoru Tono, Marie Iitoyo as Anzu Hanashiro, Tasuku Hatanaka as Syohei Kaga, Arisa Komiya as Koharu Kawasaki, Haruka Terui as Hamamoto, Rikiya Koyama as Kaoru’s father, and Seiran Kobayashi as Karen Tono.

The synopsis is described by HIDIVE as: 

Urashima Tunnel – Once you enter that tunnel, you can get whatever you want, but at a price. Kaoru Tohno, who seems to have an elusive personality and traumatic past, and Anzu Hanashiro, who is struggling to reconcile her ideal image and true-to-heart attitude, team up to investigate the Urashima Tunnel and get what they want. This is an unforgettable summer story of nostalgia and sprinting in a remote countryside.

Mirage QUEEN Prefers Circus (also known in Japanese as Kaitou Queen wa Circus ga Osuki) is a 2022 60-minute OVA that will be streamed on HIDIVE sometime in 2023. It originally premiered in Japanese theaters on June 17, 2022 and is based on the first book of Kaoru Hayamine’s novel series. 

Saori Den (Recovery of An MMO Junkie assistant director) is directing the OVA while Mariko Kunisawa (Ascendance of a Bookworm) is serving as screenwriter. Kumiko Kawashima (Assault Lily: Bouquet animation director) is the character designer and Moe Hyuuga (If My Favorite Pop Idol Made It to the Budokan, I Would Die) is composing the musical score. East Fish Studio is in charge of the animation production. 

The voice cast consists of Yuuga Yamato as Queen, Kazuki Katou as Joker, Yuuma Uchida as RD, Toshiyuki Morikawa as White Face, Makoto Furukawa as Shamon Saitou, Yuri Noguchi as Silver Cat Hitomi, Hinata Tadokoro as Jean-Paul, Yuusuke Shirai as Styley Inoue, Natsu Yorita as Beast, Hironori Kondou as Prism Prism, Hiromichi Tezuka as Joe Sesame, Shinya Takahashi as Rocketman, Yuuya Hirose as Koutarou Saionji, Ayaka Shimizu as Mari Itou, Jin Urayama as Inspector Jouetsu, and Kento Itou as Shintarou Iwashimizu. 

HIDIVE describes Mirage QUEEN Prefers Circus as: 

They always steal the prey they aim for. That is Phantom Thief Queen. Gender, age, nationality unknown. Together with their partner Joker, RD, they travel around the world on the airship Troubadour. This time, the Queen is aiming for a cursed jewel, the legendary Rose of Linden. A hypnotist, an acrobat, a magician…the talented circus members challenge the Queen! What is their purpose? In order to get back the jewel, the Queen stands up to the challenge in a bold and brilliant way (or disguise). Nothing is impossible for the Queen!

Uta No☆Prince-sama Maji LOVE ST☆RISH TOURS will be released in North America in the first quarter of 2023, before being released for streaming on HIDIVE later on. It originally premiered in Japan on September 2, 2022. 

The production team includes Chika Nagaoka (Uta no Prince-sama: Maji Love Kingdom) as director, Chinatsu Kurahana (Samurai Flamenco) as original character designer, and Maki Fujioka (Sailor Moon Eternal) as the film’s character designer and chief animation director. Broccoli and Noriyasu Agematsu (Visual Prison) are credited with the original work. Elements Garden is composing the musical score with A-1 Pictures handling the animation production.  

HIDIVE describes the anime film as: 

With the great success of “Maji LOVE LIVE Kingdom”, the members of ST☆RISH have been busy with their idol activities. However, while their success has brought a sense of fulfillment, they began to have feelings they never felt before. “What do we do from now on…” At that time, a call comes in from the Shining Office summoning everyone to receive a “reward.” What is it…? This is the behind-the-scenes story of ST☆RISH, connecting “Maji LOVE Kingdom” to the “Maji LOVE ST☆RISH Tours.”

Source: press release