Fans of the fantasy/ecchi manga Mato Seihei no Slave — known as Mabotai or Chained Soldier — got an announcemnt of an anime currently in the works. As of now, there is no set release date, but given that the manga is releasing on paperback for English readers this summer, it’s likely that there might be a coinciding anime debut.
Animation for the production will be led by Seven Arcs — known for their recent work on Blue Period. The current PV may not give much of a hint about the animation quality, but it does feature what may be one of the songs in the series as well as some reassurance that the adaptation will be faithful to the manga.
As of now, the known cast list is as follows:
- Akari Kitou as Kyouka Uzen
- Yuuya Hirose as Yuuki Wakura
- Yume Miyamoto as Himari Azuma
- Hina Tachibana as Nei Ookawamura
- Mari Hino as Shushu Suruga
- Maaya Uchida as Tenka Izumo
- Nene Hieda as Yachiho Azuma
- Reina Ueda as Sahara Wakasa
What is the premise of Mato Seihei no Slave?
In the year 2020, the world is split into an extreme gender divide. Women are given more opportunities and better services while men are forced into service roles. Despite feeling powerless in society, Yuuki Wakura can’t help but question the way of the world — wondering if there is more to life than what is expected.
After a mysterious mist takes over the streets of Tokyo, Yuuki finds himself trapped in another world known as Mato. Years prior, a portal to Mato had been opened and explorers were able to locate a mysterious fruit that gave special abilities only to women. Yuuki is immediately fearful as Mato is also home to a host of threatening beasts. And not only that, five years prior, his sister went missing in Mato.
Before he can check his surroundings, Yuuki is accosted by one of the fields in the mysterious land. And he assumes all is lost before a member of the Anti-demon Corps arrives. Having eaten one of Mato’s magical peaches, the members of the Anti-demon Corps are the only ones with the strength to take out the world’s monsters.
While fending off the fiends, the Anti-demon Corps member introduces herself as Kyouka Uzen. She may seem all-powerful to Yuuki, but despite eating one of the peaches, Kyouka has had to deal with her peers calling her power useless. But that doesn’t stop her from trying to prove others wrong.
Turning to Yuuki, she asks if he’ll join her in taking down the monsters threatening their return back to the real world. Immediately, he’s excited to help until he learns the nature of her power. She’s able to unlock the strength of others provided she takes the person on as her slave.
Two characters who want to prove themselves and go beyond what the world around them expects, Yuuki and Kyouka make for an interesting team. But whether they’ll be able to work together effectively to return home to Tokyo? Fans will have to wait for the anime to find out! (Or read the manga while they wait.)
How can I read Mato Seihei no Slave on the Jump+ app?
For Japanese readers, Chained Soldier (Mabotai) is available on the Jump+ website. The first chapter along with the latest is available for free, but many cost points which can be purchased from the site. While there’s a convenient way for Japanese readers to enjoy reading the manga, the same can’t be said for English readers.
As of now, there is no official way to read Chained Soldier in English. But since the first volume of the manga is set to release in paperback on June 21st, there’s a chance that a digital version may come to Shueisha’s international app Manga Plus.
Manga Plus is an online manga platform that allows fans outside of Japan to enjoy their favorite big-name series such as One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, and My Hero Academia. Unfortunately, due to licensing reasons, many series are incomplete. That said, it’s a convenient way to keep up to date with many series for free and from an official source.
Currently, the Manga Plus app is running a promotion that allows new readers to check out simulrelease titles (series currently ongoing in Japan) for free! From now until the end of the year, readers can view all chapters of a series for one time only. After reading a chapter, it will no longer be available again for free.
The opening and ending chapters of a series are also available free for an unlimited time so now’s the perfect chance to catch up on an extensive roster of Shonen Jump manga. With Chained Soldier potentially releasing this year, it’s all the more likely that the title may appear on the platform in the future.