Aniplex just dropped the Promotion File 003: Bunker trailer for the TV anime adaption of the NieR:Automata game. This incredibly brief trailer of the upcoming NieR:Automata Ver1.1a anime gives us a glimpse of what to expect.
In this trailer, we see Commander White, who’s rather stern and fires orders. We only see a few close-up shots of this character, then a space station with the starting date revealed, which is January 2023.
But why should we be excited? Well, it’s an adaptation of the popular action RPG developed by PlatinumGames of Bayonetta fame and initially published by Square Enix on February 23, 2017, for the PlayStation 4 in Japan. It eventually came out in other territories and platforms, such as the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Windows PC (available on the Microsoft Store and Steam).
Interestingly, the Nintendo Switch version launched recently on October 6, 2022. It reportedly runs incredibly smoothly on such an underpowered and dated system, so it was well worth the wait!
However, what every fan of NieR:Automata will want to know — will this anime adaption do the series justice? At this point, we can’t make a value judgment since we have so little to go on.
Back in February 2022, we covered the announcement project trailer and concept art, yet even that didn’t reveal enough. But since A-1 Pictures of 86 and Sword Art Online fame will handle animation production, it should turn out decent, at the very least.
NieR:Automata anime TV key visual revealed
The key visual features Commander White with several of her operators:
Who are the staff behind this NieR:Automata anime adaptation?
Several key staff from the original game return to work on this adaptation. These include Ryoji Masuyama as director, Yoko Taro / Ryoji Masuyama for series composition, Jun Nakai as the character designer and art director, and MONACA does the music.
And the Japanese voice staff thus far includes the following:
- Yui Ishikawa as 2B
- Natsuki Hanae as 9S
- Hiroki Yasumoto as Pod 042
- Kaoru Akiyama as Pod 153
- Chiaki Kanou as Commander White
- Keiko Isobe as Operator 6O
- Meari Hatsumi as Operator 21O
Overall, we’re pleased that staff members from the game are involved. It’s likely that we’ll get an anime that stays true to the vision of the original creators of this world-renowned series.
And given that NieR:Automata has already sold over 6.5 million copies, the pressure will be high to satisfy this massive fanbase. Let’s hope that this is the case come January 2023. Stay tuned!