Though many anime are based off of preceding manga, plenty are also completely original productions. Such is the case with the upcoming series Fena: Pirate Princess, a co-production between Adult Swim and the streaming service Crunchyroll. Announced back at last year's Comic-Con, this anime series has had a good bit of time to hype of its release.
The story of a young woman trying to escape her imprisoned fate to make a new life for herself, Fena: Pirate Princess will combine stunning animation with veteran anime talent. Here's what fans should know about the upcoming series' plot, cast and production before it finally hits streaming services this summer.
Fena: Pirate Princess' Plot
Fena: Pirate Princess stars the eponymous young woman named Fena Houtman, who lives in a world that's feels like the 18th century. A young orphaned girl, Fena is seemingly trapped in a dark fate on her island home, where she and others are at the mercy of the oppressive British Empire.
Not content with being a victim of the winds of fate, however, Fena plans to escape from her island and obtain a new destiny for herself. There's also the mystery of the esoteric Eden guiding her, helping to propel her forth on her quest to earn a new identity and life as she searches for a place of her own in the world.
Fena: Pirate Princess' Trailer
The recently released second trailer for Fena: Pirate Princess gives a closer look at some of the plot elements -- namely why Fena wants to escape her life on the island. She's shown being almost forced to marry a man, likely from the British Empire, whom she hadn't even met yet. She and several others then escape before meeting up with what seem like samurai, who defend against the British Empire's soldiers.
There's also a mystery introduced involving Fena's father, who had something to do with the samurai "pirates" helping her. One of the armored figures from previously released promo art is also seen, and is one of these sword-wielding pirates named Yukimaru. It remains to be seen, however, why these pirates bear more resemblance to traditional samurai than anything else.
Fena: Pirate Princess Voice Cast & Episode Count
Fena: Pirate Princess was announced in summer 2020 as a Crunchyroll original during a virtual panel of Comic-Con@Home. Created by Kazuto Nakazawa and Production I.G., the series will run for at least one 12-episode season. Nakazawa's career mostly involves character designs, as well as directing various shows and even music videos for artists such as Utada Hikaru and Linkin Park. Nakazawa also directs Fena, whose music is written and composed by Asako Kuboyama and Yuki Kajiura, respectively.
The announced voice cast includes Asami Seto as Fena, Ryota Suzuki as Yukimaru, Takahiro Sakurai as Shitan, Aoi Yuki as Karin, Gen Sato as Enju, Ryota Osaka as Kaede, Jun Oosuka as Tsubaki, Shintaro Tanaka as Makaba, Manabu Muraji as Saruman and Hiroaki Hirata as the portly old knight Otto. No English voice actors have been announced for the dub as of yet.
Fena: Pirate Princess Release Date
The good news for those in the West who are looking forward to Fena: Pirate Princess is that it's set to release sometime this summer. The bad news is that the exact release date remains unknown, though it will be available on both the Crunchyroll and Adult Swim apps simultaneously. It will be released in Japan afterward. The series is also available early for badge holders at the 2021 Annecy International Anime Film Festival, which is open for attendees through the end of June.
