When anime streaming giant Crunchyroll released a list of its in-house animated series in February, one of the titles included was Onyx Equinox. Unlike the other Originals the company has released over the first half of 2020, Tower of God and God of High School, Onyx Equinox is not based on a webtoon nor did it begin life as a manga. It's an original animated series 13-years in the making, created and illustrated by Sofia Alexander, who also serves as an Executive Producer of the show. Additionally, Sofia also voices some of the characters in her anime. Here's everything we know so far about the anime, including plot, trailers, release date and casting details.
Plot
Onxy Equinox is set in ancient times in a populated area called Mesoamerica. Evil gods and man-eating supernatural beasts alike appear to roam the earth freely. Because of their apparent hatred for humans, they cause tremendous havoc among the people who live there and their lands. The story revolves around a bet made between the gods. A human, "the lowest of the low," is tasked with closing the five gates connecting the underworld to the human world. The survival of the entire human race depends on this bet, as the outcome will determine whether or not humanity is deserving of life and salvation.
The hero of this Aztec tale is a young boy named Izel. He, alone, has been handpicked by the gods as humanity's representative in their malicious game. Introduced as apathetic, the reluctant Izel has no other choice but to accept the magical dagger that will help his mission. He takes up the role of the champion of humanity to save the people of his world from the impending apocalypse.
To aid him on the dangerous journey, a beast named Yaotl joins him. Sent by Tezcatlipoca, this creature can only be summoned with Izel's blood and has the sole goal of making sure that the boy succeeds.
Halfway through the latest trailer, we're introduced to the other characters supporting Izel. These are Nelli, who encourages Izel; Zyanya, a strong looking warrior; Xanastaku, and the athletic twins Yun and K'in. What happens as their fates intertwine on the way to the gates is something that audiences should look forward to upon the anime's release.
Trailer
Crunchyroll released the first trailer for the series in June, which can be viewed above. A second trailer, spotlighting the series' characters, was released in September.
Voice Cast
The main and supporting characters of the series, and their voice actors, can be found below.
• Olivia Brown as Izel (The reluctant hero).
• Alejandro Vargas-Lugo as Yaotl (who aid in Izel's mission under Tezcatlipoca's orders).
• Carolina Ravassa as Zyanya (a powerful warrior).
• Kimberly Woods as Xanastaku (a priestess).
• Patrick Pedraza as Yun (the level-headed twin).
• Juan Arturo Maldonado as K'in (the mischievous twin).
• Sofia Alexander as Nelli (Izel's sister), K'i'ik, and Meque (mystical objects that help Izel).
• Zeus Mendoza as Quetzalcoatl (a god).
• Fayna Sanches as the Healer (a human).
• Arin Hanson as Tezcatlipoca (a God who helps Izel).
• Castulo Guerra as Mictlantecuhtli (another god).
Release Date
Initially announced as part of its summer releases, the original series moved to the Fall line-up due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the moment, Onyx Equinox's confirmed release date on Crunchyroll is on November 21, 2020. Besides being available in English, viewers will have the option to watch it in Spanish, Brazilian, Portuguese, French and German.
