{"rewrite":{"id":"r_fd705165c6e67b2fb06092b0","clusterId":"c_eaa2271ea0d233c0d88efd0e","slug":"witch-and-the-mercenary-anime-sets-april-2027-debut-with-new-cast-and-trailer","model":"deepseek-v4-1-flash","headline":"Witch and the Mercenary Anime Sets April 2027 Debut With New Cast and Trailer","summary":"Bandai Namco Filmworks released a full promotional video and two new teaser visuals for the television anime of Kaeru Chohokiteki's Witch and Mercenary light novel series. The video confirms an April 2027 premiere on NTV and 29 affiliated channels, plus the satellite channel BS NTV, and names three more cast members: Yuri Noguchi as the rank 2 swordmaster Isana Gihon, nicknamed Snow White; Hiromu Mineta as Alan Clows, a rank 4 swordmaster and party leader; and Haruka Shiraishi as Elicia Armel, a rank 3 staff-wielding adventurer. Saori Hayami voices Siasha and Taito Ban voices Zig Crane, both heard in the trailer. Shinpei Ezaki directs at 8-Bit, with Taishirou Tanimura on series scripts, Keita Matsumoto designing characters, Akiko Fujita as sound director, and Rei Ishizuka composing at Lantis. One teaser visual focuses on Siasha, the other on Zig.","whyItMatters":"The trailer and the two new visuals land a full year and a half before the April 2027 broadcast, an unusually long runway for a light novel adaptation whose source already ended serialization in December 2022.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eShingo Irie joins as assistant series script supervisor, with Hideki Sakai on sub-character design and Wataru Inada and Ryo Hirada on monster design. Keita Matsumoto, Hideki Sakai, and Sorato Shimizu are chief animation directors; Shimizu also handles art, Kazuhiro Inoue is art director, and Mikio is on prop design. Kunio Tsujita is color key artist, Shuhei Inabe is compositing director of photography, Fuma Aizawa is CG director, and Go Sadamatsu edits.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe source novels ran on Shosetsuka ni Naro from June 2021 to December 2022. Micro Magazine published the first print volume with illustrations by Bench Kanase in May 2023, the seventh on January 20, and the eighth is set for September 24. Makoto Miyagi\u0026#39;s manga adaptation launched on Kodansha\u0026#39;s Magazine Pocket app in January 2024, and Kodansha\u0026#39;s K MANGA service publishes it in English. Seven Seas Entertainment releases the novels in English.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe two teaser visuals each focus on one lead: the witch Siasha and the mercenary Zig Crane. Both images reference the cover artwork of the first light novel volume.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Witch and the Mercenary arrives on NTV and 29 affiliates plus BS NTV, so the broadcast reach is the real commitment here, not the trailer.","twitterPost":"Witch and the Mercenary gets NTV plus 29 affiliates and BS NTV. That reach is the commitment, not the trailer.","threadsPost":"Witch and the Mercenary is set for NTV and 29 affiliated channels plus BS NTV. A wide terrestrial and satellite rollout says Bandai Namco Filmworks is treating this as a mainstream slot, not a late-night niche title, which is a bigger signal than the trailer itself.","newsletterBlurb":"Bandai Namco Filmworks opened the promotional video for the Witch and the Mercenary anime, pinning the adaptation to an April 2027 slot on NTV and BS NTV. Three cast members are new, and Shinpei Ezaki directs at 8-Bit.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Anime News Network\",\"url\":\"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-09-15/witch-and-mercenary-anime-new-video-unveils-more-cast-and-staff-april-2027-debut/.241831\",\"title\":\"Witch and Mercenary Anime's New Video Unveils More Cast \\u0026 Staff, April 2027 Debut\"},{\"source\":\"Anime Corner\",\"url\":\"https://animecorner.me/witch-and-the-mercenary-anime-reveals-first-trailer-new-cast-april-2027-release/\",\"title\":\"Witch and the Mercenary Anime Reveals First Trailer, New Cast, April 2027 Release\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":6170,"outputTokens":1094,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1789541154,"createdAt":"2026-09-16T06:40:35.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-09-16T06:43:20.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-16T06:43:20.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_eaa2271ea0d233c0d88efd0e","canonicalTitle":"Witch and the Mercenary Anime Reveals First Trailer, New Cast, April 2027 Release","representativeArticleId":"a_a5a6c142add40a76dd46fe1c","sourceCount":2,"writtenSourceCount":2,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[\"Witch and the Mercenary\"],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"Yuri Noguchi\",\"Hiromu Mineta\",\"Haruka Shiraishi\"],\"type\":\"announcement\",\"domain\":\"anime\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-09-16T03:28:52.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-09-16T03:38:43.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-16T06:43:20.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Anime News Network","url":"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-09-15/witch-and-mercenary-anime-new-video-unveils-more-cast-and-staff-april-2027-debut/.241831","title":"News\nWitch and Mercenary Anime's New Video Unveils More Cast \u0026 Staff, April 2027 Debut"},{"source":"Anime Corner","url":"https://animecorner.me/witch-and-the-mercenary-anime-reveals-first-trailer-new-cast-april-2027-release/","title":"Witch and the Mercenary Anime Reveals First Trailer, New Cast, April 2027 Release"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":["Witch and the Mercenary"],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":["Yuri Noguchi","Hiromu Mineta","Haruka Shiraishi"],"type":"announcement","domain":"anime","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Witch and the Mercenary premieres in April 2027 on NTV, 29 affiliated channels, and BS NTV.","Yuri Noguchi voices Isana Gihon, Hiromu Mineta voices Alan Clows, and Haruka Shiraishi voices Elicia Armel.","Shinpei Ezaki directs the anime at 8-Bit, with Taishirou Tanimura on series scripts and Keita Matsumoto designing characters.","The eighth light novel volume is scheduled for September 24 from Micro Magazine, after the seventh shipped on January 20.","Makoto Miyagi's manga adaptation launched on Kodansha's Magazine Pocket app in January 2024."]}