Global webtoon sensation Teenage Mercenary (known in Japan as Nyuugaku Youhei) will receive a television anime adaptation scheduled for broadcast in 2027. The production unveiled its debut teaser visual, promotional trailer, and core creative lineup, confirming animation production by J.C.STAFF with planning and production handled by HAYATE.
Originating on NAVER WEBTOON in 2020 before topping Japan's LINE Manga annual rankings for two consecutive years in 2023 and 2024, the series has accumulated over 2.84 billion views across ten languages worldwide. The story follows Soma Tatewaki (known as Ijin Yu in the original Korean edition), who survived a tragic plane crash at eight years old. Stranded abroad and stripped of his memories, he survived a brutal decade as an elite mercenary before reclaiming his past, reuniting with his family, and enrolling in high school to shield his sister and friends from criminal elements.
Creative Lineup
The adaptation assembles seasoned industry veterans behind the scenes:
- Director & Series Composition: Manabu Ono (Sword Art Online: Alicization)
- Character Design: Koji Haneda (chief animation director on Dandadan)
- Music: Hiroyuki Sawano (Solo Leveling, Attack on Titan)
- Animation Studio: J.C.STAFF
