How Bones Called Dibs From Chapter One
Bones didn't wait for Hiromu Arakawa's new manga to prove itself. In a Mantan Web interview, chief producer Ōyabu said the studio approached Square Enix before the first collected volume was even printed. "We were reaching out with 'We're reading it! It's great!' from the moment the first chapter was published," Ōyabu recalled.
Arakawa's return to Monthly Shōnen Gangan, the Square Enix magazine where Fullmetal Alchemist ran for a decade, was a signal Bones couldn't ignore. The studio's interest aligned naturally with Aniplex, the same production partner behind the original FMA anime. Together they reformed the trio that had powered Fullmetal Alchemist: Square Enix, Aniplex, and Bones.
But Ōyabu is careful about the FMA comparison. "We don't want to say 'again,'" he explained. "What kind of images would a different Bones and Aniplex produce when teaming up 20 years later? That challenge is what drives us."
Arakawa's Art: Simple Lines, Massive Challenge
Daemons of the Shadow Realm follows twins separated at birth. One embodies day, the other night, and both possess the power to control supernatural creatures called tsugai. Their reunion sets off a chain of revelations about a hidden mountain village and the forces that want to control them.
Producer Takemoto, who grew up reading FMA's manga, highlighted what makes Arakawa's work both compelling and difficult to adapt: her structural precision. "The overall story structure should be complex, but the flow is very clear and easy for readers to follow," Takemoto said. "She gradually reveals the world and the characters' personal dimensions."
That precision extends to her drawing. Character designer Nobuhiro Arai (新井伸浩) had the hardest time translating Arakawa's spare, efficient linework into animation-ready designs. Fewer lines mean fewer reference points for keeping characters on-model.
"When there are lots of lines, there are lots of clues," Ōyabu explained. "With her designs, the elements that make a character instantly recognizable are subtle. The moment an animator falls back on habit, the likeness falls apart."
Old Guard, New Blood
Director Masahiro Andō leads the production at Bones Film's D Studio. The FMA connection runs deep through the staff roster. Yoshikazu Itō (伊藤嘉之), character designer for the original Fullmetal Alchemist, served as animation director on the first episode. Hiroki Kanno (菅野宏紀), character designer for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, also contributes.
Several younger staff members joined specifically because of Arakawa. "There are quite a few people who say 'I'm deeply moved to be working on Arakawa's series,'" Takemoto noted. "People who watched FMA as viewers back in the day."
The studio is building for the long haul. When asked about plans beyond the announced two-cour run, Ōyabu was measured but clear: "We founded this production with the goal of continuing to make it. As we keep going, the team's skill level rises, the studio gets stronger, and that feeds back into the work."
Andō's own reaction to the finished product stood out. After watching the first two completed episodes, the director told the producers the result exceeded what he had originally envisioned. Ōyabu recalled him saying that "Arakawa's work is incredibly well-suited to anime," and that the quality of the source material "made him nervous."
Looking Ahead
Daemons of the Shadow Realm airs Saturdays at 11:30 PM on TOKYO MX and BS11, with new episodes streaming same-day on Crunchyroll worldwide, including English dubs. Twenty-four episodes are planned across two consecutive cours, with the final episodes expected in September 2026.
The series stars Kenshō Ono (Giorno Giovanna in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure) as protagonist Yuru, alongside Yūichi Nakamura, Junichi Suwabe, and Akira Ishida in supporting roles. Series composition is handled by Noboru Takagi, with music by Kenichirō Suehiro.
The source manga, serialized in Square Enix's Monthly Shōnen Gangan, has topped 6 million copies in circulation. English-language volumes are published by Square Enix Manga & Books, with 12 volumes available as of March 2026.