Four New Voices for the Rival Teams
All four newly announced actors play opponents standing between protagonist Kairi's team, Carbuncle, and the top of the sport, according to a report from Japanese anime news site Anime Hack. On team Great Cluster, Ryūnosuke Watanuki voices Nyūdō and Jun Kōsaka voices Hachiman. Over on team Esmeralda, Minori Suzuki (Freyja Wion in Macross Delta) plays Bianca, with Rikuya Yasuda as Weiss.
They join a lead cast headed by Kenshō Ono as Kairi, the newcomer whose climb through the pro scene drives the story.
BUCK∞TICK and SUGIZO Give the Show Its Sound
The opening theme is "Sonzai Riyū Kai" (roughly "Raison d'Être, Revised"), written specifically for the series by veteran Japanese rock band BUCK∞TICK. In a comment published with the announcement, the band's Hisashi Imai said he was honored to contribute the song, adding that he hopes its "noise, rhythm, and words" bring extra color to the world of Dark Machine.
Part of the song plays in the second promotional video, now up on Fuji TV's official anime YouTube channel. The trailer shows Kairi honoring his grandfather's dying wish by pursuing the game's dominant player, along with robot battle footage from the in-universe game. The rock pedigree doesn't stop at the opening: musician SUGIZO composes the series score.
An Original Anime Tied to a Worldwide Game
Dark Machine the Animation is a fully original series from the cross-media DARK MACHINE project, with Gorō Taniguchi of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion serving as creative producer. The anime rolls out alongside an esports-focused game planned for worldwide release.
The story is set in a near-future Japan where the esports title Dark Machine has grown big enough to reshape the national economy. Golden Valley, the only city designated as a Dark Machine special economic zone, sits under the control of Ajima, the game's strongest player, voiced by Yūichi Nakamura. When Kairi arrives in the city, the series follows his growth alongside his Carbuncle teammates, and an overhaul of the competition itself.
Kazumi Terada directs at Production +h., the studio behind the Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction anime, with Kō Yoshinari on main character designs and Hidetaka Tenjin handling mecha design.
Looking Ahead
The series premieres in October 2026 on Fuji TV, airing late Tuesday nights at 1:45 a.m. Kansai TV carries it Thursdays at 2:45 a.m., and BS Fuji airs it Tuesdays at 12:30 a.m. No international streaming partner has been announced yet, though the project's game side is planned for a worldwide release.
Until then, the second promotional video with the BUCK∞TICK theme is streaming now, and it shows the series' robot battles in action.