Dark Gathering, an anime series currently being serialized in Jump Square and scheduled to air in July 2023, is a horror suspense story! It's a serious and terrifying horror story about capturing and combining terrifying evil spirits that appear at haunted locations around the world, making it a truly unique work that also combines Pokémon-esque elements with the thrill of a shounen manga! Here's a summary of Dark Gathering's production staff and currently known cast!
An Overview of Dark Gathering!!
Dark Gathering has been serialized in Shueisha's Jump Square since 2019, and is written by Kenichi Kondo. As of December 2022, the manga has reached 11 volumes, with an anime adaptation scheduled to begin in July 2023. The genre is horror and suspense, but it also features elements of a shonen manga.
A Brief Summary of Dark Gathering!
The protagonist, Gentogawa Keitaro, suffers from a unique condition that makes him extremely attracted to spirits. Due to this condition, he ended up dragging his childhood friend, Takaratsuki Eiko, into a recluse. However, with the support of Eiko and his family, he is able to return to society and begin working part-time as a private tutor while attending university. His tutor, Takarazuki Yoyoi, is a genius elementary school student with powerful spiritual powers. What's more, Yoyoi is an incredible young girl who captures evil spirits and collects them in her room. Yoyoi collects evil spirits and turns them into poison to create even more powerful ones, in an attempt to defeat the mighty monster that had taken his mother's spirit. While being manipulated by Yoyoi, Hotarutaro begins to travel to haunted spots all over the country with her in order to break the curse placed on him and learn how to deal with spirits.
Dark Gathering is produced by OLM!
Dark Gathering is produced by OLM! Founded in 1994, OLM primarily produces children's anime such as "Pokémon" and "Yo-kai Watch." They have also worked on numerous anime adaptations of Shogakukan's commercial magazines and Level-5's games, including "Beyblade," "Inazuma Eleven," "Megaton-kyu Musashi," and, more recently, "Komi-san wa, Komyushou desu." While Dark Gathering is a horror film far removed from the aforementioned works, it shares some similarities with "Pokémon" and "Yo-kai Watch." Dark Gathering could be described as an overly evil version of Pokémon and Yo-kai Watch.
Introducing OLM's most notable works!
Pokémon Series
This anime series has been running since 1997, despite several broadcast cancellations. Based on the hugely popular video game, it follows the protagonist Satoshi and his partner Pikachu as they strive to become Pokémon Masters in a world inhabited by mysterious creatures known as Pokémon. The 2023 series, starring Satoshi, came to an end on March 24th, and a new series starring Riko and Roy has begun. To date, 23 feature-length films have been released.
Yo-kai Watch Series
This anime, based on the Level-5 game, began airing in 2014 and is currently running as an anime series. The story follows the protagonist, a fifth-grade elementary school student named Keita, who acquires a Yo-kai Watch, a mysterious watch that allows him to see yo-kai. He encounters and befriends various yo-kai and solves troubles in his town. Five seasons have aired to date, with the fifth season scheduled to end in March 2023.
Komi-san wa, Comyushou desu.
This anime is based on the manga that has been serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday since 2016. On his first day of school, Hitoshi Tadano, an ordinary boy with no particular quirks, meets Shoko Komi, a quiet, tall, and somewhat unapproachable beauty. Upon learning that she has social anxiety and struggles to communicate with others, he helps her make friends. This romantic comedy follows the story. The first season aired in October 2021, and the second season began airing in April 2022.
The protagonist, Gentogawa Keitaro, is played by Nobunaga Shimazaki!
The voice actor who plays the main character, Gentougawa Keitaro, is Shimazaki Nobunaga! Born December 6, 1988, in Shiogama City, Miyagi Prefecture, Shimazaki is a voice actor affiliated with Aoni Productions! His notable works include Yuno in "Black Clover," Kazu Nono in "Deaimon," Nagi Seishiro in "Blue Lock," and Iok Kujan in "Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans."
The other main character, Takarazuki Yoyoi, is voiced by Yu Shinohara!!
The voice actress who plays the other main character, Takarazuki Yoyoi, is Yu Shinohara! Yu Shinohara is from Kumamoto Prefecture, born April 30th, and is affiliated with I'm Enterprise! Her notable works include Amano Akari in "My Little Monster," Hitouma Ruu in "Super Movable Girl 1/6," Kuroiwa Yuki in "After School Fishing Diary," and Emilico in "Shadow House."
The heroine, Eiko Takatsuki, is voiced by Kana Hanazawa!!
The voice actress who plays the heroine, Eiko Takatsuki, is Kana Hanazawa! Born February 25, 1989, in Tokyo, she is a voice actress affiliated with Osawa Agency! Her notable works include Mayuri Shiina in "STEINS;GATE," Ichika Nakano in "The Quintessential Quintuplets," and Mutsuko Sakura in "Major 2nd."
The key character, Ai Kamishiro, is voiced by Rina Kawaguchi!!
Rina Kawaguchi is the voice actress who plays Ai Kamishiro, a key character in the story! Born November 24th in Saitama Prefecture, she is a voice actress affiliated with Aoni Production! Her notable works include the role of Luka Ikaruga in "The Idolmaster: Shiny Colors."
[Dark Gathering] Production Staff & Cast Summary
Here's a summary of the production staff and cast of the summer 2023 anime, Dark Gathering! Dark Gathering is a full-on horror film reminiscent of evil Pokémon and Yo-kai Watch, and I was a little surprised to learn that the production company behind those films is also behind Pokémon and Yo-kai Watch! It's an incredibly scary horror film, so some people might not like it, but if you think of it as a scary Pokémon or Yo-kai Watch film, it's a film that everyone will enjoy, so I highly recommend giving it a watch!
