With Nahoko Uehashi having done some interesting works before such as Moribito, we were excited by the reveal back in June 2018 that their series Shika no Ō is getting an anime project. The adaptation is being done as a theatrical film that was scheduled originally to arrive on September 18th, 2020 but that’s now changed. Toei has rescheduled the film for a to-be-determined date in 2021. While no explanation was given, the changes in theatrical releases, production issues, and general health due to the pandemic this year is likely involved in some way.
The film is directed by Masashi Ando based on the screenplay by Taku Kishimoto. Masayuki Miyaji is serving as an assistant director while Ando is also handling the character designs. Production I.G. is working the animation production and released a still below.
The two-volume series (which saw a slimmer four-volume run in 2017) came out in 2014 and won a couple of awards.
Check out the official site and Twitter.
Plot Concept: The story focuses on Van, the head of a group of soldiers who expected to die fighting for their lands against a large empire looking to incorporate their home into its kingdom. Instead of dying, however, Van is taken as a slave and thrown into a salt mine. One night, a pack of strange dogs attacks the salt mine, and a mysterious illness breaks out. During the attack, Van takes the opportunity to escape, and he meets a young girl. Elsewhere, rumor is spreading that only immigrants are coming down with this mysterious illness. The medical scientist Hossal risks his life to search for a cure. Doctors also study a father and child who seem to have survived the illness. The novels tell the interconnecting stories and bonds of those who fight against a cruel fate.
[Source: ANN]