A new anime titled Darwin Incident, also known by its Japanese name Darwin Jihen, is set to premiere soon. The series follows a protagonist who is genetically and physically part human and part chimpanzee. The project has attracted attention in part because of its directing team: Katsuichi Nakayama and Naokatsu Tsuda are both attached as directors for the series.
Katsuichi Nakayama has previously worked on well-known titles, including contributions to Gurren Lagann and one of the later Evangelion compilation releases. Naokatsu Tsuda is also an experienced director, noted for his work on JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Their involvement has raised expectations about the anime’s visual style and storytelling approach.
Darwin Incident is an animated adaptation of the manga by Shuna Umedzawa. The anime was officially announced in spring 2024. The televised run is scheduled to begin on January 6, 2026, marking the start of the series’ broadcast season.
The exact number of episodes for the first season has not been confirmed by the production team. Industry coverage currently treats a 12-episode cour as the most likely format for the initial season. The animation production is handled by the Japanese studio Bellnox Films.
A tentative weekly broadcast schedule for the first season has been circulated: episode 1 is slated for January 6, 2026; episode 2 for January 13; episode 3 for January 20; episode 4 for January 27; episode 5 for February 3; episode 6 for February 10; episode 7 for February 17; episode 8 for February 24; episode 9 for March 3; episode 10 for March 10; episode 11 for March 17; and episode 12 for March 24, 2026.
The story centers on a disturbing discovery made by an animal rights organization that breaks into a secret laboratory where cruel experiments were being performed. Inside, they find an unusual child who appears to be both human and chimpanzee. The child is named Charlie and is placed into human care. Years later Charlie grows up and attends high school, where he visibly stands apart from his classmates and struggles to understand what it means to be human.
Expectations for the series focus on its moral and ethical themes, the social challenges faced by the protagonist, and how the directors’ backgrounds might shape the adaptation. Official episode counts and additional production details may be announced closer to the premiere date in early 2026.