MBC’s Shahid platform announces premiere of ‘Grendizer U’

MBC’s Shahid, the world’s leading Arabic streaming platform, announced  that the remake of the original “Grendizer” anime series is set to premiere worldwide this July 2024.

Launched in partnership with Manga Productions, a subsidiary of the Mohammed Bin Salman Foundation, Misk, the new series brings back the beloved characters Duke Fleed and Kouji Kabuto.

Manga Productions has unveiled a third promotional video for “Grendizer U” as well as a new key visual for the new anime series.

Dr. Essam Bukhary, CEO of Manga Productions, commented: “We are pleased to announce the continuation of our partnership with Shahid, confirming that this partnership is an extension of our previous successful collaborations.

“It is worth mentioning that there have been several previous partnerships between Manga Productions and Shahid in showcasing prominent works such as ‘The Journey’ movie, and the ‘Future’s Folktales’ and ‘Captain Tsubasa’ series. It is noteworthy that ‘The Journey’ has made it to the top five anime films on the Shahid platform.”

Tareq Al-Ibrahim, director of content at Shahid, and director of MBC1 and MBC Drama, said: “Our strategic partnership with Manga Productions brings significant value to our audiences, appealing to a wide range of viewer categories and age groups.

“What sets Manga Productions apart in its industry is its commitment to high production and artistic standards, fused with creative content that delivers valuable social messaging and storytelling.”

He added: “This type of content and its messages align with the region’s culture values and resonate with audiences throughout the region, providing Arab families with a sophisticated, enjoyable, and entertaining viewing experience.”

In 2022, a strategic partnership was announced between Dynamic Planning and Manga Productions to license “UFO Robo Grendizer” — more commonly known as “Grendizer” — and use it in products and characters for cities and entertainment events worldwide, except Japan.

The new series is based on Go Nagai’s “UFO Robo Grendizer”. The general director for “Grendizer U” is Mitsuo Fukuda, with series composition and script by Ichiro Okouchi, with Tatsuhito Higuchi also writing the script.

Character design is handled by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, while Mari Araki is responsible for sub-character design. Mechanical design is crafted by Wataru Inata, AF_KURO, and Junichi Akutsu (Astrays), with design works by Pinakes, Tomoyuki Aoki, Zenseava, and Masato Yoshinaga.

The main animators include Hiroyuki Taiga, Takashi Hashimoto, Masahiro Yamane, and Toru Yoshida. Art direction is managed by Hiroshi Kato and Hirofumi Sakagami (Totonyan), while Tomoe Yoshimura handles color design and Atsushi Usuta (Nexus) manages cinematography.

Yukio Nagasaki serves as sound director, with sound effects by Toshiya Wada and Maki Takuma (Swara Pro). The music is composed by Kohei Tanaka, and music production is handled by Pony Canyon. Animation production is done by Gaina.