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Aniplex USA to Stream Fate/Grand Order, Granblue Fantasy Anime on Crunchyroll, Daisuki

Aniplex of America announced on Tuesday that it will stream the Fate/Grand Order: First Order and Granblue Fantasy the Animation anime as they air in Japan. The company also announced details on its simulcast for the Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga anime.

The 74-minute Fate/Grand Order: First Order television special will stream on Crunchyroll and Daisuki on December 31 at 11:00 a.m. EST. The special will premiere in Japan on December 31 at 10:00 p.m. on Tokyo MX, Gunma TV, Tochigi TV, and BS11 channels, and it will also simultaneously stream on Niconico.

The anime adapts TYPE-MOON's smartphone role-playing game Fate/Grand Order. Aniplex of America describes the story:

The year 2015 CE.
The last era in which magecraft still thrived.

The Chaldea Security Organization was founded to focus on preserving the continuation of human history. They observe a world which magecraft couldn't observe and science couldn't measure all to prevent the certain extinction of humanity.
But one day, the future that Chaldea continued to observe disappears and humanity's extinction in 2017 becomes clear. Rather, it had already happened.

The cause seems to be related to Fuyuki, a provincial town in Japan, in the year 2004 CE. There, an "unobservable region" that had not existed before appears.

Based on the assumption that Fuyuki is the reason for humanity's extinction, Chaldea issues an order to explore, investigate, and possibly destroy this singularity – a quest for the Holy Grail, the Grand Order.

Hitoshi Nanba (Baki the Grappler, Gosick, Heroman) is directing the special with assistant director Takurō Tsukada at the studio Lay-duce (Magi: Adventure of Sinbad, Classroom Crisis, Go! Go! 575). Ayumi Sekine (Makura no Danshi) wrote the script based on Kinoko Nasu's original story concepts, and Keisuke Goto (Yatterman Night) is adapting Takashi Takeuchi's game character designs for animation. Takashi Akaishizawa is credited with design works. Ryo Kawasaki (Luger Code 1951, Reikenzan: Eichi e no Shikaku) is composing the music, and Maaya Sakamoto (flying dog) is performing the theme song "Shikisai" (Color). Takeshi Takadera is directing the sound at Half H.P Studio.

The anime special is actually part of a longer year-end special, Fate Project Ōmisoka TV Special ~First & Next Order~ (Fate Project New Year's Eve TV Special ~First & Next Order~).

Granblue Fantasy will premiere on Crunchyroll and Daisuki on January 21 at 7:00 a.m. EST. The anime was slated to debut in Japan in January but has been delayed until April. However, a Zankutinzeru-Hen (Zankutinzeru Arc) special will debut on the Tokyo MX television station and AbemaTV streaming service in Japan on January 21, before the main television series.

Aniplex of America describes the story:

This is a world of the skies, where many islands drift in the sky. A boy named Gran and a talking winged lizard named Vyrn lived in Zinkenstill, an island which yields mysteries. One day, they come across a girl named Lyria. Lyria had escaped from the Erste Empire, a military government that is trying to rule over this world using powerful military prowess. In order to escape from the Empire, Gran and Lyria head out into the vast skies, holding the letter Gran's father left behind - which said, "I will be waiting at Estalucia, Island of Stars".

The anime adapts Cygames' Granblue Fantasy smartphone game. Yuuki Itoh (Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha ViVid) is directing the anime at A-1 Pictures with Ayako Kurata as anime series director. Cygames itself is credited for the scripts, and Toshifumi Akai (Kokoro Connect, Sound of the Sky) is designing the characters. Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy games I-XI), Tsutomu Narita (Final Fantasy XIV composer and arranger), and Yasunori Nishiki are composing the music. Bump of Chicken performs the anime's theme song "GO."

Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga will premiere on Crunchyroll and Daisuki on January 6 at 1:30 p.m. EST. The anime will premiere in Japan on January 6 and will air on MBS's "Animeism" programming block.

The anime will adapt the "Kyoto Impure King Arc" that started in the fifth volume of Kazue Katō's original Blue Exorcist manga. Aniplex of America describes the series:

Assiah, the realm of humans, and Gehenna, the realm of demons. Normally, these two dimensions would never intersect, but having possessed all material substances, the demons are now intruding on the material world. But among the human race, there are those who can exorcise such demons—the exorcists.

Rin Okumura kept the fact that he was Satan's offspring a secret from everyone and decided to become an exorcist. He began his training at True Cross Academy but following the incidents involving Amaimon's raid, his lineage became apparent. Fearing his true nature and the blue flames marking his connection to Gehenna, Rin's classmates all distanced themselves from him. Meanwhile, the academy was on high alert when they realized that the “Left Eye of the Impure King” had been stolen! What lies ahead for Rin and his classmates?

Koichi Hatsumi (Deadman Wonderland, Gangsta., Berserk: The Golden Age Arc I - The Egg of the King) is replacing Tensai Okamura as the director of the new series at A-1 Pictures. Toshiya Ono (The Perfect Insider, tsuritama, Gatchaman Crowds) is handling the series composition, replacing Ryota Yamaguchi. Keigo Sasaki is returning from the first season to design the characters, and he is also the chief animation director alongside Akira Takata (Durarara!!, Natsume's Book of Friends). Shigeki Kawai (episode director for Kingdom, Galilei Donna) is serving as assistant director. Hiroyuki Sawano is additionally returning to compose the music alongside newcomer Kohta Yamamoto (the same Legendoor management company represents both artists). UVERworld will perform the opening theme song "Itteki no Eikyō" (Drop's Influence) and Rin Akatsuki will perform the ending theme song "Kono Te de" (With This Hand).

Aniplex of America streamed a new English-subtitled promotional video: