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Ani-One Announces January 2021 Simulcast Schedule

Hong Kong content distributor MediaLink Entertainment Limited's Ani-One YouTube channel announced the schedule for its January simulcasts on Facebook on Tuesday. The channel started streaming:

• J.C. Staff's original television anime Skate-Leading Stars on December 27 at 7:30 p.m. IST.
• The anime of Odeko Fujii's Cute Executive Officer (Yōjo Shachō) manga from January 1 at 8:30 a.m. IST. The channel previously announced the season's premiere date.
• Osaka's Asahi Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC) television anime based on its "Abciee" mascot character titled Abciee Working Diary (Abciee Shūgyō Nikki) on January 5 at 11:30 p.m. IST.
• The Show By Rock!! Stars!! television anime series on January 7 at 7:30 p.m. IST.
• The second season of the television anime of Afro's Laid-Back Camp Δ (Yurukyan△, Yurucamp) manga from January 7 at 8:30 p.m. IST. The channel previously announced the season's premiere date.
• The television anime of author Okina Baba and illustrator Tsukasa Kiryu's So I'm a Spider, So What? (Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka?) novels on January 8 at 7:00 p.m. IST. The channel previously announced the show's premiere date.

The channel will begin streaming the second season of the new television anime of Yoshinobu Akita's Sorcerous Stabber Orphen (Majutsushi Orphen Haguretabi) light novel series titled Sorcerous Stabber Orphen: Battle of Kimluck on January 20 at 6:30 p.m. IST.

Alongside Hong Kong and India, the company is streaming the anime in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore. So I'm a Spider, So What? and Laid-Back Camp Δ will not be available in Taiwan.

The channel started streaming Skate-Leading Stars on December 27, two weeks before its January 10 premiere in Japan.

The anime's official website describes the anime's story:

"You will never win against me."

Figure skater Kensei Maeshima stopped his career when he heard those words from his rival Reo Shinozaki. Some years after, Maeshima, now a high schooler, uses his physical talent for to help other clubs with various activities, while never committing to any one thing. One day, he sees a press conference where Shinozaki announced that he was shifting from single skating to "skate-leading." After that, he met a boy named Hayato Sasugai, who knew of Maeshima's single skating career. With the words, "I need you," Sasugai invites Maeshima to the world of skate-leading, or competitive team-based skating.

Skate-leading is a fictional figure-skating competition, in which each team of five skaters earns points for technical skills (such as unison formation) and artistry (such as composition and entertainment) from an automated camera-based system and nine judges. There are three positions on each team: the lead who is the point-getter with many combination jumps, the wings who are mainly responsible for twist lifts and similar elements, and the guards who perform with such elements as lifts and steps.

Goro Taniguchi (Planetes, Code Geass, Maria the Virgin Witch) is the chief director, with J.C. Staff in charge of animation production. Yana Toboso (Black Butler) is the original character designer. Toshinori Fukushima (Tamayomi) is the director. Noboru Kimura (Gundam Build Divers, Amagami SS+) is writing and supervising the anime's scripts. Yoko Ito (Amanchu!) is designing the characters for animation, and is also the chief animation director. Osare Company is credited for the original clothing concept. TETSU from the Bugs Under Groove dance company is the performance director and is also in charge of choreography, with former competitive figure skater Hirokazu Kobayashi (Prince Ice World) also collaborating with choreography. Ryō Takahashi is composing the music. Takao Sakuma is performing the opening theme song "Chase the core." Shugo Nakamura is performing the ending theme song "Jump."

The anime is inspiring a manga adaptation by Chiaki Nagaoka (Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens Dai 2-Maku) and Sumika Sumio.

Abciee Working Diary debuted on ABC TV on January 6 at 25:32 (effectively, January 7 at 1:32 a.m.).

Ryōsuke Aoike (Akindo Sei Little Peso, Kaiju Step Wandabada) is directing the anime. Rie Izawa is writing the script, and Shigezo Kamimura is composing the music. Fanworks is producing the anime. Fumiya Fujii is performing the theme song "Happy Boshūchū."

The anime's story centers on Abciee, a cryptid who was attracted by radio waves to come to Osaka's Nakanoshima sandbank (where the real-life ABC headquarters is located) five years ago. As a new employee in the "Ebishi" (wordplay on ABC and Abciee) TV station, she struggles to improve herself with the help of friends and colleagues.

Show By Rock!! Stars!! The anime premiered in January 2021 and airs on Tokyo MX, BS Fuji, and Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting Co., Ltd.

The anime features existing bands in the franchise, and the cast members are reprising their roles for the new anime.

Takahiro Ikezoe is returning as chief director, and Show By Rock!! episode director Daigo Yamagishi is directing the anime at Kinema Citrus. Touko Machida is returning to handle the series scripts, and Show By Rock!! animation director Tomokatsu Nagasaku is designing the characters. Hiroki Yoshioka is CG producer, and ENGI is handling CG production. Fumiyuki Go is returning from Show By Rock!! Mashumairesh!! as sound director, while Pony Canyon is handling sound production. Yasuharu Takanashi (Team-MAX), Funta7, and Akiya Suzuki (Team-MAX) are composing the music.

The first Show by Rock!! television anime series premiered in April 2015, and Funimation streamed the series as it aired in Japan. Funimation then released the series on home video in December 2016. A series of spinoff shorts, Show By Rock!! Short!!, debuted in July 2016, and Funimation streamed the series as it aired.

The second anime season, Show By Rock!!#, premiered in October 2016, and both Crunchyroll and Funimation streamed the series as it aired. Show By Rock!! Mashumairesh!! premiered on January 9, and Funimation streamed the series as it aired. The franchise has also inspired several musicals.

Sanrio began distributing the Show By Rock!! game developed by geechs for iOS and Android in 2012. The smartphone game ended service on December 26. The new Show By Rock!! Fes A Live rhythm game, which features 2D animation of returning and new characters from Show By Rock!! Mashumairesh!!, launched on March 12.

Sorcerous Stabber Orphen: Battle of Kimluck will premiere on AT-X on January 20 at 9:00 p.m. (7:00 a.m. EST). The series will then debut on Tokyo MX on the same day at 10:00 p.m., on WOWOW at 24:00 (effectively, on January 21 at midnight), followed by BS Fuji on January 21 at 24:30 (effectively, on January 22 at 12:30 a.m.).

Takayuki Hamana (Library War, Mushibugyō, The Prince of Tennis) is returning from the first season to direct the new season at Studio Deen, and Reiko Yoshida (Girls und Panzer, K-ON!, Violet Evergarden, Yowamushi Pedal) is also back in charge of the series scripts. Yoko Kikuchi and Rio are replacing Takahiko Yoshida (Big Windup!, Cells at Work!, Yowamushi Pedal) as the character designers, and Miyo Hanami is replacing Keisuke Kawatani as the CG director. Shinnosuke is returning to compose the music.

Showtaro Morikubo is performing the opening theme song "Light of Justice." Morikubo also stars in the series as the titular Orphen. He performed the first season's opening theme song with his buzz★Vibes music unit.

The first season premiered on AT-X last January, and ended in March with 13 episodes. Funimation streamed the anime in Japanese with English subtitles as it aired in Japan, and also streamed an English dub.

J-Novel Club licensed the novels and is releasing them digitally. The company describes the beginning of the story:

Orphen is a Sorcerer drop-out from the prestigious Tower of Fangs. His journey to save Azalie, a girl he looked up to like a sister, has brought him to the bustling city of Totokanta. Here they are reunited for the first time in five years. But what is the truth behind her monstrous transformation, and just what secrets lurk behind the Sword of Baldanders...?

Akita began the light novel series in 1994 with illustrations by Kusaka. The new anime is commemorating the series' 25th anniversary. Akita debuted a new volume in the series last December, the first new volume in the light novel series in four years. A new volume will ship on January 20.

Sources: Ani-One's Facebook page