Helck, the cult manga by Nanaki Nanao is finally getting an anime, and it's definitely one of the upcoming series all fantasy fans should keep an eye on.
Introducing Helck
Helck takes place in a fantasy world, where the Demon King was defeated and the Demon World is holding a tournament to pick a successor. Enters Helck, our muscular protagonist, who joins the competition despite being human, and claims he wishes to eradicate the human race. Simultaneously, Helck is constantly observed by Red Vamirio, our second protagonist. She's one of the Four Heavenly Kings and definitely thinks Helck has some hidden motives and couldn't be truly looking to help out the demon race.
With a pretty unusual premise and an odd duo of protagonists, the Helck manga is original, inspired, and a great read mixing comedy and drama in a particularly well-built fantasy world.
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Nanaki Nanao is the talented manga author behind Helck
Helck was written and illustrated by Nanaki Nanao, also known as N-Nanaki, a female mangaka specializing in Shounen fantasy stories. Helck was published from 2014 to 2017 in the web magazine Ura Sunday, with 12 volumes in Japan. The Helck original manga was sadly not licensed in the US, but the anime is definitely one occasion to rekindle interest in it for a localization.
Helck anime officially announced by Nanaki Nanao
The Helck anime was announced by Nanaki Nanao on Twitter, on February 14 JST right after midnight. Both her tweet and the press release don't confirm whether it's a TV anime or a movie. We'll get more details later on.
If you can speak Japanese, several chapters of Helck can be read for free on Ura Sunday. Helck will also get a new volume edition in Japan. The first volume releases on April 12, and a new one will come out every month till March 2023. I also recommend another fantasy series by Nanaki Nanao called Acaria, featuring a cool and cute female archer as the lead character.
First Biscuit Hammer gets an anime announced, and now Helck gets one too. Fantasy fans are eating in 2022. What do you all expect from the Helck anime adaptation? Tell me in the comments below!