Netflix’s upcoming animated series, Oni: Thunder God’s Tale, is a western take on Japanese folklore. By featuring characters from popular myths and stories in the culture, the company aims to produce something out of the box.
The series is a production by the California-based Tonko House. It is not just an ordinary studio, but an Academy Award-nominated one, meaning the show will be nothing less than spectacular.
Netflix has started streaming the official trailer for Oni: Thunder God’s Tale, which shows off the series’ brilliant CGI stop-motion animation. The show is originally in English and will be dubbed into different languages later.
Despite the elaborate plot and characters, the show will have only four episodes. It is slated for October 21, 2022, with the Animation Is Film Festival hosting the theatrical world premiere on October 22.
The trailer starts by setting the premise. We see a classroom full of Kami or folklore creatures being told by their teacher about the Oni. Every 100 years, the Oni attack the Kami’s village, and the kids are being trained to protect it.
All the Kami, young and old, start training, including the protagonist Onari and her parent Naridon. While other children show exceptional combat skills, the teacher is worried that Onari isn’t a fighter and won’t be ready till the Oni arrive.
Onari is hell-bent on proving them wrong by developing an extraordinary thunder skill that gives her an upper hand. Her power is strong enough to hold back and destroy the Oni and save the village.
Since this culture inspires the plot, the staff has revealed the Japanese dub cast for the series:
| Character | Cast | Other Works |
| Amaten | Reina Ueda | Kanao Tsuyuri (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba) |
| Fūtarō | Yasuhiro Mamiya | Magma (Dr. Stone) |
| Naridon | Craig Robinson | – |
| Onari | Ryoko Shiraishi | Hayate Ayasaki (Hayate the Combat Butler) |
| Kappa | Satomi Arai | Sakura Kaname (Fafner) |
| Tengu | Kazuhiko Inoue | Ninzaburo Shiratori (Case Closed) |
| Onari’s mother | Miyuki Sawashiro | Ultear (Fairy Tail) |
| Nama and Hage | Takayuki Nakatsukasa | Pan (Flavors of Youth) |
| Ninjin | Kana Uetaka | – |
| Um Brella | Haruka Tomatsu | Zero Two (DARLING in the FRANXX) |
| Tanukinta | Rie Kugimiya | Kagura (Gintama) |
| Daruma-chan | Misaki Kuno | Hawk (Seven Deadly Sins) |
| Calvin | Marina Aicholtz | – |
| the principal | Toshiko Sawada | Tiffany Evergarden (Violet Evergarden) |
The star-studded dub cast has made the wait even more difficult, but knowing that there are barely two weeks left for the debut makes it better.
I hope your Netflix subscriptions are renewed.
About Oni: Thunder God’s Tale
Oni: Thunder God’s Tale is an animated series from Tonko House, an independent California-based animation studio. Daisuke Tsutsumi is the creator and showrunner of the project.
The series features a world where Japanese yokai coexist. One day they face a threat from a certain type of monster called Oni. It’s time for our protagonist, Onari, to shine. She is a free-spirited daughter of a yokai who is yet to discover her powers.
No Comments on Netflix Streams New Trailer for ‘Oni: Thunder God’s Tale’