The upcoming TV anime adaptation of Amara’s The Cat and the Dragon is starting to look like one of the more interesting fantasy picks for the July anime window.
The anime’s official website has released a new second “pick-up” promotional video, alongside a fresh key visual and three additional voice cast members. The latest names joining the project are Atsumi Tanezaki, Chika Anzai, and Junya Enoki — a pretty solid trio if you follow modern anime voice work.
For Malaysian and SEA anime fans who usually build their seasonal watchlists around whatever lands on Crunchyroll, Netflix, Bilibili, Ani-One, or Muse Asia, this is the kind of update worth keeping an eye on. No regional streaming details were included in the announcement, so don’t lock in your platform plans yet. But with July anime season always packed, early promo drops like this help fans decide what deserves a slot on the weekly rotation.
What is The Cat and the Dragon?
The Cat and the Dragon is based on Amara’s Neko to Ryū novel series, which began as a web novel on Shōsetsuka ni Narō back in September 2013. If that platform sounds familiar, yes — it’s the same kind of web novel ecosystem that has powered many fantasy and isekai-style anime adaptations over the years.
The series later moved into print through Takarajimasha, with the first light novel volume released in hardcover in April 2016 featuring illustrations by Mai Ōkuma. The novels have reached nine volumes so far, with the ninth volume released in Japan on November 26. The franchise has also passed 1 million copies sold, which is not small potatoes for a fantasy title getting its anime push now.
There is also a manga version by Izumi Sasaki, which started on Kono Manga ga Sugoi! web in September 2017 before also running on Manga Box from April 2020. The manga’s 12th compiled volume shipped in Japan on November 21.
The anime staff looks solid
The production is being handled by OLM, with Jin-Koo Oh of Tonbo! directing. Mitsutaka Hirota, known for Edens Zero, is in charge of series scripts, while Rie Nishino and Chiaki Kurakazu are handling character designs.
Music is by Takahiro Obata, whose credits include The Promised Neverland, and Noriyoshi Konuma from The Dangers in My Heart is serving as sound director.
That combination suggests the adaptation is not being thrown together casually. For a fantasy story like this, sound design and music can make or break the atmosphere. SEA fans know the pain: some shows look promising on paper, then the adaptation feels flat because the world doesn’t have that extra flavour. Hopefully, this one gets the warmth and scale it needs.
Why Malaysian fans should care
The July anime season is usually brutal — too many shows, not enough weeknights. For local fans juggling work, class, commute, and maybe a gaming backlog that is already gila stacked, The Cat and the Dragon needs to prove quickly why it deserves attention.
The good news is that it already has a long-running source base, a manga adaptation, and a sales milestone behind it. That doesn’t guarantee a banger anime, of course, but it does mean there is an existing audience and enough material for the production team to work with.
The added cast also gives it more visibility. Names like Tanezaki, Anzai, and Enoki will definitely make anime fans pause and check the trailer, especially those who follow seiyuu lineups closely.
For now, The Cat and the Dragon goes into the “watch the first episode and decide” pile. Not instant overhype, but definitely not background noise either.
Source: Anime News Network