Classic anime fans, this one is for you. Cyborg 009: Nemesis has added another name to its cast, with Yuu Hayashi officially joining the new anime as Cyborg 008, also known as Pyunma.
The announcement came from the staff of Ishimori Production’s upcoming anime, which is based on Shōtarō Ishinomori’s legendary Cyborg 009 manga. The series is currently lined up for a summer 2026 debut, so we are slowly getting the full picture of how this new version is shaping up.
For those tracking the cast, Yūki Kaji is already confirmed as the lead character Joe Shimamura. Over the past two months, the anime’s official website has also been revealing a new main cast member for the Nemesis group every week, keeping the rollout steady instead of dumping everything at once.
Behind the scenes, Hideki Ambo is directing the anime at Arect. The scripts are being handled by Atsuhiro Tomioka, known for work on Pokémon, together with CHARATEX. Character designs are by sanorin.
One very nice legacy touch: the anime’s theme song is “Taga Tame ni” or “For Whom”, performed this time by Kyōko of rock band Barbee Boys. Long-time fans will recognise the song from the 1979 Cyborg 009 TV anime, where it was originally performed by Ken Narita and Koorogi ’73. Even cooler, Ishinomori himself wrote the original lyrics.
If you are newer to the franchise, Cyborg 009 is proper old-school sci-fi with a simple but still strong hook. The story follows Black Ghost, a global organisation trying to trap the world in endless war. It captures nine people from different backgrounds and turns them into cyborg soldiers. Instead of becoming obedient weapons, the nine rebel and fight back against the organisation that created them.
That global setup is a big reason the series still has weight. For Malaysian and SEA anime fans who are used to modern ensemble shows, Cyborg 009 is basically one of the older templates for the “team of enhanced fighters against a massive shadow organisation” idea. You can see its DNA in a lot of later sci-fi, superhero, and tokusatsu-style anime storytelling.
The original manga launched in Weekly King magazine in July 1964, and the franchise has been adapted many times since. It received TV anime series in 1968, 1979, and 2001, plus films in 1966, 1967, and 1980. More recent projects include the 009 Re:Cyborg movie in 2012, Cyborg 009 Call of Justice in 2016, and a Devilman crossover OVA in 2015.
The manga side has also continued in newer forms. Cyborg 009 Bgooparts Delete by Tsuguo Okazaki ran from July 2019 to September 2022, while Cyborg 009: Ghost of the Pacific launched in April 2024 from scriptwriter Masaki Tsuji and artist Masato Hayase.
For SEA viewers, the big question now is where Cyborg 009: Nemesis will stream once summer 2026 comes around. If it lands on a major platform available in Malaysia, this could be a solid entry point for fans who know the name but never actually watched the older versions.
Source: Anime News Network