Introduction to Lazarus

Adult Swim has announced that it will air the latest anime series from Shinichirō Watanabe, the acclaimed creator of Cowboy Bebop. The new series, titled Lazarus, is set to premiere on April 5 at midnight on Adult Swim and will be available to stream on Max the day after. This announcement comes after a long wait, with the project first being revealed way back in 2023.

Plot of Lazarus

Lazarus follows the story of a task force known as Lazarus, which is on a mission to hunt down a rogue scientist who has developed a miracle drug called "Hapna." This drug, initially intended as a painkiller, has a deadly secret: it kills the user three years after the first dose. The Lazarus team aims to find the creator of Hapna to develop a vaccine that can counteract the drug’s lethal side effects, thereby saving countless lives and potentially the world.

Style and Inspirations

The trailer for Lazarus showcases a blend of sci-fi elements, jazz music (featuring contributions from Bonobo, Floating Points, and Kamasi Washington), and a protagonist, Axel, who bears a resemblance to characters from Watanabe’s past works, particularly Cowboy Bebop. However, Lazarus promises to bring its own unique charm to the table. Notably, the series’ action sequences are choreographed by Chad Stahelski, director of John Wick, and the narrative draws inspiration from real-world issues such as the opioid crisis and climate change, as revealed in a Polygon interview with Watanabe from October 2024.

Background and Anticipation

Watanabe’s previous series, Carole & Tuesday, premiered on Netflix in the US in 2019. Following that, Netflix’s live-action remake of Cowboy Bebop was released but came and went in 2021. The anticipation for original work from Shinichirō Watanabe has been high, and with Lazarus on the horizon, fans won’t have to wait much longer to experience his unique storytelling and direction once again.