The new BASTARD!! -Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy- anime debuted on Netflix earlier this year with a second season in the works. The remake breathes new life into Kazushi Hagiwara‘s iconic dark fantasy manga, which started in 1988 and has released twenty seven volumes as of March 2012. We spoke to director Takaharu Ozaki, screenwriter Yousuke Kuroda, and character designer Sayaka Ono to find out what they didn’t change about this decades-old classic.
When was the decision made to make a new BASTARD!! anime, and what interested you in the project?
Takaharu Ozaki: I first heard about it right at the start of 2019. I’ve been super engrossed in horror, science-fiction, fantasy, action, sex, and violence since I was a child, so I thought that working as a director on BASTARD!! would be a peerless opportunity.
Instead of considering…
