The Devils Crest anime adaptation from Production I.G unveiled its first trailer at Anime Expo 2026, confirming Ado on the opening theme and a November 6 Prime Video premiere.
Devils Crest, the anime adaptation of Reki Kawahara's light novel series, unveiled its first promotional trailer at Anime Expo 2026. The Production I.G-animated series premieres November 6 exclusively on Prime Video worldwide, with singer Ado performing the opening theme titled "Shinka" (Evolution).
Kawahara, best known as the creator of Sword Art Online, set Devils Crest in a world shaped by mixed reality technology. Sixth-grade student Yuma Ashihara is playing the VRMMORPG Actual Magic when the boundaries between the game and reality suddenly collapse, merging both into a dangerous new world. The story follows Yuma and an entire class of sixth graders as they face a terrifying game of life or death, guided by a demon named Valac who has possessed Yuma's younger sister Sawa.
The light novel series is published under Kadokawa's Dengeki Bunko imprint, with four volumes released to date. A webtoon adaptation also runs on the HykeComic platform, and Yen Press has licensed the novels for English-language release.
Production I.G is handling animation with a stacked creative team. Shinji Ushiro serves as chief director, with Kenichiro Komaya directing. Eiji Umehara is credited with series composition and scripts, while Yukiko Horiguchi known for her character designs on K-On! and other beloved titles takes on character design duties for the anime adaptation.
The musical score comes from the duo of Yuki Hayashi and Naoyuki Chikatani, with Jin Aketagawa serving as sound director. Warner Bros. Japan is handling distribution.
The trailer confirmed several voice cast members. Haruka Shiraishi voices protagonist Yuma Ashihara, while Konomi Inagaki plays his sister Sawa Ashihara. Additional cast includes Yuya Hirose as Kenji Kondo and Satomi Amano as Minagi Sano.
The opening theme "Shinka" marks another high-profile anime tie-up for Ado, who has become one of Japan's most sought-after artists for anime theme songs. The reveal drew significant attention at the Anime Expo panel where the trailer debuted.
Devils Crest premieres November 6 on Prime Video, which will stream the series exclusively worldwide. The global simultaneous launch continues Prime Video's strategy of securing high-profile anime originals. For Kawahara, the adaptation represents his first major anime project outside the Sword Art Online franchise, which has spanned multiple television seasons, films, and spin-offs across more than a decade.
With Production I.G's pedigree in action animation, Ado's star power on the soundtrack, and the proven audience draw of Kawahara's storytelling, Devils Crest arrives as one of the fall 2026 season's most anticipated new titles. The series joins a competitive slate as studios continue to bet on established light novel creators to anchor original anime productions.
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