The upcoming Afro-Anime project Mfinda is expanding with a new manga adaptation. The series will be published this year in Kodansha‘s Biblio Sirius Magazine.
The project comes from U.S.-Japan studio N LITE, which had already announced a manga prequel ahead of the film’s release. N LITE founder Christiano Terry is writing the manga, with illustrations by art director Tom Lintern. Storyboard artist Koma Warita is also part of the creative team.
Mfinda is inspired by Congolese mythology and is described by N LITE as an “Afro-Anime” project. Kodansha is supervising the production alongside N LITE, with plans for the manga to run across multiple volumes.
The original story was created by Christiano Terry and Congolese-American artist Patience Lekien. The manga will explore more of the story’s universe, focusing on two protagonists, Nasambi and Odi.
The film adaptation includes a strong production team. Masao Maruyama is producing, Gisaburo Sugii is directing, and Arthell Isom is co-directing. Actor Jaden Smith is also part of the cast and will voice the character Kozo.
The Mfinda film was first announced at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in 2023. U.S. distributor GKIDS is involved in the project, along with Viola Davis and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions.
The story follows a 13-year-old Congolese girl who is transported to the Mfinda, a mysterious forest filled with spirits, gods, and ancestors. There, she meets another girl from a different time, and together they begin a journey to return home during a conflict between humans and nature’s spirits.
Source: Variety
————
AnimeTV チェーン bringing you the latest anime news direct from Japan ~ anytime! — Your new source of information!
