Sand Land anime movie: Release date, cast, staff, plot, and more

Akira Toriyama’s new anime film, Sand Land, has finally dropped an official trailer and announced the main cast and staff. The trailer provides a brief glimpse into Toriyama’s new universe and introduces the pivotal characters of the series.

As announced earlier, TOHO will release the film in Japanese theaters on August 18, 2023. The international release of Sand Land hasn’t been announced yet. However, the global theatrical release is expected to be announced before the end of 2023.

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Kobayashi’s VA will voice the “Prince of the Underworld,” Beelzebub, in Sand Land

Mutsumi Tamura, the renowned voice actor who played the titular lead of Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, Kobayashi, will take on the role of Beelzebub in Sand Land, a character Toriyama named after the biblical demon child of Lucifer.

Kazuhiro Yamaji, who voiced Kenny Ackerman in Attack on Titan, will play Sherrif Rao, an older man who is a travel companion of Beelzebub.

Chō, better known for his role in Kengan Ashura as Kazuo Yamashita, will play Thief, one of Beelzebub’s most trusted accomplices known for his stealing skills and wisdom.

Satoshi Tsuruoka, who voiced Zanoba Shirone in Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, will portray the role of General Are, who serves under the King and actively pursues the former general, Rao, to avenge his father’s death.

Nobuo Tobito, known for his role in Naruto as Zetsu, will play General Zau, the commander of the King’s forces and the primary antagonist of Sand Land. The voice actor behind King hasn’t been announced yet.

A brief synopsis of the manga by Viz Media reads:

"In the far future, war has destroyed the entire Earth, leaving only a barren wasteland where the supply of water is controlled by the greedy king. In search of a long-lost lake, Sheriff Rao asked the king of the demons for help...and got the king's son, Beelzebub, and his assistant, Thief."

It continues:

"Together the unlikely trio sets off across the desert, facing dragons, bandits and the deadliest foe of all... the King's army itself! It's travel adventure and tank action in this new story from Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball Z!"

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About the manga and the anime adaptation

Widely acclaimed for being an accidentally underrated gem, Akira Toriyama's Sand Land garnered a lot of praise for its light and breezy storyline. Initially, Toriyama intended to create a short story about a man and a tank for his own amusement. However, one thing led to another, and he devised a unique plot featuring an amazing cast of characters.

The 14 chapters of the series, collected into one tankobon volume, were, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from May 22 to August 28, 2000.

Bandai Namco Pictures announced an anime adaptation of the manga by launching a website called the "Sand Land Project" and revealing a teaser of Toriyama’s art.

The anime was revealed to be a mixed-project CGI anime film adaptation co-produced by Anima, Sunrise, and Kamikaze Douga.