JJK Director Taps Talent From Spy x Family & JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure For New Movie

by

The upcoming one-hour Winter Arc special of Undead Unluck isn’t leaving its success to chance. Following a fairly average first season, the series is getting a boost with Sunghoo Park – the director famous for Jujutsu Kaisen – now at the helm.

Alongside Park’s skills, several well-known professionals are contributing to the project, including Yamato Haishima and Hideyuki Morioka (both from Fire Force), Shunichi Ishimoto (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Pokémon), and Kenichiro Suehiro (Re:Zero, Uncle from Another World). The voice cast features Kensho Ono, known as Yuri Briar from Spy x Family, as Tella, and Takehito Koyasu, famous for his role as Dio Brando in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, as Balance. This experienced team of industry veterans could be just what Undead Unluck needs to regain popularity.

Undead Unluck Still Has Potential Despite a Rocky Start

Undead Unluck began as a manga series published in Weekly Shonen Jump from January 2020 to January 2025, ultimately spanning 27 volumes. It centers around Fuuko Izumo, a woman with the power to bring bad luck to anyone she touches, and Andy, an immortal man searching for a way to finally die.

They’re an unusual team, facing off against supernatural dangers, shadowy groups, and enemies who aren’t simply good or evil. The series is known for its creative abilities and surprising plots, although the beginning – the first book and initial chapters – received some criticism regarding how certain characters interacted.

The anime series, created by TMS Entertainment, first aired from October 7, 2023, to March 23, 2024, and received a varied response from viewers. A special episode, called the Winter Arc, will continue the story after the events of the first season, following Fuuko and Andy as they face new challenges and conflicts with the Union and its members.

Fuuko tries to convince Rip to help their team as they gather important items and deal with remaining dangers. Meanwhile, Juiz, who leads the Union, discovers weaknesses in the Ark—a crucial artifact this season—and clashes with Billy, whose beliefs question everything the Union stands for.

Undead Unluck’s Winter Arc Boasts Plenty of Starpower

The upcoming Winter Arc special will be directed, storyboarded, and produced by Park, who previously worked on Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1. He now leads his own animation studio, E&H Production, which is handling the animation for the special. Yamato Haishima, known for his work on Fire Force, wrote the screenplay. Hideyuki Morioka (Fire Force, IGPX: Immortal Grand Prix) and Shunichi Ishimoto (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Pokémon) are responsible for the character designs. Kenichiro Suehiro, who also composed the music for the first season, is returning to create the score.

The team creating the new installment includes experienced members known for their work on popular action shows. Park and his team from E&H Production are anticipated to give this special a unique look and feel, different from what viewers saw in the first season.

The special Undead Unluck Winter Arc is adding some well-known voice actors to the cast. Kensho Ono, famous for his work as , will be the voice of Tella, a new character introduced in this arc. Tella is portrayed as a dedicated and loyal soldier who serves under Billy. Ono shared that he sees Tella as someone with a strong moral compass and a deep sense of camaraderie, and he’s committed to portraying him as a dependable ally for Billy, recalling their shared history as mercenaries.

Voice actor Takehito Koyasu joins the cast of Undead Unluck as Balance, a brand-new character. Balance is described as charming yet unpredictable in battle. Koyasu shared his excitement about the role, saying he hopes fans will enjoy seeing how Balance impacts the story and is eager to portray the character’s dynamic energy and unpredictable nature.

The main voice actors from the first season of Undead Unluck are returning for the next installment. Moe Kahara will reprise her role as Fuuko Izumo (Unluck), while Yuichi Nakamura (known as Gray Fullbuster from Fairy Tail) will be back as Andy. Mariya Ise, who voiced Mei Hatsume in My Hero Academia, will return as Juiz, and Rie Kugimiya (Alphonse Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist) will once again voice Tatiana. Rip Tristan’s voice actor is also returning.

Undead Unluck Next Arc Could Decide Its Fate

Despite the potential, the anime version didn’t quite succeed. The first season received a mixed response from both critics and viewers. While the art style, created by Yoshifumi Tozuka, was praised for being dynamic and featuring distinctive character designs, some felt the way the relationship between Andy and Fuuko was shown was problematic.

The series didn’t perform well, either in Japan or with international audiences. A lack of strong marketing, minimal pre-release buzz, and limited availability outside of Japan made it hard to find viewers. While some longtime fans of the original manga appreciated the animation and story, others felt the pacing was off and the characters weren’t fully developed. Ultimately, opinions were mixed, and the show didn’t gain the widespread popularity seen by other similar titles.

Many viewers considered the anime a hidden treasure, praising its exciting action sequences. However, it struggled to attract a large audience overall. The initial response to the first season created high expectations for the Winter Arc special, which seems designed to address previous criticisms and expand the story with new characters and plotlines.

This new project represents a significant investment by TMS Entertainment, demonstrating their continued commitment to Undead Unluck despite a disappointing first season. They’ve brought on highly skilled professionals – a move that likely came at a considerable cost – and prominent voice actors. This clearly aims to draw in new viewers and potentially win back fans who were let down by the initial season, offering a chance for redemption this winter.

A special episode for the Undead Unluck Winter Arc will air in Japan on December 25, 2025. After the first season, fans are eager to see if things will finally start going well for the characters.

Read More

2025-11-01 06:19