BNA: Brand New Animal
BNA: Brand New Animal, simply known as BNA, is an original Japanese anime television series produced by Trigger and directed by Yoh Yoshinari. The series' first six episodes premiered on Netflix in Japan in March 2020; another six episodes premiered in May of the same year. The series also aired on Fuji TV's +Ultra anime programming block from April to June 2020.
Plot
The series is set in a world where humans co-exist with a branch of humanity called beastmen, who face persecution for their ability to turn into humanoid animals through a trait in DNA called "beast factor". The series centers on Michiru Kagemori, a young teenage girl who suddenly turned into a beastman after her best friend Nazuna Hiwatashi was abducted following a blood transfusion. Michiru runs away to seek refuge in Anima City, a haven made for the beastmen, and meets the mysterious wolf beastman Shirou Ogami, who works for the city's mayor, Barballet Rosé. The two work to investigate the circumstances of Michiru's transformation while maintaining peace in Anima City, only to stumble into a conspiracy involving Sylvasta Pharmaceuticals prestige medical research center in Anima City, whose unsavory employees were responsible for accidentally providing the blood used in Michiru's transformation along with Nazuna. The company placed Nazuna in a cult to claim herself as the beastmens' guardian deity known as the Silver Wolf. However, Michiru learns the real Silver Wolf is Shirou, who was forced to reveal his true power when dealing with the Sylvasta researcher Yaba, who mutated into a crazed monster following his arrest. Michiru learns Shirou is an immortal who gained his powers as the sole survivor of Nirvasyl, a city of beastmen destroyed a millennium ago by humans, and has since dedicated himself to protecting his kind. Alan Sylvasta, the owner of Sylvasta Pharmaceuticals, reveals the beastmen of Nirvasyl were victims of a stress-induced phenomenon called Nirvasyl Syndrome, that caused them to kill each other before the humans finished them off. Alan also explains he is resolving the issue by having Nazuna pretend to be the Silver Wolf while developing a drug to turn beastmen into humans should they go berserk. But Alan's actual plan is to induce Nirvasyl Syndrome, having Nazuna exposed on stage while revealing himself to be a beastman from a pure bloodline. After the pair learns the cure to Nirvasyl Syndrome is Michiru and Nazuna's blood, the crisis is averted, with Michiru accepting her condition while remaining in Anima City to help Shirou protect it.Characters
;Michiru Kagemori;Shirou Ogami
;Nazuna Hiwatashi
;Alan Sylvasta
;Barballet Rosé
;Marie Itami
;Yūji Tachiki
;Gem Horner
;Melissa Horner
;Giuliano Flip
;Prime Minister Shiramizu
;Nina Flip
;Jackie
;Boris Cliff
;Pinga
Release
During Anime Expo 2019, Trigger revealed that they were producing a new original anime television series directed by Yoh Yoshinari and written by Kazuki Nakashima. The series' characters were designed by Yusuke Yoshigaki, and its music was composed by Mabanua.The series premiered on Fuji TV's +Ultra anime programming block, BS Fuji, and other channels from April 8 to June 24, 2020. Prior to its Japanese television debut, the show's first six episodes were streamed on Netflix in Japan on March 21, 2020. The other six were later available on May 6, 2020. Distributed by Toho, the series was released in three volumes on DVD and Blu-ray in Japan. The first volume was released on August 19, 2020, while the other two gets a September 16 and October 14 release respectively. The opening theme, "Ready To", is performed by Sumire Morohoshi as Michiru Kagemori, while electronic musician AAAMYYY does the ending theme, "Night Running".
BNA: Brand New Animal was released worldwide on June 30, 2020, on Netflix.