Image: Shishite Ikiru SSS-kyuu Hunter, Produktionskomitee
AMBot | 09/11/2026 | Reading Time: 4 Min.
The TV anime adaptation of the Korean web novel and SMARTOON "Shishite Ikiru SSS-kyuu Hunter" (internationally: SSS-Class Revival Hunter) has been officially confirmed. On September 10, 2026, the producers released a first teaser PV, a teaser visual, as well as the casting for the two main roles and the key staff positions. The broadcast is set to begin in January 2027. A specific air date, the involved TV stations, the episode count, the full cast, and the music staff have not yet been announced.
The source material is a South Korean web novel by Sinnoa, which has been serialized since November 2018; a webtoon version followed in December 2020, with Neida handling the adaptation and Bill K responsible for the artwork. The story follows Kim Gongja, an F-class hunter at the very bottom who ekes out a meager existence in a tower world suddenly overrun by monsters and envies the "Flame Emperor" at the top. After he obtains an S+ copy skill that only triggers when he himself dies, he witnesses a scandal involving the Flame Emperor and is killed for it. His death activates the copy ability, allowing him to take on the Flame Emperor's gift of returning 24 hours before his own death. Together with the "Sword Emperor," a former top hunter bound to him as a spirit, he aims to rise from the lowest rank—initially driven by revenge, later as part of a larger journey through the tower.
Kim Gongja will be voiced by Takeo Otsuka, and the Sword Emperor by Satoshi Hino. In his statement, Otsuka refers to the rise from the very bottom of the hierarchy and to the pace of the voice recording, which came together with noticeable speed. Hino describes the Sword Emperor as a daring yet approachable character who, with his experience and strength, acts as a spirit at the protagonist's side; alongside action and psychological duels, the interplay between the two characters in particular is said to be one of the series' appeals.
Direction is handled by Hiroaki Sakurai, known among other things for the "Saiki Kusuo no Ψ-nan" series and "The Demon Girl Next Door." Sakurai stated that adapting a work that evolved from a novel to a comic and found readers worldwide is an honor, but also brings pressure; with the appointment of Takahiro Yoshimatsu as character designer, the path of the adaptation became much clearer. The screenplay is by Sayuri Oba, who describes the source material as a Korean hit work with roller-coaster dramaturgy and cites the hero's card and death-bound abilities as the central attraction. Yoshimatsu, who worked on "Trigun," "Hunter x Hunter" (2011), and "Overlord," among others, is responsible for the character design of the main characters. The animation is being produced by Studio fu, based in Suginami, Tokyo; the credits also list "Produced by HAYATE." Composition, art director, cinematography, and sound direction have not yet been announced.
The teaser visual shows Kim Gongja in a dim, cluttered room, while the Sword Emperor looks down at him from above and a single card glows in golden light. The official description interprets the scene as the beginning of a fundamental turn in the protagonist's fate. The teaser PV shows the characters animated for the first time.
The Japanese version of the SMARTOON has been running since 2022 on the digital manga and novel service Piccoma, where, according to the production, the series has collected more than 25 million hearts and regularly ranks near the top in the fantasy category. The webtoon is published in English by Tapas, and the first printed volume was released on October 22, 2024, by Ize Press. Crunchyroll has announced the series for worldwide streaming starting in January 2027, including large parts of Europe, North, Central, and South America, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, and selected Asian territories such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and the Indian subcontinent. Further details about the series are likely to follow in the coming months.
The source material is a South Korean web novel by Sinnoa, which has been serialized since November 2018; a webtoon version followed in December 2020, with Neida handling the adaptation and Bill K responsible for the artwork. The story follows Kim Gongja, an F-class hunter at the very bottom who ekes out a meager existence in a tower world suddenly overrun by monsters and envies the "Flame Emperor" at the top. After he obtains an S+ copy skill that only triggers when he himself dies, he witnesses a scandal involving the Flame Emperor and is killed for it. His death activates the copy ability, allowing him to take on the Flame Emperor's gift of returning 24 hours before his own death. Together with the "Sword Emperor," a former top hunter bound to him as a spirit, he aims to rise from the lowest rank—initially driven by revenge, later as part of a larger journey through the tower.
Kim Gongja will be voiced by Takeo Otsuka, and the Sword Emperor by Satoshi Hino. In his statement, Otsuka refers to the rise from the very bottom of the hierarchy and to the pace of the voice recording, which came together with noticeable speed. Hino describes the Sword Emperor as a daring yet approachable character who, with his experience and strength, acts as a spirit at the protagonist's side; alongside action and psychological duels, the interplay between the two characters in particular is said to be one of the series' appeals.
Direction is handled by Hiroaki Sakurai, known among other things for the "Saiki Kusuo no Ψ-nan" series and "The Demon Girl Next Door." Sakurai stated that adapting a work that evolved from a novel to a comic and found readers worldwide is an honor, but also brings pressure; with the appointment of Takahiro Yoshimatsu as character designer, the path of the adaptation became much clearer. The screenplay is by Sayuri Oba, who describes the source material as a Korean hit work with roller-coaster dramaturgy and cites the hero's card and death-bound abilities as the central attraction. Yoshimatsu, who worked on "Trigun," "Hunter x Hunter" (2011), and "Overlord," among others, is responsible for the character design of the main characters. The animation is being produced by Studio fu, based in Suginami, Tokyo; the credits also list "Produced by HAYATE." Composition, art director, cinematography, and sound direction have not yet been announced.
The teaser visual shows Kim Gongja in a dim, cluttered room, while the Sword Emperor looks down at him from above and a single card glows in golden light. The official description interprets the scene as the beginning of a fundamental turn in the protagonist's fate. The teaser PV shows the characters animated for the first time.
The Japanese version of the SMARTOON has been running since 2022 on the digital manga and novel service Piccoma, where, according to the production, the series has collected more than 25 million hearts and regularly ranks near the top in the fantasy category. The webtoon is published in English by Tapas, and the first printed volume was released on October 22, 2024, by Ize Press. Crunchyroll has announced the series for worldwide streaming starting in January 2027, including large parts of Europe, North, Central, and South America, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, and selected Asian territories such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and the Indian subcontinent. Further details about the series are likely to follow in the coming months.
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This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical support and editorially reviewed before publication.
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