How Not to Summon a Demon Lord is coming back, and the production committee has shown its hand. A teaser visual and the main staff for How Not to Summon a Demon Lord ULT were released on October 9.
The biggest change is behind the scenes. Tezuka Productions returns to animate the series, while Studio Okuruto Noboru, which handled the previous season, is not involved this time. Swapping studios mid-franchise usually reshuffles the art team too, but here the core names are holding steady.
Staff
Satoshi Kuwabara returns as director. His other directing credits include The Quintessential Quintuplets and The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses. Kazuyuki Fudeyasu is back on series composition, and Shizue Kaneko returns as character designer.
Three more staff members are confirmed for ULT:
- Zenjiro Ukelele, previously season 2’s chief animation director, on character design
- Satoshi Motoyama as sound director
- Yuusuke Katou on music
Cast
The main voice cast is reprising its roles. Masaaki Mizunaka is back as Diablo, Azumi Waki returns as Rem, and Yu Serizawa returns as Shera. Their continuing involvement should keep the show recognizable even with a new animation studio.
What the series is
How Not to Summon a Demon Lord is based on the light novel written by Yukiya Murasaki and illustrated by Takahiro Tsurusaki. The story follows Takuma Sakamoto, a shut-in who spends his days in the MMORPG Cross Reverie. He is a top-ranked player in the game and far less impressive outside it. Tsurusaki’s art has defined the series’ look since the novels began, and the new visual keeps that style intact.
One day Takuma wakes up in a world that mirrors Cross Reverie, living in the body of his in-game character, the Demon Lord Diablo. A demi-human and an elf summoned him to serve them. His magic ring reverses the spell, so both of them end up as his servants instead. Stuck in the game world, Diablo has to survive it with the two of them in tow.
Why it matters
No premiere date has been announced, and the committee has not said when ULT will air. That is the main thing still missing. Crunchyroll streams the first two seasons, so there is a clear place for the new one to land when it is ready.
Keeping Kuwabara, Fudeyasu and Kaneko in place matters more than the studio name on the poster. An adaptation that keeps its writer and character designer tends to keep its tone, and this series leans on comedy timing as much as on fights. The teaser visual suggests the look will stay close to what viewers already know.
For another demon lord series on the way, see our coverage of The Fledgling Demon Lord’s Starter Shop, which arrives in January 2027. And for more on returning cast member Yu Serizawa, her idol unit i☆Ris has announced it will disband.
Source: Anime Corner
Featured image: Teaser visual for How Not to Summon a Demon Lord ULT, via the anime’s official X account / Anime Corner.
