ー Playing Cards × Supernatural Action ー

LOS ANGELES, CA — [March 8, 2022] — TMS Entertainment Co., Ltd. announces HIGH CARD, a new multi-media series, will be made into an original TV animation. In addition to this announcement, TMS Entertainment will also release its teaser visual, teaser PV, character profiles, introduction, main staff information and their comments. The project is in collaboration with KADOKAWA Co., Ltd. and Sammy Co., Ltd.

【Animation Will Be Made in 2023!】

It has been decided that the multi-media project, HIGH CARD, will be made into a TV animation in 2023.

【Teaser visual】

The teaser visual, revealed in conjunction with the announcement of the TV animation, depicts five members of HIGH CARD. High Card is also the name of a secret society organized by the order of the king to collect the cards.

【Teaser PV】

The accompanying teaser PV introduces the HIGH CARD world in an easy-to-understand manner.

URL: https://youtu.be/NpwMgsIMMMs

【Character Profiles】

The character profiles of the TV anime HIGH CARD have been released for the first time! The release includes the profiles and setting illustrations of the main character Finn, Chris, Leo, Wendy, Vijay!

■Finn Oldman

CV: Gen Sato

17 years old. Mischievous, spirited, and reckless. Born with nerves of steel, Finn is able to maintain his cool disposition in even the most nerve-racking situations. Having lost his family in a tragic accident at a young age, Finn spent a majority of his formative years living in an orphanage. His sharp focus allows him to lock on his targets, as if time has stopped. This talent allows him to be an excellent pickpocket.

Scouted for the High Card society, Finn has also begun working as a sales apprentice at Pinochle’s Old Maid branch.

 X-Playing Cards: ♠2 < Neo New Nambu >

■Chris Redgrave

CV: Toshiki Masuda

20 years old. A flirty, street-smart man who knows his way around women. He is able to operate any vehicle, including cars, with his unmatched driving skills. He’s got a sweet tooth and eats “Fudgees”, which are sticks of traditional confectionery fudge. He drinks but has a low alcohol tolerance.

He is a sales representative at Pinochle’s Old Maid branch, and becomes Finn’s mentor.

X-Playing Cards: ♥5 < Calorie’s High >

■Leo Constantine Pinochle

CV: Shun Horie

14 years old. Not only is he the son of the president of Pinochle, but he is also the manager of Pinochle’s Old Maid branch, and the leader of the High Card society. Possessing a king’s temperament, Leo is sharp-tongued, sadistic, and unable to admit to his faults. Despite his abrasive nature and young age, people acknowledge that his refined tactics are unmatched.

He attends the public school, Rummy College, where he has an entourage. He loves to spend money.

X-Playing Cards: ♦7 < Never No Dollars >

■Wendy Sato

CV: Haruka Shiraishi

21 years old. She is beautiful, but unfriendly. She became a member of the High Card society through the connections she had from her father, a master swordsman. She is often serious and is therefore frustrated by the way Finn and Chris work. She enjoys eating and drinking more than any of the other High Card members. When she drinks, her mood improves, and her coldness is replaced by a sunnier disposition.

She is part of the accounting and clerical staff at Pinochle’s Old Maid branch.

X-Playing Cards: ♠A < Love & Peace >

■Vijay Kumar Singh

CV: Yuichiro Umehara

26 years old. He has a calm personality, loves plants, and is a great chef.  Though he is an intelligent man that is able to complete any task flawlessly, his rationality prevents him from being able to “read the room,” so the others think of him as a bit of an “airhead.” He is a part-time lecturer and a PhD student at University of Cribbage.

He oversees systems management and sales at Pinochle’s Old Maid branch.

X-Playing Cards: ♣3 < Green Green >

【Introduction】

After discovering that his orphanage was on the brink of closing due to financial stress, Finn, who was living freely on the streets, set out for a casino with the aim of making a fortune. However, nothing could have prepared Finn for the nightmare that was awaiting him. Once there, Finn encountered a car chase and bloody shootout caused by a man’s “lucky” card.

Finn will eventually learn what the shootout was about. The world order can be controlled by a set of 52 X-Playing cards with the power to bestow different superhuman powers and abilities to the ones that possess them. With these cards, people can access the hidden power of the “buddy” that can be found within themselves.

There is a secret group of players called High Card, who have been directly ordered by the king of Fourland to collect the cards that have been scattered throughout the kingdom while moonlighting as employees of the luxury carmaker Pinochle. Scouted to become the group’s fifth member, Finn soon joins the players on a dangerous mission to find these cards.

“All you need in life are manners, dignity, and the will to bet on your own life.”

However, Who’s Who, the rival car maker obsessed with defeating Pinochle, and the Klondikes, the infamous Mafia family, stand in the way of the gang.

 A frenzied battle amongst these card-obsessed players, fueled by justice, desire, and revenge, is about to begin!

Are you ready?
It’s Showdown!!

【Main Staff and Their Comments】

The main staff information of the original TV anime, HIGH CARD, has been released! Director Junichi Wada and character designer Nozomi Kawano have provided their commentary about the series as well.

■Staff

The Original Work: TMS, Homura Kawamoto, Hikaru Muno

Director: Junichi Wada

Screenplay: Kenichi Yamashita, Kazuhiko Inukai, Shingo Nagai

Character Draft: Ebimo

Character Design: Nozomi Kawano

Color Design: Yumi Nanmoku

Art Director: Minoru Onishi, Akira Suzuki

CG Director: Masafumi Uchiyama

Cinematographer: Tomoyuki Kunii

Action Animation Director / Key Animator: Shunpei Mochizuki, Junichi Hayama

Effect Animation Director: Takashi Hashimoto

Sound Director: Shoji Hata

Card Design: BALCOLONY.

Concept Art: reoenl (FLAT STUDIO)

Animation Production: STUDIO HIBARI CO., LTD.

Produced By: TMS ENTERTAINMENT CO., LTD.

■Director Junichi Wada’s Commentary

I remember when I was first invited to be a part of the HIGH CARD project. The TMS producer gave me a 200-plus page PDF draft setting, and I recall being off-put by the thickness and sheer volume of the project.

I don’t want to offend those involved in the project, but I thought the setting document could have been better organized and put together. Having said that, however, it was very clear to me that what it lacked in organization, it made up for in “passion”.

I then let them know that I wanted to be a part of the project.
I believe that “passion” runs through the veins of this work.
Because of this, HIGH CARD will surely be an interesting project!

Every day, a group of uncool and clumsy people are working tirelessly to produce this project, that is set in a smart and swanky car dealership. You’re going to love it!

■Character design, Nozomi Kawano’s Commentary

From the moment I first heard about this project, I knew that I wanted to get involved, even if just casually, so it is a great honor to be able to be as involved as I am.

The process of animating Ebimo’s fashionable and cool characters has been one of trial and error, but our staff has really enjoyed working on this project. Please look forward to the story of Finn and the other High Card members.

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【Original TV anime HIGH CARD Work Outline】

Original TV animation will be made in 2023!

■Cast

Finn Oldman: Gen Sato

Chris Redgrave: Toshiki Masuda

Leo Constantine Pinochle: Shun Horie

Wendy Sato: Haruka Shiraishi

Vijay Kumar Singh: Yuichiro Umehara

 

■Official website

highcard.jp

 

■Anime official website

highcard-anime.jp

 

■Anime Official Twitter

@highcard_pj

 

© TMS/HIGH CARD Project

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About TMS Entertainment Co., Ltd.

TMS Entertainment USA, Inc. is a subsidiary of TMS Entertainment Co., Ltd. (better known as TMS), one of the largest anime studios in Japan. With a strong focus on anime production, licensing, and distribution, TMS boasts a library of over 12,000 episodes across a total of 420 titles that include much-loved anime titles such as LUPIN THE 3rd, Dr. STONE, and MEGALOBOX. For more information, visit www.tmsanime.com

 

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