Exception: Release Date, Cast, And More For Netflix's Space Anime Horror Series

Netflix's newest space anime horror series explores the idea of a dystopian future where a need for terraforming leads a 3D-printed scout to engage in space travel. Being alone in space is frightening because we know so little about it, and this idea is being put to test in the streamer's latest offering, titled "Exception." A trailer for the anime that aims to raise questions about life and humanity has been released, and it glimpses the show's seemingly eerie atmosphere. 

Directed by Yuzo Sato, "Exception" has an original story and screenplay penned by acclaimed Japanese horror writer Hirokata Adachi (better known as Otsuichi). With a trailer, a star cast, and a release date already announced, this anime has a lot going for it! Here's all we know about it:

The horror anime series tackles what it is like to be stuck in the darkness and isolation of space, where the danger of uncertainty constantly looms over them. And then there's the loneliness that comes with it. A trailer for the show introduces characters Lewis, Nina, Mack, Patty, and Oscar as they travel through space to discover a planet suitable for terraforming the people of Earth. Here's the detailed synopsis from Studio 5 and Tatsunoko Production (via Deadline), which reads:

"In the far future, humanity has been driven from Earth and forced to move its population to another galaxy. Members of a scouting team are sent to search for a planet suitable for terraforming. The crew was created through a biological 3D printer, but a system malfunction causes one of the crew members, Lewis, to emerge in a deformed state. As Lewis turns on his fellow crew members Nina, Mack, Patty and Oscar, a countdown to the end of the mission begins in the frightening darkness of the ship."

Animator Yuzu Sato who is well-known for his work in thriller anime such as "Kaiji," "Akagi," as well as "One Outs," will be directing the series, while influential visual artist/illustrator Yoshitaka Amano (former work includes the characters of Gatchaman and Tekkaman: The Space Knight) has created the character designs. Amano's notable credits include "Speed Racer," "Vampire Hunter D," as well as Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman: Dream Hunters." Academy award-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto is behind the score.

Sakamoto shared his experience building the score for the Netflix anime, stating that his vision was to create a "symphonic piece" that could act as a staple for the sci-fi genre — like the track from "Star Wars." The composer is proud to have contributed to the series as he did. Here's the full quote via Netflix:

"I've always liked science fiction, and when I read the script, it made me want to see it visualized, so I decided to participate. We live in a time when cloning and other gene manipulation technology is advanced, but the questions that arise here are, 'What is life?' or 'What is humanity?' This work deals with these kinds of questions head on." 

Describing the soundtrack, Sakamoto shared that the score was "darkly ambient" and he "worked towards making the entire soundtrack feel like one piece of music rather than separate by scene." He concluded: That said, I did include a degree of harsh sounds in the fighting scenes. I was able to make a soundtrack that I like very much."

"Exception" features a terrific voice cast — the English and Japanese voice actors for the series include Nolan North (who voiced Nathan Drake in "Uncharted" games) and Chikahiro Kobayashi (who voiced Saichi Sugimoto in "Golden Kamuy") as Lewis. Robbie Daymond ("Breadwinners") and Takahiro Sakura ("Demon Slayer") will voice Mack. Ali Hillis ("Final Fantasy XIII") and Yuko Kaida ("Ikki Tousen") voice Nina, while Eugene Byrd ("8 Mile") and Takanori Hoshino ("Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's") are set to be the voice of Oscar. Nadine Nicole ("The Expanse") and Atsumi Tanezaki ("Spy x Family") will voice the character of Patty. As per Netflix,

"Exception" is set for a global release on the streamer on October 13, 2022.