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Crunchyroll Adds Cobra the Animation Videos, TV Series

The Crunchyroll media-distribution website has announced on Friday that it is adding the two new Cobra The Animation science-fiction action video series this month and launching the simulcast of the Cobra The Animation television series on January 2. With these projects, the anime studio Magic Bus is marking the 30th anniversary of Buichi Terasawa's manga about a space pirate and his female android partner.

The first four-part video series, Cobra The Animation: The Psychogun, begins streaming on Friday, followed by the two-part Cobra The Animation: Time Drive video sequel series. The 13 episodes of the Cobra The Animation television series will then begin their simulcast on January 2.

Crunchyroll's video streams of these projects will be available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Brazil, and Portugal. Crunchyroll's subscribed Anime Members can see each new episode, in standard 480-line progressive resolution, within one hour of its Japanese premiere. Other users can see the same episode in standard definition for free one week later.

Terasawa (Goku - Midnight Eye, Kabuto, Takeru, Black Knight Bat) personally directed The Psychogun and also co-directed Time Drive with Kenichi Maejima. Keizō Shimizu (Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Overture to a New War, Shinshaku Sengoku Eiyuu Densetsu Sanada Jyuu Yuushi The Animation) replaced Osamu Dezaki as the director of the Cobra The Animation television series. Shimizu also serves as the character designer and chief animation director for all three of the new projects.

Space Adventure Cobra began in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1978, and the manga was already adapted by Dezaki into an animated television series and film in 1982. Urban Vision released the 1982 movie in North America.

Update: More background information added.