This winter, audiences are invited to marvel at Dragons of Wonderhatch – a revolutionary new series that spans both live action and anime worlds to tell an unforgettable story. Available exclusively on Disney+, the main cast for the series’ anime world and several pieces of character artwork were recently revealed for the first time.

A hybrid story set in both the “real world” we live in and an anime land called Upananta where dragons and humans coexist, Dragons of Wonderhatch will tell the story of Nagi, a high school student who lives in the real world but who feels out of place among her classmates; Thaim, a dragon rider who communicates with dragons in Upananta, and Aktha, a dragon rider hero.

As part of the announcement, Disney+ exclusively revealed that the characters of Thaim and Aktha will be voiced by Daiken Okudaira (Mother, Insomniacs After School) and Mackenyu (One Piece, Knights of the Zodiac) respectively, while Nagi will be performed by Sena Nakajima, and Thaim’s dragon sidekick, Guphin, will be voiced by Shunsuke Takeuchi, who is most well-known for providing the Japanese voice of Olaf in Frozen.

Jairo, a newly announced character, and the most fearsome dragon rider in the anime world, will be voiced by Kenjiro Tsuda (Jujutsu Kaisen, Golden Kamuy). “Jairo is a villain who makes people tremble with fear, but on the other hand, he also has a big secret that he cannot tell anyone,” said the show’s director Kentaro Hagiwara. “Mr. Tsuda is an extraordinary voice actor who accurately expresses not only Jairo’s conflicts, but also the sadness that lies ahead.” 

Speaking as part of the exciting announcement, Kenjiro Tsuda, the voice of Jairo said: “While there have been works that combine anime and live action in the past, as soon as I heard about this project I was excited to be able to participate in a way that will push the boundaries of this medium.” Shunsuke Takeuchi, the voice of Guphin, agreed, stating: “I’m really looking forward to seeing the unique world building that will occur throughout this series, and I’m really putting my all into this project to ensure that Guphin resonates with audiences as the loveable, relatable character he is.”

The announcement also pulled back the curtain on several pieces of exciting character artwork, giving audiences their first look at the animated characters Thaim, Aktha, Jairo and the adorable Guphin.

Set to debut this winter exclusively on Disney+, Dragons of Wonderhatch is directed by Kentaro Hagiwara, with Takashi Otsuka directing the anime world. The series’ animated world is produced by Production I.G. (Ghost in the Shell, Psycho-Pass).