Rooster Fighter
Japanese manga series
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Rooster Fighter (Japanese: ニワトリ・ファイター, Hepburn: Niwatori Faitā) is a Japanese web manga series written and illustrated by Shū Sakuratani. It has been serialized on Hero's Inc.'s Comiplex manga website since December 2020. An anime television series adaptation produced by Sanzigen and Sola Entertainment is set to premiere in the United States in March 2026 and in Japan in April of the same year.
| Rooster Fighter | |
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Keiji | |
| ニワトリ・ファイター (Niwatori Faitā) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Shū Sakuratani |
| Published by | Hero's Inc. |
| English publisher | |
| Magazine | Comiplex |
| Original run | December 18, 2020 – present |
| Volumes | 11 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Daisuke Suzuki |
| Produced by | Joseph Chou |
| Written by | Hiroshi Seko |
| Music by | Tetsuya Takahashi |
| Studio |
|
| Licensed by | |
| Original network | Tokyo MX, BS NTV |
| English network |
|
| Original run | March 15, 2026 – scheduled[a] |
| Episodes | 12[3] |
Plot
Three years ago, mutant demons began appearing in Japan. While some are harmless or helpful towards humans, others are troublesome. Created from humans suffering from extreme emotional distress or unresolved trauma, these mutant demons began to wreak havoc as they began to evolve to be more intelligent and dangerous.
A lone rooster named Keiji wanders around various cities of Japan while defeating mutant demons he encounters. His ultimate goal is to find and kill the mutant dubbed "The White Demon" who killed his sister in order to avenge her death.
Characters
Main characters
- Keiji (ケイジ)
- Voiced by: Kenta Miyake[4] (Japanese); Patrick Seitz[5] (English)
- A self-described "migratory bird" who vows to defeat the demon that killed his sister. He wanders around Japan and has a policy to never stay longer than necessary. Keiji has a strict code of conduct that he follows regarding respect and appreciation. Despite despising children or any youngsters that he deemed disrespectful or annoying, he has a soft spot for some of them, like Piyoko. His abilities include resonance and having great aim when throwing items with his beak.
- Elizabeth (エリザベス, Erizabesu)
- Voiced by: Mariko Honda[4] (Japanese); Luci Christian[5] (English)
- Adopted into a wealthy family shortly after her birth, Elizabeth lived a luxurious yet dissatisfying life when she witnessed a demon wreak havoc on her city and nearly killed her and her family. It was Keiji that rescued them and she immediately fell in love with him, only to be abandoned right after their short affair. She ended up resenting Keiji for abandoning her and initially trained herself to get revenge against him; however, as she witnessed more mutant demons kill off her loved ones after Keiji's departure, she began training to defeat them for the next six months. After reuniting with Keiji, she decides to join his efforts in fighting against the White Demon. Elizabeth fights with a lightning staff and is shown to be tech savvy.
- Piyoko (ピヨコ)
- Voiced by: Shiori Izawa[4] (Japanese); Kimoy Lee[5] (English)
- Raised by a yakuza to initially be sold with other chicks, Piyoko became a beloved pet instead before witnessing her owner turn into a mutant demon. Witnessing Keiji defeat and save her owner, she decides to follow him on his journey to defeat the White Demon and Keiji reluctantly let her join him after she helped nurse him back to health. She is attached to him, believing that she will marry him once she is older, and was given the name Piyoko by him after asking for a name. She has the word "Duty" (仁義, Jingi) written on her back after asking her former owner to give her a tattoo similar to his.
- Morio (モリオ)
- Voiced by: Tomohiro Ōno[6] (Japanese); Roger Rose[5] (English)
- Keisuke (ケイスケ)
- Voiced by: Mitsuaki Kanuka[6] (Japanese); Robbie Daymond[5] (English)
- Keiji's younger, crested half-brother who matches him in strength. He joins Keiji on his quest in order to rescue their father after he is captured by demons.
Other characters
- One-Eyed Silver (片目の銀, Katame no Gin)
- A one-eyed sea turtle with a personal vendetta against birds after witnessing a flock of gulls eat his siblings after hatching, he is initially hostile towards Keiji. However, he helps him defeat a demon at sea after realizing that Keiji was not like the seagulls he despised. He lets Keiji off to go avenge his sister but makes him promise that they will have a proper battle once he returns.
- Zena (ゼナ)
- An elderly toucan taken from his home in Brazil and now overseeing the Southern Birds exhibit in the zoo, he took Keiji into the exhibit after finding him unconscious in the rain. He was a beloved member of the community and protected his bird family from a demon attack before succumbing to his injuries. Keiji took one of his feathers, hoping to return it to Zena's sisters one day.
- Sara (サラ)
- Voiced by: Hikaru Tono[7] (Japanese); Erin Yvette[8] (English)
- Sara is the sister of Keiji. It is Sara's death that led Keiji to avenge her; however, Keiji noted that the bird used by the White Demon resembles her.
- Gakuma (嶽磨) / White Demon (白鬼獣, Hakkijū)
- A white-skinned and four-horned demon. The mutant is responsible for killing Keiji's sister, Sara. Known as the "White Demon", he is a giant that also has a fire-like bird that it uses to burn what it wants. He also has a circular mark on its neck, which Keiji uses to identify it. He is later revealed to be the leader of all demons, and to have the human form of a young man.
- Kugone (クゴネ)
- Voiced by: Yūko Kaida[7]
- Gakuma's right-hand woman who is creating demons all over Japan on his orders.
- Yuji (裕二, Yūji)
- Voiced by: Jun Kasama[7]
- Hikari (ヒカリ)
- Voiced by: Natsumi Fujiwara[7]
- Keizan (ケイザン)
- Voiced by: Akio Otsuka[7]
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by Shū Sakuratani, Rooster Fighter started on Hero's Inc.'s Comiplex manga website on December 18, 2020.[9][1] The series' first tankōbon volume was released on May 1, 2021.[10] As of January 5, 2026, eleven volumes have been released.[11]
The manga is licensed in North America by Viz Media, with the first volume released on August 16, 2022.[12][13]
Volumes
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 1, 2021[14] | 978-4-86468-801-7 | August 16, 2022[13] | 978-1-9747-2984-5 | ||
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| 2 | October 5, 2021[15] | 978-4-86468-835-2 | November 15, 2022[16] | 978-1-9747-3388-0 | ||
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| 3 | March 4, 2022[17] | 978-4-86468-872-7 | February 21, 2023[18] | 978-1-9747-3651-5 | ||
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| 4 | August 5, 2022[19] | 978-4-86468-119-3 | August 15, 2023[20] | 978-1-9747-3891-5 | ||
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| 5 | January 26, 2023[21] | 978-4-86468-146-9 | December 19, 2023[22] | 978-1-9747-4112-0 | ||
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| 6 | August 29, 2023[23] | 978-4-86468-193-3 | June 18, 2024[24] | 978-1-9747-4687-3 | ||
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| 7 | January 29, 2024[25] | 978-4-86468-229-9 | February 18, 2025[26] | 978-1-9747-5226-3 | ||
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| 8 | August 5, 2024[27] | 978-4-86468-274-9 | August 19, 2025[28] | 978-1-9747-5553-0 | ||
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| 9 | January 6, 2025[29] | 978-4-86805-028-5 | January 20, 2026[30] | 978-1-9747-6102-9 | ||
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| 10 | July 4, 2025[31] | 978-4-86805-083-4 | — | — | ||
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| 11 | January 5, 2026[11] | 978-4-86805-146-6 | — | — | ||
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Anime
In July 2024 at San Diego Comic-Con, it was announced that the manga would receive an anime television series adaptation in collaboration with Hero's Inc. The series is planned and produced by both Sola Entertainment and Viz Media and animated by Sanzigen. It is directed by Daisuke Suzuki, with Hiroshi Seko handling series composition, and music composed by Tetsuya Takahashi.[32] Sola Entertainment CEO Joseph Chou will serve as producer for the anime.[33] The 12-episode series is set to premiere English dubbed in the United States on Adult Swim's Toonami programming block on March 15, 2026,[3][34] before streaming the same day on Hulu (in the United States) and Disney+ (internationally) shortly after the linear broadcast.[35] It is also set to premiere back in Japan on Tokyo MX and BS NTV approximately three weeks later on April 6, 2026.[36][37] The opening theme song is "What's a Hero?", performed by Daruma Rollin'.[38] Medialink has licensed the series in Asia-Pacific for streaming on Ani-One Asia's YouTube channel and Crunchyroll.[39][40]
Episodes
Reception
Since its premiere, Rooster Fighter has been popular abroad, especially in Spanish-speaking countries such as Mexico, Spain and Argentina. The manga had received translation publication offers from more than 12 countries and regions.[10]
Reviewing the first eight volumes of the series, Bolts of Anime News Network found the story predictable and that it does not do anything new, but praised the art and fight choreography, commenting that the series treats itself very seriously in the best way.[43]
Notes
- The anime series is set to first release in the United States approximately three weeks ahead of Japan. As such, the original run shown reflects this.