The Vermilion Mask

The Vermilion Mask is a dark fantasy action series about a young craftsman trying to make up for a terrible mistake. The TV anime premieres on October 10, 2026, on Nippon TV, ytv, and other stations in the same network. It is made by 100studio and directed by Tetsuaki Watanabe, who directed the first season of Blue Lock. It is planned for two parts, called cours, with the first starting this October. Crunchyroll streams it outside Japan. The rock band MAN WITH A MISSION sings the opening song, "Firestarter," and Yutori performs the ending song. Taihi Kimura voices the hero.

The anime is based on a manga written by Dr.Poro and drawn by Nabana Naba. It has run in Shonen Gahosha's Young King OURs magazine, aimed at adult men, since February 2021. There were nine volumes by July 2026, and Orange Inc. offers it digitally in English.

In this world, masks are not just for decoration. Special masks can give great power to anyone who puts them on. That power can open up amazing possibilities, but it can also lead to disaster. The greatest mask maker of all was a craftsman named Gaston Roux. His masks are some of the strongest ever made.

The hero is Peru, a young man who learned the craft as Gaston's apprentice, or student. One day, Peru wears one of his teacher's most powerful creations, the Mask of the Warrior God. The mask seizes his mind and body. While it controls him, a disaster happens that he can never undo. The people closest to him, including his companions and Gaston himself, die by his hands. When he wakes from the mask's grip, he is left with crushing guilt.

Peru decides that no one else should ever suffer the same fate. Gaston's creations are now scattered across many lands, and any of them could cause another tragedy in the wrong hands. So Peru makes a vow to track down and break every last one. He sets out on a long journey. On the road, he gains new allies and runs into dangerous opponents, many of whom are using Gaston's masks themselves. Through it all, he carries the weight of his past and hopes one day to earn forgiveness for what happened to his master.

The story is serious and emotional, with themes of guilt, curses, and redemption, which means making up for past wrongs. It also promises big, stylish fights, since each mask gives its wearer different powers. Because of its violence and dark themes, it is best for older teens and adults.