The Mask Comes Off in October: "The Vermilion Mask" Reveals Second Main PV, Key Visual, Theme Songs and New Cast

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Yomiuri Telecasting Corp. (YTV) announced today that the television anime The Vermilion Mask will premiere in October on Crunchyroll.

Alongside the premiere date, YTV released a second main PV, revealed the artists behind the opening and ending themes, unveiled a second key visual and announced six additional cast members.

Based on the manga by Nabana Naba and original creator Dr. Poro, serialized in Shonen Gahosha's Young King OURs, The Vermilion Mask follows Peru d'Arrest, a young mask maker's apprentice who sets out to destroy every mask his late master ever made.

Second Main PV Set to MAN WITH A MISSION and yutori

The opening theme is MAN WITH A MISSION's "Firestarter," and the ending theme is yutori's "Koe." Both tracks score the second main PV, released today.

The trailer opens on the "night of tragedy" that set the story in motion, then follows Peru d'Arrest (voiced by Taihi Kimura) as he confronts his guilt and fights across the city's rooftops, switching between spider, chameleon, cat and other masks to take on one formidable foe after another.

"I'm the worst type of villain there is. To prevent tragedy from ever happening again, I'll destroy all of my master's masks," Peru vows in the trailer.

Unmask the second main PV here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX4N-Z5Hbxw

Artist Comments

Kamikaze Boy (MAN WITH A MISSION)

"We pictured a powerful song, one that could give a push to the adventure of these young people who have been saddled with such a cruel fate, and that is how we completed 'Firestarter.'

If it can fire up the hearts of everyone watching over that adventure alongside us, that would make us very happy!! All of us wolves are looking forward from the bottom of our hearts to the adventure that unfolds as Peru and the others grow!! (「゜Д゜)「 ROAR!"

yutori

"We're yutori, and we wrote 'Koe,' the ending theme, especially for the TV anime The Vermilion Mask.

You can't erase the past, but the act of carrying it and still trying to move forward is surely something that overlaps with our own everyday lives. We took the feelings Peru can't put into words and worked them into the song in yutori's own way.

We hope you'll enjoy 'Koe' along with The Vermilion Mask."

Second Key Visual

The second key visual sets Peru d'Arrest against a vivid vermilion background, his face covered in wounds and his gaze fixed ahead, flanked by his companions Sonarue Maywood and Mok Sharib. Behind them loom the enemies standing in their path, including Gouon and The Mask of the Warrior God.

Assets are available here.

Voice Cast Comments

Six new characters have been revealed, along with comments from their voice actors:

Hien  |  Voiced by Kenji Nojima

A member of Lisblanc's Governance Guard. He looks up to Gouon as if he were his own father.

A certain incident turns that devotion into hatred for Peru, and he sets out to track him down.

Cast comment: "When I heard the word 'mask' I read straight on through the script with real interest — I have always loved the masks of Noh and kagura.

A mask disguises you as someone else. Everyone must carry a few masks of their own, and if you keep wearing the mask of the person you long to be, it seems you might reach a point where you can no longer take it off. Even when you face someone with an honest expression, your mask is doubted, or you find yourself doubting theirs. Where does a mask that is meant to protect you ultimately lead? It gave me a great deal to think about. I want to keep facing what is in my own heart. I hope you enjoy this series."

Lasgarl  |  Voiced by Aoi Koga

A listless, book-loving woman who carries a mask that commands sound.

The moment a fight begins her personality flips, and she cuts her enemies apart with merciless slashes of sound. She belongs to the same organization as Clown.

Cast comment: "I'm Aoi Koga, and I'll be voicing Lasgarl.

When I heard I got the part, I couldn't believe I was going to be part of this work as Lasgarl — it was a wonderful surprise, and at the same time my heart was racing in all sorts of ways over what she might get up to next.

I think readers of the original manga must be curious about her too, so I'll be looking forward to where the story goes while giving the role everything I have.

Being entrusted with an enemy character is new territory for me and a real challenge, but I'll do my best to make her someone who stands up against the heroes as they stand against her in turn, never once backing down to the intensity they bring. I hope you'll look forward to it."

Clown  |  Voiced by Yuki Shin

A figure in clown's garb with an unsettling smile.

Cool-headed and sharp-witted, he works in the shadows to collect masks. Toying with fate and with the human heart, his words and actions keep Peru and the others off balance.

Cast comment: "I'm very happy to be playing Clown in The Vermilion Mask.

I performed him in a way that I hope conveys his extraordinary eeriness.

Clown is unlike any role I've played before, so I was nervous going into the recording. Even so, I approached the sessions hoping his composure and his strength would come through.

He's a hugely appealing character, and I'd be delighted if that comes across to everyone."

Rinne  |  Voiced by Akihisa Wakayama

A formidable enemy who radiates an eerie presence.

His convictions align perfectly with The Mask of Necromancy, allowing him to wield its power at will. Declaring his aim to kill all of humanity and bend them to his command, he blocks Peru and the others' path with overwhelming power.

Cast comment:  "I'm Akihisa Wakayama, and I'll be voicing Rinne. Together with The Mask of Necromancy, he is a formidable enemy who stands in the way of Peru and the others.

This is a type of role I haven't often been entrusted with, and one that kept challenging me episode after episode, which has made him a character — and a series — I feel deeply attached to. It won't be long now until the premiere. I hope you're looking forward to it!"

The Mask of Necromancy  |  Voiced by Aya Endo

One of the masks called the finest Gaston ever made. It bears the name Aries.

It holds the power to bend the dead to its will and raise them as "wraiths." It is feared as a mask every bit as dangerous as The Mask of the Warrior God.

Cast comment: "I'm Aya Endo, and I'll be voicing The Mask of Necromancy.

The first time I came face to face with it, its eeriness threw me a little, but I found myself drawn more and more to its presence, its way of speaking and that indescribable air about it.

A role like this one is something you rarely get to take on, however much you might want to, so I'm truly happy to have the chance!!

I can't wait for you all to see its scenes!"

Master  |  Voiced by Yui Horie

An enigmatic figure who wears "The Mask of Dream," which lets her share her own dreams with others. Those dreams reach only the people destined to stand at the heart of the great events to come. She watches over those who visit her through their dreams, and worries about where their paths will lead.

Cast comment: "I'm Yui Horie, and I'm playing Master. In The Vermilion Mask, I'm playing a character who turns up in a rather unusual place. The world and the character are both still full of mystery, and I want to make the most of that mystery in my performance. I usually build a character starting from their face and their expressions, so this looks like it will be a new challenge for me. I'd be delighted if you enjoy watching."

About The Vermilion Mask

The Vermilion Mask is a masked battle fantasy, in which the characters face powerful foes, regret and a cruel fate. The main character, Peru, is a pupil of a legendary mask maker. Peru has a dark history of once being controlled by a powerful mask and unintentionally killing his friends and master. Determined to make sure that such a tragedy never happens again, he embarks on a journey to destroy all of his master's masks, which are spread across the world. He eventually meets friends that he can trust, and an epic battle against an impossible enemy begins.

Series Introduction

Resist. Your enemies. Your fate.

"The Mask" gives power to those who wear it. At times that means endless possibility, or unimaginable tragedy.

Peru, pupil of the legendary mask maker Gaston Roux, becomes controlled by the "Mask of the Warrior God" he happens to pick up, and unintentionally kills his friends and even his own master. In order to prevent this type of tragedy from reoccurring, Peru swears to destroy all of Gaston's masks that are spread around the world. Confronting the sins that he has committed, he embarks on his voyage.

Meeting new friends, confronting powerful foes, the boy continues on, until the day he can atone for his sins against his master. Thus, this masked battle fantasy commences.

Cast

Peru d'Arrest: Taihi Kimura

Sonarue Maywood: Yuuki Yamamoto

Mok Sharib: Kazuki Ura

Gouon: Takanori Hoshino

Totoque: Wataru Komada

Zent: Junya Enoki

Gaston: Kazuhiko Inoue

Mask of the Warrior God: Akio Otsuka

Hien: Kenji Nojima

Lasgarl: Aoi Koga

Clown: Yuki Shin

Rinne: Akihisa Wakayama

The Mask of Necromancy: Aya Endo

Master: Yui Horie

Opening Theme：MAN WITH A MISSION「Firestarter」

Ending Theme：yutori「Koe」

Original Title Information

Manga: Nabana Naba   Original Work: Dr. Poro

The Vermilion Mask (serialized in "Young King OURs" from Shonen Gahosha)

Volumes 1-9 now on sale.

Staff

Director: Tetsuaki Watanabe

Assistant Director: Gai Hazako

Series Composition: Daisuke Ohigashi

Story Supervision: Dr. Poro, Nabana Naba

Character Design / Chief Animation Director: Hisashi Higashijima

Sub Character Design: Nozomi Shimazaki

Mask & Creature Design: Yoshiki Kuga

Art Director: Miu Miyamoto

Art Setting: studio RUFUS

Color Design: Miyuki Kibata

CG Director: Kanji Oshima

Mask Effects & Motion Graphics: Toshiyuki Yamashita, Rina Mitsuzumi (Hyperbole)

Director of Photography: Nanami Yamawaki (Animo Caramel)

Editing: Mai Hasegawa (editz)

Sound Director: Fumiyuki Goh

Sound Effects: Rei Ueno

Music: Alisa Okehazama

Animation Production: One Double-O studio

Anime Official Website / Social Media

English website: https://the-vermilion-mask.com/en/

English X: https://x.com/vermilion_EN

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vermilionmask_anime

Recommended hashtag: #vermilionmask

Copyright

© Nabana Naba, Dr. Poro, SHONENGAHOSHA / "The Vermilion Mask" Production Committee.

SOURCE Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation