Madhouse's ghost – end of night Reveals New Teaser and Lead Cast

Madhouse’s upcoming original anime feature ghost – end of night has unveiled its lead voice cast, alongside a new teaser trailer. The new promotional video, released on Aug 8, further explores the film’s characters, mysteries, and its near-future world, first teased earlier this year. 

ghost – end of night follows Neekei, a 15-year-old girl living in a future where labor is no longer necessary and only talented people run the world. At the age of 18, every person’s value is determined to decide whether that person is needed in society.

Shingo Natsume, who directed One-Punch Man’s first season, Sonny Boy, and ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept., both writes and directs the project. He described the film’s goal as exploring universal human emotions in an earlier statement. ghost is scheduled to open in Japanese theaters on Feb 11, 2027.

Lead Cast Frames ghost – end of night as a Story Shaped by Emotion 

ghost – end of night’s newly announced cast includes Mayu Hotta as Neekei, the protagonist who takes up the role of administrator of the "starry sky" at an observatory. Issei Takahashi voices Masu, a tattooed man wandering after losing his family, whose path crosses Nike's. 

The new teaser marks the first time both characters speak on screen, set to the song Sugar by the rock band hitsujibungaku. In comments released alongside the announcement, the cast described the project as an emotionally driven original story and praised Natsume’s approach to storytelling. 

Hotta said the ghost's script reminded her of her own girlhood; growing up with society’s expectations of becoming an obedient woman. Takahashi, meanwhile, emphasized the philosophical and existential core of the plot, citing Masu’s despair and loss.

Bandai Namco Filmworks is distributing the film. Madhouse, the studio behind Death Note, Perfect Blue, and Frieren, is staking that legacy on original material at a moment when manga adaptations are increasingly becoming more popular.

Against that backdrop, ghost – end of night's box office run will test whether an acclaimed director and studio can convert a critical premise into ticket sales without an existing franchise behind them. A manga adaptation illustrated by himiko began serialization in KADOKAWA’s Young Ace on Aug 4, giving the new franchise a print companion ahead of the film’s debut.