New Fruits Basket Anime's English Dub Brings Back Kent Williams as Hatori

The official English Twitter account for the new television anime of Natsuki Takaya's Fruits Basket manga announced on Friday that Kent Williams is returning as Hatori Soma for the anime's English dub. Williams played the role in the 2001 anime.

The anime's previously announced English dub cast includes: (* denotes a returning cast member)

·         Laura Bailey* as Tohru

·         Eric Vale* as Yuki

·         Jerry Jewell* as Kyo

·         John Burgmeier* as Shigure

·         Tia Ballard as Kagura

·         Mikaela Krantz as Momiji

·         Justin Cook* as Hatsuharu

·         Elizabeth Maxwell as Arisa Uotani

·         Jad Saxton as Saki Hanajima

FUNimation Entertainment will screen the first two episodes of the anime in theaters in the United States on March 26 (English-dubbed) and March 27 (English-subtitled). The screenings will feature an "exclusive gift pack" and Japanese and English voice actor commentary.

The new anime will have an entirely new Japanese cast and staff, as per Takaya's request. The new anime will cover the entire manga's story.

The anime will premiere in Japan on TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, and other stations in April, and Funimation will streamthe anime on FunimationNow. Funimation has also licensed the home video rights.

Yoshihide Ibata (Pikaia!!, FLCL Progressive) is directing the anime at TMS Entertainment. Taku Kishimoto (Silver Spoon, Haikyu!!, 91 Days, Hanebad!) is in charge of series composition. Masaru Shindō (Macross Delta, My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU) is drawing the character designs. Takaya herself is serving as executive supervisor.

Takaya serialized the original Fruits Basket manga in Hakusensha's Hana to Yume magazine from 1998-2006. Tokyopop released the manga in English from 2004 to 2009, and Yen Press re-released the manga in 12 updated omnibus volumes beginning in June 2016. Yen Press describes the story:

After a family tragedy turns her life upside down, plucky high schooler Tohru Honda takes matters into her own hands and moves out...into a tent! Unfortunately for her, she pitches her new home on private land belonging to the mysterious Sohma clan, and it isn't long before the owners discover her secret. But, as Tohru quickly finds out when the family offers to take her in, the Sohmas have a secret of their own--when touched by the opposite sex, they turn into the animals of the Chinese Zodiac!

The first television anime adaptation of the manga premiered in 2001.

Source: Fruits Basket English Twitter account