Amazon Prime Video has had an advanced relationship with anime currently, however its newest addition, The Darwin Incident, explores an interesting premise in any other case not seen in Winter 2026’s slate. The weekly collection, taking a unique route from the likes of Planet of the Apes, explores the concept of a human-chimpanzee hybrid making an attempt to stay a standard life in human society.
The Darwin Incident follows Charlie, a “humanzee” recovered after the eco-terrorist Animal Liberation Alliance (henceforth ALA) assaults a analysis lab and finds his mom, a pregnant chimpanzee. 15 years into the current, Charlie goes to his first day of college as The Darwin Incident episode #1 units up his distinctive struggles, and the forces vying to recruit him.
The Darwin Incident Is a Promising New Debut on Amazon Prime Video
Tailored from the pages of Kodansha’s Month-to-month Afternoon seinen journal, The Darwin Incident launched on Prime Video on January 6, 2026. Whereas not boasting overly sophisticated animation in episode #1, Bellnox Movies launched audiences properly to its premise. It additionally options a powerful Japanese voice solid together with Atsumi Tanezaki (Spy x Household) as a precocious teenage Charlie.
Lined with different stars, together with Mitsuho Kambe (Scrumptious in Dungeon), Akio Otsuka (Steel Gear Stable), Toshiyuki Morikawa (Naruto), Rina Satō (A Sure Magical Index) and Yōji Ueda (JoJo’s Weird Journey) the anime is actually best-enjoyed in its authentic Japanese. However past a powerful lineup of voiceover solid, The Darwin Incident expenses out the gates with poignant statements about animal rights.
It is actually a unique state of affairs from different vegetarian commentary like Grant Morrison’s Animal Man.
Given Charlie’s place as a “humanzee”, his standing as an outsider is usually unavoidably focused by the coed physique’s cruelest members. This contains them difficult his vegan upbringing, together with posing life-or-death rhetorical traps, just for Charlie to cleverly and cooly shut them down. It is actually a unique state of affairs from different vegetarian commentary like Grant Morrison’s Animal Man.
Everyone seems to be deeply invested in how Charlie operates in society. His adoptive mother and father merely want him to have an excellent first day. Classmates discover how completely different he’s, however Charlie shrugs all of it off, selecting as a substitute to be a mannequin pupil largely maintaining to himself.
Nonetheless, viewers quickly notice that not everybody desires to befriend Charlie for benevolent functions.
Charlie Is a Totally different Spin on Planet of the Apes’ Caesar
Whereas the ALA appeared largely dormant following their discovery of Charlie, their operations are revealed by the top of The Darwin Incident episode #1. Crucially, one of many ALA’s founders, Max, desires to recruit Charlie, seeing him as a pure, constructive addition to their violent extremist trigger. Nonetheless, Charlie is greater than a pawn.
Whereas Caesar of Planet of the Apes fame was first to say “No!” as depicted notably properly in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Darwin Incident’s Charlie walks by way of his choices, together with his responses usually being a far colder, extra pragmatic reply. Bearing heightened human and chimpanzee traits, Charlie is actually superhuman, but in the end an outsider.
Bearing heightened human and chimpanzee traits, Charlie is actually superhuman, but in the end an outsider.
The Darwin Incident thus locations its model of Caesar in a relatable college surroundings as the last word outsider, not wishing to guage humanity’s worse components, but additionally not shying away from making brutal quips. Nonetheless, Charlie’s first day proceeds on a excessive word, rescuing a cat from a tree and making his first good friend and fellow outsider, Lucy Eldred.
The Darwin Incident is poised at greatest to attain sleeper hit standing with Winter 2026 bringing about Frieren’s return alongside Jujutsu Kaisen and different hits. Its English dub is not notably price writing house about, however actually leagues forward of what Prime Video did to Banana Fish. Nonetheless, its premise, and glorious Japanese workers, make this an anime price trying out.
- Created by
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Pierre Boulle
- Forged
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Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore, Linda Harrison, Mark Wahlberg, Helena Bonham Carter, Tim Roth, Michael Clarke Duncan, Paul Giamatti, James Franco, Andy Serkis, John Lithgow, Freida Pinto, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Jason Clarke, Toby Kebbell, Judy Greer, Woody Harrelson, Amiah Miller, Kevin Durand, Dichen Lachman, William H. Macy, Owen Teague, Freya Allan
- Film(s)
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Planet of the Apes, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, Battle for the Planet of the Apes, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Daybreak of the Planet of the Apes, Conflict for the Planet of the Apes, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes