Anime purists beware, NieR: Automata Ver1.1a, the adaptation of the eponymous game, is finally getting an official English dubbed version, with the first episode premiering on Crunchyroll this same week.The NieR: Automata anime was first released in early January, with the Japanese voice cast comprised of several actors who lent their talents to the beloved title. Since then, the anime has enjoyed mostly positive reception, though there have been mixed reactions among fans of the franchise, especially after the show took a small 4-week break due to COVID-related production issues.With NieR: Automata Ver1.1a approaching episode number 8, English-speaking viewers will be happy to hear that the series announced on Twitter it will also release its first fully dubbed entry on Crunchyroll starting March 18. To make matters more exciting, the anime will feature the same core English voice actors from NieR: Automata. Kira Buckland (2B), Kyle McCarley (9S), Cherami Leigh (A2), Greg Chun (Adam), Ray Chase (Eve), Colleen O'Shaughnessey (YoRHa Commander), DC Douglas (Pod 042), Abby Trott (Pod 153), Alexis Tipton (Pascal) and Cristina Vee (Devola/Popola) will all reprise their respective roles from the game.
The cast mimics its Japanese counterpart, where most of the original voice actors were brought back for their roles. The only new addition is Erica Mendez as Lily, a wholly new NieR: automata character making her debut in the anime. This decision will hardly come as a surprise given that series creator Yoko Taro is working on the anime adaptation along with director Ryouji Masuyama.
The anime is set to be 24 episodes long, though it’s still unknown if or when there will be a story or seasonal cutoff. Suffice it to say, a story as complex as NieR's has divided the fan base, with some decrying lack of faithfulness to the game and others viewing NieR: Automata Ver1.1a as an adaptation not meant to recreate those events in the same manner.
Regardless of criticism hurled at some story aspects and the series' CGI usage, NieR Automata is now among the most appealing anime on Crunchyroll. The added language options will only widen its audience for people with disabilities or those who played with the English voice cast.
NieR: Automata Ver1.1a is currently available on Crunchyroll.
Source: @NieRA_anime_EN | Twitter