Photo/Illutration (C) ”JAPAN SINKS: 2020” Project Partners

Masaaki Yuasa will direct the first animated series of “Japan Sinks,” the 1973 best-selling sci-fi novel by Sakyo Komatsu.

The 10-episode “Japan Sinks: 2020” will be produced by Science Saru Inc., an animation studio led by Yuasa, and streamed exclusively on Netflix this year.

A teaser visual has been released, showing protagonists Ayumu and Go going forward in the middle of a devastated city.

The original novel, which sold 4.7 million copies, tells the story of scientists who discover that the Japanese archipelago will sink into the sea after a series of strong earthquakes and volcanic eruptions hit the country.

The government embarks on a huge project to relocate all of its people to overseas destinations.

The novel spawned two live-action feature film adaptations, released in 1973 and in 2006.

Yuasa is a world-renowned director whose recent works include “Night is Short, Walk on Girl,” “Lu Over the Wall” and “Ride Your Wave.”

The director has also won overwhelming support for exploring the limits of anime expressions in “Devilman Crybaby,” his first and previous Netflix series.

Visit the official website of the new series at (http://japansinks2020.com/).

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To learn more about the latest developments in Japanese anime, visit the official site of Anime Anime (http://animeanime.jp/).