Twin Engine has revealed that a new project within the Mononoke franchise is underway. The announcement, made via a promotional video, also introduced a third iteration of the iconic Medicine Seller, named 'Ken no Tsurugi.' This new character will be brought to life by Hirofumi Araki, an actor who previously portrayed the Medicine Seller in recent stage play adaptations of the series.
Details regarding the format of this new Mononoke project—whether it will be an anime film or a television series—have not yet been disclosed. The character design for Ken no Tsurugi comes from Kitsuneko Nagata, who previously worked as the character designer for the Mononoke film trilogy. Director Kenji Nakamura described the new Medicine Seller as having a dual personality, shifting from nonchalant to sharply focused when confronting supernatural threats.
In parallel, Kadokawa is set to publish a series of new novels featuring the Medicine Sellers 'Ri,' 'Kon,' and 'Ken' as protagonists. Further information on these literary endeavors is expected at a later date. This news follows the recent release of the Mononoke film trilogy, with the first two films, Phantom in the Rain and The Ashes of Rage, now available on Netflix.
The franchise has seen recent casting changes, with Hiroshi Kamiya taking over the role of the Medicine Seller for the film trilogy after Takahiro Sakurai was replaced. The third film in the trilogy, The Curse of the Serpent, notably featured a controversial cameo by Sakurai as the original Medicine Seller, leading to an apology from planning producer Kōji Yamamoto and his subsequent retirement.
Source: Anime News Network(https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-07-05/mononoke-franchise-reveals-new-project-featuring-new-medicine-seller/.239324)
