Bandai Namco Entertainment has revealed the English voice cast for its upcoming Sand Land RPG.
According to a press release via Anime News Network, the upcoming video game adaptation of Akira Toriyama‘s beloved manga will star Risa Mei as Prince Beelzebub, Owen Thomas as Thief and John (or Jonathan) Lipow as Sheriff Rao. Keith Silverstein is cast as Beelzebub’s father, Lucifer. The game’s primary antagonist, Supreme Commander Zeu, will be portrayed by Shawn Smith, while Andrew Lander has been cast as Zeu’s right-hand man, General Are. Additionally, Bandai Namco has released a new English-dubbed trailer showcasing the actors playing their respective characters. This trailer premiered Oct. 12 at New York Comic-Con during Toei Animation’s Dragon Ball panel.
Risa Mei is known for her role as Sajuna Inui from My Dress-Up Darling, a lighthearted romantic comedy focusing on the colorful world of Japanese cosplay. Jonathan Lipow is known for his roles as Unicron in the short series Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy and as B-20N from Star Wars: Visions, a collaborative production between multiple Japanese studios. Keith Silverstein has portrayed Arsene Lupin from Lupin III and Hisoka Morow from Hunter x Hunter. While not a voice actor by trade, Owen Thomas is involved with the world of anime and manga, having previously worked on the English version of Cowboy Bebop Shooting Star, an alternate retelling of the original Cowboy Bebop TV series.
Released in November 2000, Akira Toriyama’s Sand Land manga takes place in an arid desert nation where all viable water sources have been destroyed. This allows its greedy ruler king to viciously exploit his people, charging obscene prices for the precious resource. To end his tyranny, a small-town sheriff named Rao teams up with two demons named Beelzebub and Thief to track down the legendary Phantom Lake, which is rumored to contain an infinite supply of water.
Bandai Namco’s Sand Land action RPG allows players to enter the world of Sand Land as the spirited demon prince, Beelzebub. While fighting off Commander Zeu and his lackeys, players can also create custom vehicles such as tanks to aid with their exploration. Another aspect of the game involves building a home base for the inhabitants, collecting resources so that the struggling desert town can eventually develop into a thriving city.
A release window for Sand Land has not yet been announced. The manga is available in English from VIZ Media. Sand Land’s recent film adaptation, which premiered in Japan earlier this year, will debut in North America in 2024.
Source: Press release via Anime News Network
