Mercedes and the Waning Moon adds four cast members
Mercedes and the Waning Moon will premiere in January 2027 with Kenta Miyake, Ryunosuke Watanuki, Junichi Suwabe and Ai Kayano joining the cast.
Mercedes and the Waning Moon will begin broadcasting in January 2027, with a second promotional video introducing four more cast members for the vampire fantasy anime.1
Four new voices
Kenta Miyake will play Benkei, a six-armed Ashura Ogre who becomes Mercedes’ familiar after losing to her in a dungeon. Ryunosuke Watanuki voices Kuro, a wolf-like familiar who supports Mercedes alongside Benkei. Junichi Suwabe joins as Florian, a guild receptionist whose friendly interest in Mercedes may conceal more than it first appears. Ai Kayano plays Lydia Grunewald, Mercedes’ mother.1
The second PV focuses on Mercedes’ action-heavy dungeon adventure while previewing the newly announced characters. The official release describes the story as the second life of a girl reincarnated as a vampire aristocrat: determined not to waste this life, she becomes a Seeker and challenges the dungeon system in search of a way forward.1
The anime is based on the light novel Kaketa Tsuki no Mercedes (欠けた月のメルセデス) by Entō, with original illustrations by KeG and manga art by Pochi Edoya. Kunihisa Sugishima directs, Jun Kumagai handles series composition and Teddy produces the animation. Anna Nagase voices Mercedes Grunewald.1
The announcement confirms a January 2027 start but does not give a specific day or international distribution details.1
Our opinion
The new cast gives Mercedes and the Waning Moon a useful spread of story functions rather than four interchangeable names. Benkei and Kuro promise a pair of dungeon companions, Florian adds a potentially slippery contact outside the action, and Lydia gives Mercedes’ second life a family relationship to push against. The second PV’s combat focus also makes the premise clearer: this is an adventure about a character actively rebuilding her future, not just a reincarnation setup waiting for a plot.