Haruka Tomatsu, Tomokazu Seki Star in Yokai Watch TV Anime

The official website for Level 5's Yōkai Watch television anime updated on Thursday with the series' cast and staff.

Haruka Tomatsu (Sword Art Online's Asuna) will star as fifth-grader Kēta Amano, who begins to see yokai (Japanese spirits and demons) during the summer. Tomokazu Seki (Fate/Zero's Archer) will play the ghost butler Whisper, Etsuko Kozakura (Tenchi Muyo!'s Ryo-Ohki) will play Kēta's yokai companion Jibanyan, Aya Endo (Kids on the Slope's Yurika) will play Fumi-chan, Tooru Nara (Jormungand's Scarecrow) will play Kuma, and Chie Satou (Crayon Shin-chan's Bo-Chan) will play Kanchi.

The story begins when Kēta discovers an old capsule toy vending machine in the forest. Kēta receives a mysterious watch and meets a ghost butler named Whisper. Whisper tells Kēta that the watch allows him to see supernatural creatures — both good and evil — that he could not see before in everyday life. With Whisper and his other companion Jibanyan, Kēta explores his town for other ghosts to battle.

Shinji Ushiro (Blessing of the Campanella, Omamori Himari) is directing the series at Oriental Light and Magic. Masami Suda (Mushi-Shi) is designing the characters based on original designs by Takuzō Nagano and Miho Tanaka (Inazuma Eleven GO, Mobile Suit Gundam AGE). Yoichi Kato (Aikatsu!, Kekkaishi) is in charge of the series scripts, and Ken'ichirō Saigō is composing the music. Masafumi Mima directing the sound. Level 5's Akihiro Hino is credited as the planner, chief supervisor, and creator of the original story concept.

Game developer Level-5 announced the Yōkai Watch franchise in 2011 with a game, manga, and anime already planned. The franchise's game for the Nintendo 3DS was released in Japan on July 11. A shōjo manga will launch in Shogakukan's Ciao magazine on December 27.

The anime will premiere on Wednesday, January 8 at 7:00 p.m. on the TV Tokyo channel.