A.I.C.O. Incarnation

A.I.C.O. Incarnation is a 2018 web anime series based on the manga series with the same name written and illustrated by Hiroaki Michiaki. It was serialized and published in Kodansha's Monthly Shōnen Sirius magazine from November 25, 2017 to July 9, 2019, with a total of 3 volumes.

The anime series was announced during the "Netflix Anime Slate 2017" event on August 2, 2017. It was animated by Bones, directed by Kazuya Murata, and premiered worldwide exclusively on Netflix on March 9, 2018, consisting of 12 episodes.

Synopsis

In Japan in the year 2035, an accident known as the "Burst" occurs during a research project, spawning an out-of-control artificial life form called "Matter" that has spread throughout the Kurobe Gorge. The research city that was once hailed as the hope for humanity is cordoned off by the government. Two years later, 15-year-old Aiko Tachibana, who lost her family in the Burst, learns something unbelievable from Yuya Kanzaki, a new student at her school. A secret is hidden within her body, and the answer to the puzzle lies at the "Primary Point" that was the center of the Burst. Aiko resolves to infiltrate the restricted area, escorted by a team of divers and with Yuya as her guide.

Dubbing History[]

A.I.C.O has two separate dubs, both done in 2018. The first dub, produced by the US branch of Malaysia-based IYUNO Media Group, recorded at Miami-based Studios VOA, premiered on Netflix on March 9, 2018. IYUNO would also handle the Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese dubs of the series as well (Yuya's actor Alex Alvarez is a regular in Portuguese dubbing, and Haruka's actor Paula Barros has appeared in several Spanish dubs from The Kitchen Inc., however IYUNO contracted out the Spanish dubbing of A.I.C.O. to Mexico's DAT studio).

IYUNO's dub received largely negative reviews; Anime News Network's Theron Martin described the dub as "substandard to a level not commonly seen in modern dubs."^[1] Apart from the voice acting, the dub was criticized for its writing, such as keeping Japanese honorifics (referring to characters as "san"). According to dub voice actor Jason Kesser, Netflix or IYUNO used the first takes of the dubbing sessions, despite the studio doing everything they could to perfect the dub.^[2]

Due to the overwhelming criticism, Netflix would later commission a new dub from Bang Zoom! Entertainment in Los Angeles. Netflix would quietly replace IYUNO's dub with Bang Zoom's on October 5, 2018. The reception to the redub was very positive, with many praising the new voice actors for being more fitting and the acting being far stronger and more natural, while others praised the writing in the redub for removing the flaws in the original writing of the Studios VOA dub.

Cast[]

Image	Character	Seiyū	Dub Actor
Image	Character	Seiyū	IYUNO Media Dub	Bang Zoom! Dub
Main Characters
	Aiko Tachibana	Haruka Shiraishi	Christina Jopling	Xanthe Huynh
	Yūya Kanzaki	Yūsuke Kobayashi	Alex Alvarez	Billy Kametz
	Toshihide Yura	Yūsuke Kobayashi		Grant George
Secondary Characters
Divers
	Daisuke Shinoyama	Ryōta Takeuchi	Phil Dubois	Chris Tergliafera
	Maho Shiraishi	Ai Kayano		Erika Harlacher
	Yoshihiko Sagami	Makoto Furukawa	Travis Roig	Greg Chun
	Kazuki Minase	Taishi Murata	Jason Kesser	Khoi Dao
	Haruka Seri	Kaori Nazuka	Paula Barros	Allegra Clark
	Kaede Misawa	M.A.O.	Crystal Lopez	Erica Mendez
Hospital
	Kyōsuke Isazu	Takehito Koyasu	Sahid Arnaud Pabon	Ray Chase
	Susumu Kurose	Tōru Ōkawa		Keith Silverstein
	Ayumu Hori	Kazuyuki Okitsu		Steve Staley
	Takuma Takehara	Hiromichi Tezuka		Mark Whitten
	Saho	Ikumi Hayama		¿?
	Nanami Ozanami	Nanako Mori		Laura Post
	Dr. Tōgo Kiryū	Mugihito		Stephen Mendel
	Akiko Nanbara	Atsuko Tanaka	Pilar Uribe	Rachel Robinson
Recurring Characters
	Koharu Kagami	Shizuka Itō		Morgan Berry
	Gummi	¿?		Brianna Knickerbocker
	Yuzuha Isazu	Sayaka Harada		Brianna Knickerbocker
	Yumiko Tachibana	Sayaka Ohara		Katelyn Gault
	Ryōta Tachibana	Shizuka Ishigami		Laura Stahl

Episodic Characters[]

Image	Character	Seiyū	Dub Actor		Ep(s).
Image	Character	Seiyū	IYUNO Media Dub	Bang Zoom! Dub	Ep(s).
	Mizuki Ōkubo	Maaya Uchida		¿?	1
	Naho Shimada	Ayaka Asai		Ryan Bartley	1, 12
	Kōichi Tachibana	Tarusuke Shingaki		Kirk Thornton	2, 6
	Minister	Tetsuo Kanao	Travis Roig	Jason Marnocha	10-11