"That's Literally Her Voice from the Manga..." – Anticipation Skyrockets Over Rie Shibata Being Cast as Mother of Assassins in the Anime "Cheat-Granting Mage"!

On the official X account for "Cheat-Granting Mage," the cast comment from Rie Shibata, who plays the Mother of Assassins in the TV anime "The Laid-Off Cheat-Granting Mage Enjoys a New Life" scheduled to air in October 2026, has been released, and the casting is creating a massive buzz.

The post announced, "We received a comment from Rie Shibata, who plays the Mother of Assassins!!" along with an image featuring a photo of Shibata's smiling face and her lengthy message. In the comment, she candidly revealed that she had absolutely no idea what was going on when she first read the script and the original manga, yet she confessed that she found it fascinating despite her confusion and read through it completely engrossed. Furthermore, understanding her character as a "toxic parent," she mentioned that she came to find this serious and single-minded mother endearing, and expressed how deeply moved she was by the voice cast's intense passion and rich emotional expressions at the recording studio.

The anime "The Laid-Off Cheat-Granting Mage Enjoys a New Life" is a fantasy series based on the comic of the same name, with the original story by Asa Rokushima, manga art by Gyoumuyo-Mochi, and original character designs by kisui. It depicts the story of Rein, a cheat-granting mage exiled from his guild, who attempts to live a carefree life but ends up entangled in various troubles. The unpredictable plot twists and insane character depictions have generated a massive buzz, especially on social media, earning the series a cult-like popularity.

In response to this surprising casting and comment, anticipation filled X with voices saying, "This might be the first time I've ever felt 'That's exactly her voice from the manga' despite her not being a professional voice actor," "Just imagining Rie Shibata studying the 'Cheat-Granting Mage' manga is hilarious lol," "Having Rie Shibata play the mother is just too powerful, it makes me want to watch it immediately," and "This is an extremely rare case where casting a non-voice actor celebrity actually receives high praise."

(C)六志麻あさ・業務用餅・kisui・講談社／「チー付与」製作委員会