The Fable Season 2 Reveals Visual and Koichi Yamadera as the Fearsome Yamaoka

At last, we have a glimpse of what's in store. The production of The Fable has revealed the main visual for its second season, centered on the Yamaoka arc, and confirmed that Koichi Yamadera will voice this very peculiar villain. The series premieres on January 9, 2027 on Japanese television.

The announcement comes with everything: six new characters, their voice actors, and comments from the cast. It's one of those days when a piece of news lifts your spirits, especially if you followed the first season.

A Villain Who Feels No Fear

According to the official description, Yamaoka is the only member of the organization capable of speaking to the boss as an equal. He has felt no fear since birth, finds everyday life boring, and sees the death of others as entertainment. A heavy-hitting character, the kind that steals every scene.

And to voice him, none other than Koichi Yamadera, a legend of Japanese voice acting. The actor commented that accepting the role brought him "joy and fear" at the same time, because he himself is easily scared and had to play someone who knows no terror. He also shared that director Ryo Takahashi gave him a note before recording with Yamaoka's personality laid out in detail, and that he learned the manga's author, Katsuhisa Minami, had imagined him for the character. That moved him to tears.

The rest of the cast is just as impressive. Takanori Hoshino will play Azami, the strongest assassin under Yamaoka's direct command. Hiroyuki Yoshino will voice Yūkari, another assassin on the direct line, intelligent and with a prodigious memory. And for those already hooked on the first season, Tetsu Mikami joins as Koji Mizuno, a high-ranking member of the Maguro group who confronts Sunagawa.

The Comments That Made Us Laugh

Yoshino confessed something that brought a smile to our faces: he read the entire original manga on the Young Magazine website using free points, without paying a single yen. "I'm sorry! Now that I have this role, I'll buy the volumes!" he wrote. It's impossible not to warm up to someone so honest.

Also joining are Taiten Kusunoki as Jirō, an independent assassin who arrives in Taihei City on Yamaoka's recommendation, and Seiyu Fujiwara as Suzumushi, an underground fighting champion. Kusunoki, a self-confessed fan of the franchise, said he has watched the live-action films several times and that recording alongside Yamadera was a masterclass in acting.

The second season adapts the largest arc in the story of The Fable, so expectations are sky-high. The first installment left us with Akira Satō trying to follow his boss's order: don't kill anyone for a year. Now, just as he was finding peace again, Yamaoka appears to complicate his life.

The anime airs every Saturday at 24:55 (Japan time) on Nippon TV and other networks. There is still no official announcement for Latin America, but given how well the first season performed, hopefully we won't have to wait long for news.

Animation is once again handled by Tezuka Productions, with Ryo Takahashi directing and Yūya Takashima on series composition. The team that already won us over returns in full, with an arc that promises so much.