Production I.G’s English-language website has unveiled the staff and cast of Real Drive, their upcoming project with Shirow Masamune. The show, announced back in November, is a futuristic sci-fi series set to air in April. Here’s part of I.G’s plot summary (the full version is here:

2061 AD. Fifty years have passed since mankind developed the Network society. It was anticipated that this new infrastructure would realize a utopia where people connected with each other at the level of consciousness. However, new social problems such as personal data leaks and proliferation of manipulated information began to surface. Nevertheless, people still relied on the Network to exchange information, and proved unable to opt to abandon it.

In due course, a new Network realm with more effective security measures was developed. This was called Meta Real Network, usually abbreviated as “the Metal.” … Experts who challenged the deep sea of the Metal to investigate and decipher such aberrations were called cyber divers. This is a story of a cyber diver, Masamichi Haru, who investigates the incidents that lie between Reality and the Metal.

Here’s the staff…

Original Story: Production I.G / Shirow Masamune
In collaboration with: CROSSROAD (Also did planning support for Appleseed EX Machina)
Director: Kazuhiro Furuhashi (Chevalier, Getbackers)
Series Composition: Junichi Fujisaku (Blood+, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex)
Character Design: Tetsuro Ueyama
Animation Studio: Production I.G

…And the cast:

Masamichi Haru: Katsuji Mori (Mobile Suit Gundam, Garma Zabi; Sailor Moon, Nephrite; Speed Racer, Go Mifune aka Speed)
Minamo Aoi: Kanae Oki (n00b!)
Sota Aoi: Hiroki Takahashi (Death Note, Gevanni; Prince of Tennis, Eiji Kikumaru)
Holon: Ayako Kawasumi (Genshiken, Ohno; Initial D, Natsuki; Nodame Cantabile, Nodame)
Eichiro Kushima: Keiji Fujiwara (Honey and Clover, Shuuji Hanamoto; Kingdom Hearts 2, Axel)
Secretary General: Hiromi Tsuru (Dragon Ball Z, Bulma; Kimagure Orange Road, Madoka; Ranma ½, Ukyou)
Sayaka: Akeno Watanabe (Code Geass, Villetta; Utawarerumono, Dori and Gura; Negima!?, Chachamaru Karakuri)
Yukino: Ai Nonaka (Clannad, Fuuko; Negima!?, Konoka Konoe; Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, Kafuka Fuura)

It’s a pretty neat cast list– especially the inclusion of Katsuji Mori, who has done, like, EVERYTHING. In addition to the three I mentioned earlier (holyshithewastheoriginalSPEEDRACER!), he voiced Toudou in Ace wo Nerae!, Wolfgang Mittermeyer in Legend of Galactic Heroes, and Ken Washio (the Eagle) in Gatchaman. We’re talking seiyuu legend here, people. That combined with the revered Hiromi Tsuru (who was also Dokin in Anpanman and Meryl Stryfe in Trigun), and then a complete newbie like Kanae Oki, whose only roles have been bit parts in a handful of shows? It should be pretty interesting.