We’ve been no stranger to boys’ love (BL) anime series as of late, with almost every season containing at least one title in the genre. That may be why the anime industry is finally waddling into the depths of what the genre has to offer, with the first ever omegaverse BL anime hitting the scene in Spring 2024.
Tadaima, Okaeri, a slice-of-life BL series officially translated on Crunchyroll in English as “Welcome Home”, has just hit the fandom with its first trailer and confirmation of its release next season. Alongside details of key voice actors and staff, Studio DEEN, who is in charge of the anime’s production, confirmed the series will air on television streaming services such as Crunchyroll.
Voicing Fujiyoshi Hiromu is Morikawa Toshiyuki (Julius Nova Chrono in Black Clover, Yoshikage Kira in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable), and Fujiyoshi Masaki by Tamaru Atsushi (Yoshida Mikihito in The Irregular at Magic High School). Tanezaka Atsumi (Anya Forger in Spy x Family, Frieren in Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End) will be voicing their biological son, Hikari. Yes, their biological son!
If you’ve never encountered omegaverse or A/B/O, a brief rundown is that this subgenre is set in an alternate universe with three secondary genders: Alpha, Beta and Omega. Betas are normal humans, but omegas can get pregnant, while alphas can impregnate omegas easily, all regardless of their first gender. Every omega has a “heat cycle” where their bodies produce pheromones that attract alphas to induce pregnancy in them. Omegas and alphas can “bond”, where an alpha bites the neck of an omega in heat, creating a lifetime connection that makes the latter physically unable to connect with anyone else.
As such, many social constructs have been formed within the world of omegaverse, in which Tadaima, Okaeri will go in-depth should the story follow that of the manga. As the series description on Crunchyroll reads:
Masaki lives as a househusband in the Fujiyoshi household with his loving trophy husband and breadwinner Hiromu and their two-year old Hikari, who is too cute for his own damn good. Full of doubt, the support of his family in their day-to-day lives carries Masaki through to a place of accepting himself for who he is.
A feeling, family-oriented BL between a Mr Right and a male beauty who feels like he doesn’t size up.
Embracing the good times and the bad, all to be a better today than they were yesterday.
While a happily bonded pair with a child is seen in the trailer, interactions among the family and the people around them will pave the way for a nuanced delivery of the joys and struggles in A/B/O. Undeniably, these tribulations and the love between pairs that triumphs those hardships are what makes omegaverse so enthralling for fans. The preview doesn’t give much away, but it’s safe to say the heartwarming vibes will lay a comfortable path for viewers who are new to this sub-genre.
Helming the series at Studio DEEN is a veteran in directing anime and BL series, Ishihara Shinji (Sasaki and Miyano, Fairy Tail). Nakamura Yoshiko (Sasaki and Miyano, Re: Zero, Starting Life In Another World) will be writing the script, and Ōsawa Mina (School Babysitters, Given) is in charge of the character designs.
The manga was first published in 2016 under THE OMEGAVERSE PROJECT e-book anthology, headed by Fusion Product Inc, and published in hopes to introduce a general worldview of omegaverse and a fresh take of the BL genre. Tadaima, Okaeri currently has four volumes published. Accompanying the news of the anime adaptation, manga author Ichikawa Ichi released an illustration commemorating the anime, and also announced the continuation of the manga series along with an upcoming fifth volume.
Kaylyn is usually geeking out over gacha games or the latest updates in a manga, and can talk all day about them. She’s also an avid collector, and really needs more space to store her game merchandise, utaite CDs and manga books.
Germaine Wong
