Imagine, if you will, the sheer audacity of picking up sword and sorcery at an age when most people are deeply entrenched in mid-life crises and mortgage payments. Well, that’s exactly the premise of the upcoming anime series The Rookie Middle-Aged Adventure.
Based on the popular light novel series penned by Kiraku Kishima, The Rookie Middle-Aged Adventurer made its debut on Shōsetsuka ni Narō, Japan’s literary wild west. It didn’t take long for the series to garner a following, eventually moving to Kakuyomu and catching the eye of Hobby Japan, who evidently thought thirteen volumes of a thirty-something diving into adventures was just what the world needed. And honestly, who are we to argue? There’s something undeniably charming about rooting for the underdog, especially if that underdog has to occasionally worry about throwing out his back.
When is The Rookie Middle-Aged Adventurer episode 1 coming?
Episode 1, titled “Starting 12 Years Late,” is set to premiere in Japan at the ungodly hour of 2 am JST on July 2. Yumeta Company, with Shin Katagai at the helm, promises animation that might just be worth staying up for — or, you know, setting your DVR.
In most corners of the globe, episode 1 has already premiered. Regardless, here’s the release timings across different time zones:
| Time Zone | Local Time |
|---|---|
| Pacific Standard Time (PST) | July 1, 10:00 am |
| Central Standard Time (CST) | July 1, 12:00 pm |
| Eastern Standard Time (EST) | July 1, 1:00 pm |
| Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) | July 1, 5:00 pm |
| Central European Time (CET) | July 1, 6:00 pm |
| Indian Standard Time (IST) | July 1, 10:30 pm |
| Philippine Time (PHT) | July 2, 1:00 am |
| Australian Central Standard Time (ACST) | July 2, 2:30 am |
So, prepare to cheer on the most unlikely hero as he shows us that sometimes, starting late is just part of the adventure.