The Fable
The Fable
Now Showing

The Fable

7.8
Yr 2024
Rt 23m
Status Returning Series
Animation Comedy Action & Adventure Crime
Your Verdict

Rate this show to unlock picks like it. Create a free account.

Back
Series Brief

Overview

A legendary hitman trained to become the world's best assassin is asked to lay low for a year by the head of his crime family.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 75 /100

Critics generally received the anime adaptation of The Fable with positive to moderately favorable reviews, celebrating its unique comedy-action premise and strong character execution. Early coverage highlighted how well the premiere set up its genius protagonist, with Anime News Network praising its "show, don't tell" storytelling style. Common Sense Media similarly noted that the series relies effectively on its humorous setup and clever action set-pieces to hook viewers.

“It engages the audience in a suspenseful journey full of entertaining moments.”

“For the material at hand this adaptation worked very well, and probably deserves more credit than it's been getting.”

“The best thing about this episode is that it's almost all 'show, don't tell' when it comes to our characters.”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Hulu
US
Disney Plus
CA • UK
Why fans love it

This 2024 animated adaptation of the manga finds its footing in the jarring contrast between professional lethality and the mundane requirements of a quiet life. The series prioritizes the psychological weight of a hitman forced into sudden inactivity. Instead of constant gunfire, the narrative leans into the awkward humor that arises when a person bred for violence learns the basic social expectations of a regular civilian.

Kazuyuki Okitsu anchors the tone by balancing the cold, calculated competence of a killer with the absurdity of his new circumstances. The animation style mirrors this duality, shifting rapidly from intense displays of action to the stillness of a hitman trying to avoid notice. It is a crime story that treats the transition to normalcy as the most dangerous mission of all.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 54
Regulars 11
Longest run 15 eps
Kazuyuki Okitsu
Kazuyuki Okitsu
as Akira Sato (voice)
Miyuki Sawashiro
Miyuki Sawashiro
as Yoko Sato (voice)
Kana Hanazawa
Kana Hanazawa
as Misaki Shimizu (voice)
Akio Otsuka
Akio Otsuka
as Takeshi Ebihara (voice)
Koji Ishii
Koji Ishii
as Hiroshi Hamada (voice)
6 episodes
Takuma Suzuki
Takuma Suzuki
as Man from the Organization 1 (voice)
1 episode
Masaaki Ihara
Masaaki Ihara
as Man from the Organization 2 (voice)
1 episode
Shunichi Maki
Shunichi Maki
as Car Burglar 1 (voice)
1 episode
Show 46 more
Masashi Nogawa as Car Burglar 2 (voice) 1 episode Yudai Mino as Katsuya Takahashi (voice) 11 episodes Masaya Fukunishi as Kickboxer (voice) 7 episodes Tasuku Kaito as Kickboxer's Companion (voice) 5 episodes Akiha Matsui as CM Narrator (voice) 1 episode Ryota Iwasaki as Ryo Kuroshio (voice) 15 episodes Kiyomitsu Mizuuchi as Matsu (voice) 6 episodes Kengo Tsujii as Former Wrestler (voice) 2 episodes Kazuya Ichijo as Bartender (voice) 3 episodes Yoji Ueda as Manager Chitchi (voice) 1 episode Takeharu Oonishi as Kenjiro Takoda (voice) 14 episodes Takumi Asahina as Etsuji Kainuma (voice) 10 episodes Yukiyo Fujii as Ai Nakayama (voice) 5 episodes Hirofumi Nojima as Tatsuya Haga (voice) 4 episodes Shigeo Kiyama as Used Clothes Shop Owner (voice) 1 episode Hiroto Kazuki as Delivery Company Interviewer (voice) 1 episode Yuu Sugimoto as Snack Bar Mama (voice) 5 episodes Kouji Takeda as Shinya Wakame (voice) 3 episodes Kojiro Takahashi as Soichi Sunagawa (voice) 9 episodes Masaya Takatsuka as Senior (voice) 1 episode Yuki Kaji as Yuki Kawai (voice) 2 episodes Masaki Sugimiya as Waiter (voice) 2 episodes Kenta Ohkuma as Sunagawa's Shatei (voice) 6 episodes Hiroya Egashira as Cord (voice) 6 episodes Natsuki Aikawa as Call Girl (voice) 1 episode Yuki Onodera as Hood (voice) 5 episodes Tetsuo Komura as Boss (voice) 3 episodes Kohei Matsumoto as Announcer (voice) 2 episodes Nobuaki Kanemitsu as Knife Shop Owner (voice) 1 episode Shinshu Fuji as Rei Utsubo (voice) 8 episodes Takehito Koyasu as Hiroshi Suzuki (voice) 9 episodes Chika Anzai as Hinako Saba (voice) 9 episodes Yoshihiro Kanemitsu as Tsutomu Isaki (voice) 9 episodes Maki Tsuruta as Women's Club Chairwoman (voice) 1 episode Motoki Sakuma as Kawahira (voice) 1 episode Akihisa Wakayama as Young Man (voice) 1 episode Tomoko Naka as Yoshiko Kainuma (voice) 2 episodes Yuzuka Nishikawa as Mother (voice) 1 episode Joichiro Ohtsuki as Police Officer A (voice) 1 episode Atsushi Yamamoto as Police Officer B (voice) 1 episode Yuki Ishikari as Resident A (voice) 1 episode Eriko Uchino as Resident B (voice) 1 episode Kensuke Shimizu as Resident C (voice) 1 episode Naoya Nakanishi as Announcer (voice) 1 episode Kenjiro Tsuda as Kenji Kojima (voice) 9 episodes Jun Fukushima as Jackal Tomioka (voice) 11 episodes
Signal Match

Similarity

Where The Fable overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

assassin based on manga anime intense organized crime seinen
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
April 07, 2024
Status
Returning Series
Episode Runtime
23 minutes
Origin
JP
TMDB Votes
50