Disney is leaning harder into anime-flavoured animation, and its next swing is a football fantasy series called Dragon Striker.
The new animated show has received its first trailer and poster ahead of a June debut, positioning it as a sports-action adventure with plenty of shonen-style energy. Think elite school setting, special abilities, underdog team drama, and one main character carrying a dangerous power inside him. Very anime-coded, bro.
Dragon Striker will premiere on Disney XD on June 9, followed by a streaming release through Hulu on Disney+ on June 10. The season will run for 11 episodes, and all episodes are set to drop together when it arrives on streaming.
For Malaysian and SEA anime fans, the main thing to watch is whether the series appears on the local Disney+ Hotstar catalogue, since Disney’s regional rollouts can differ from the US setup. Still, this is worth keeping on the radar because Disney has been building a stronger anime-adjacent lane over the past few years — not just licensing shows, but backing originals that borrow from anime’s pacing, character archetypes, and visual language.
The premise is simple but potentially fun: in a world where sports and magic exist together, a farm boy named Key discovers he may have the talent to become the legendary Dragon Striker. He ends up at Kal Asterock, an elite school for students with extraordinary abilities, where he joins goalkeeper Ssyelle and a rough new team trying to take on the school champions.
Of course, it is not just about scoring goals. Key has to deal with the “raging dragon” inside him, while Ssyelle tries to keep the team from falling apart. The story also points toward buried secrets and an ancient evil, so expect the football matches to become bigger than just school rivalry.
That mix could actually work well for SEA audiences. Football is already massive across Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines, and anime fans here are very used to sports series going full emotional warfare over one match. If Dragon Striker can capture even a bit of that “last-minute goal feels like a final boss fight” energy, it has a decent hook.
The series is produced by La Chouette Compagnie together with Disney Television Animation. La Chouette Compagnie is also involved with Avatar: Seven Havens, the upcoming sequel project in the Avatar universe, so there is some notable animation pedigree behind this one.
Dragon Striker was created by Sylvain Dos Santos and Charles Lefebvre. The music side is also interesting: Kevin Penkin, known for anime work including Made in Abyss and The Rising of the Shield Hero, is composing the score. That alone should make anime fans perk up a bit, because Penkin’s music usually brings serious fantasy atmosphere.
The opening theme, “Power of the Dragon,” is written and produced by Cash Callaway and performed by Sarah West. The ending theme, “The Very End,” is written and performed by Kieran Rhodes.
The voice cast includes Akshay Kumar as Key, Rebecca LaChance as Ssyelle, Yeukayi Ushe as Milo, Waylon Jacobs as Odward, and Evanna Lynch as Ameline.
Will this become the next big sports fantasy obsession? Too early to say. But the ingredients are there: magic school, football battles, dragon power, team chemistry, and a soundtrack from an anime-proven composer. If Disney sticks the execution, Dragon Striker could be a fun weekend binge for fans who like their sports shows with extra shonen spice.
Source: ComicBook Anime