Azuki // Enter The Garden: Ep 1 - The Waiting Man

‘The Waiting Man’
Haru, a free-spirited skater, has always felt like a misfit in a world where she’s constantly told how to behave. One day, Haru meets T.K., a mysterious man sitting next to a vending machine, waiting for someone to appear.
‘The Waiting Man’ is Ep.1 of ‘Enter The Garden’, a three-part anthology series created by Azuki and Dentsu with creative producer, Goro Taniguchi (Code Geass and One Piece Film Red).
__________________________________________
CAST
T.K. : 杉田智和 Tomokazu Sugita
Haru: 鬼頭明里 Akari Kito
Police Man John/Narrator: 福山潤 Jun Fukuyama
Police Man Norio/Construction Worker: 吉岡 琳吾 Ringo Yoshioka
__________________________________________
STAFF
Story by: 谷口悟朗 Goro Taniguchi
Screenplay: 岸本 卓 Taku Kishimoto
Storyboard: 山元隼一 Junichi Yamamoto
Character Design: 西村キヌ Kinu Nishimura
Animation Character Design: 橋本 治奈 Haruna Hashimoto
Prop Design: 大貫 健一 Kenichi Ohnuki
Vending Machine Design: 絵を描くPETER
Mechanical Design: 福島 秀機 Hideki Fukushima
Art Director: 中村豪希 Hideki Nakamura
__________________________________________
#azuki
#アズキ
#azukianime
#enterthegarden
About Azuki:
Azuki is a Los Angeles based Web3 anime brand that tells stories at the intersection of art, technology and culture. Azuki is built on the foundation of co-creation alongside its community, bringing decentralized storytelling to the forefront. Learn more at azuki.com/about

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You did it. The first advertisement on the Internet that bought me in what must had been eight years.

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no lie

[@AzukiEntertainment]

Glad you enjoyed! Hope you stick around for our future content 🙏

[@AliAyto]

++++

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Same, I couldn't believe it

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Real

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I saw this on an ad and was instantly hooked, no way an animation this cool can be watched on KZbin for free!

[@AzukiEntertainment]

so glad you enjoyed!

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Same here, I thought the ad was too good to be true, but I was mistaken. Its just as good as marketed

[@epiphanyvalenzuela8536]

I KNOW RIGHT?!

[@nekuurow]

True

[@NebulaCloud5581]

Same

[@Gigagamerrays]

I see so many people saying this but I just saw an add and IMMEDIETLY clicked to see what y'all're about and I love this so much, keep up the good work.

[@AzukiEntertainment]

We're glad you found us! Hope to see you around 🤞

[@EndersCave2.0]

I did the same and this is amazing 👏

[@DemAzuki]

I was here for EPISODE 1 IKZ!

[@xPizza]

goat

[@jayyu4764]

uhhh I was here too. I'm unko...

[@samuelbates1733]

Me too

[@conwic3584]

🎯

[@AkashiGami]

I was here for Episode 1. IKZ!

[@xablau3183]

BRO, WHAT WAS THAT! I came here after saw an ad and got excited to watch. Now I'm here and I liked it soooo much. We need the subtitles translated to every language possible.I loved. Congrats to the team that made it

[@Pretzel_IKZ]

I know this was supposed to be a small step towards an Anime empire, but it really feels like Neil walking on the moon again. IKZ

[@d.spencer116]

Cop: Sir did you see the accident? Man: No. Cop: But you were siting right in front of the accident. Man: Yes. Cop: did you see the accident? Man: Nope.

[@AzukiEntertainment]

🤣

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It's not my wallet

[@CELL7GAMING]

もっともっとください。 ありがとう。

[@kuroyuri04]

Did you see? Nope. I'm blind. 😅😅😅

[@HaziqLipan]

@@kuroyuri04 HAHA...

[@jcplays1749]

now I never expected an ad would bring me here, but here we are, and I've never been so glad to receive an ad in my life

[@Ellarose-d4g]

Sameee, I just came by thanks to the ad, and ended up watching the entire ad

[@kurtcasimiro208]

I knew I wasn't the only one

[@pandamoneeum9036]

Dude this studio has the right ideas

[@SegniAmenu-o3p]

This was an amazing introduction to the series! The animation and attention to detail are next-level, and the intrigue surrounding 'The Waiting Man' is so compelling. Keep it up!

[@joemama2012]

I 100% thought this was like some huge anime made by mappa or something, then i looked at the veiws and this is so underrated. I can gladly now say i found this gem before it was famous 👍👍👍

[@AzukiEntertainment]

Appreciate your support!

[@bobrik399]

Holy cow. I used to watch tons of anime but have stopped over the last few years and an ad for Elementals came up and I was intrigued. This animation is so damn gorgeous and fluid! I will def be sticking around to see more!

[@endone3661]

same!! 😮😮

[@gabereal917]

Elementals?

[@AzukiEntertainment]

Means a lot to us that you enjoyed it!

[@Sakuya067]

​@@AzukiEntertainmentEnjoy it no am obsessed with it and going to see your channel a lot and also watch the video multiple times

[@6_ZORO_9]

Brooo I saw this on an ad and came right away this sooooo damn good

[@susutv26]

The meeting between Haru and T.K. is not only a story about lost people, but also a journey to discover the meaning of freedom and waiting. The subtle camera angles and Goro Taniguchi-esque storytelling style really make this episode memorable!

[@takoaako]

HOW THEY GOT SUGITA TOMOKAZU, KITO AKARI AND FUKUYAMA JUN IN THIS?? 😭

[@KitsuneRin]

IKRRR I GENUINELY SCREAMED WHEN I HEARD THEIR VOICESSS ESPECALLY SUGITA-SANNNN

[@sauce8148]

What's so surprising about this? Are they some voice actors that don't usually accept jobs or something?

[@0xlang_]

​@@sauce8148they usually just work on top tier anime

[@colt1903]

​@@sauce8148 They're some of the biggest names in the business, I'm pretty sure. And they're basically working on an indie project. Hell, not even that, by "modern" standards. This is like getting Tom Cruise, Sylvester Stallone, and Morgan Freeman all together for a 2 minute long short film made in some random Floridian's basement.

[@Lmk_yin]

WAIT GIN-SAN??

[@ejballin.gaming]

You can't blue ball me with perfection like this. I WANT MORE...but take your time animating🙏🏾

[@AzukiEntertainment]

Working on it 😉

[@Aaaaaqqq404]

@@AzukiEntertainmentok awesome

[@thepablosduty2382]

FINALLY AN ADVERTISEMENT THAT WOULD BE WORTH IT. 🎉

[@leapyear8845]

This PROVES that people can like ads IF they are interesting instead of the same pattern of nothings we've been getting. Also WOW I am not usually anime type things but this really caught my eye, yall did a great job!

[@AzukiEntertainment]

Appreciate the kind words! Quality is always our goal - hope you stick around and enjoy our future content! 🙏

[@Penquino]

Honestly one of the few ads I clicked on, also with no regret lol. This looks super interesting, I'm looking forward for more!

[@AzukiEntertainment]

Glad you liked it! Looking forward to sharing more 🙏

[@flyryde]

Stoked to be part of history today! Azuki legit crushing KZbin efforts like nobody else. Love to see it.

[@LeonAbboud]

Oh damn it's the best camera guy I know on 𝕏!

[@kims4ne]

Imagine being part of the beginning of something great. Need someone to find all the easter eggs now

[@kamilazman2943]

10/10 better than most isekai I bet you said "fine I will do it myself" while making this

[@darksidevenom6]

In the beginning before it becomes huge, this is epic!

[@v1zhual]

You're early

[@Indurok]

I usually skip ads, but I always make an exception for video games that seem interesting. But when I started seeing ads from you, I was intrigued by what I saw, and I decided to subscribe just to wait for this. And holy shit, am I glad I did so, because I want to see more.

[@v1zhual]

Happy you found and stayed 🤘🏻⛩️

[@0xWaifu]

Always welcome to come join the garden. ⛩

[@DanielAndrew1]

Two more episodes coming up in this anthology later this year!

[@theawkwarduck4163]

@@DanielAndrew1only 2 more?

[@CryptoAJ_eth]

Love to see it

[@earthtokei]

Looking through the comments I see i'm not the only one who watched this because of the ad !! This was purely almost 9 minutes of great animation and I can't wait to see more. IKZ! ^^

[@AzukiEntertainment]

Glad you enjoyed it, and can't wait to show you more! 🙏

[@BrookD.Artist]

THIS IS AMAZING! Big congratulations to the entire team, Va's, sound designers, animators, storyboarders, concept artists, writers, everyone. :)

[@WhyyesIamallama]

I have never clicked on an advertisement before. Ever. The art style just looked so cool! I'm already hooked and will be eagerly awaiting ep 2

[@diogitalk]

Probably the first time I've been pleasantly surprised by an ad, looking forward to seeing more.

[@AzukiEntertainment]

Love to hear it, and can't wait to share more 🙌

[@silverphoenix4934]

Nevermind, I thought they were only gonna sell clothes and drinks. This is Nft (a scam)

[@fishboyFishyFins]

Your advertisement was the first I ever watched through, clicked on, and continued to look at your stuff. Genuinely interested in this!

[@AzukiEntertainment]

That means a lot to us! Hope you stick around, our journey is just getting started 👀

[@anaroa7423]

Wow, just wow! 🌟 "The Waiting Man" totally blew me away! Haru’s journey as a free-spirited skater trying to find her place in the world really resonated with me, and T.K.’s enigmatic presence added such a captivating mystery. The entire cast did an incredible job bringing these characters to life, especially with the emotions and depth Tomokazu Sugita and Akari Kito brought to T.K. and Haru. And the production quality? Top-notch! 🚀 Hats off to Goro Taniguchi and the whole team for this visual masterpiece. Can't wait for the next episodes of "Enter The Garden"! Keep up the fantastic work, Azuki! 💫

[@TLHD420]

I randomly found this today and I am pumped. I absolutely love the art style, the animation, and the audio so far is just amazing Let's goo!

[@anuragnathyal5889]

The only advertisement on KZbin that I ever clicked on 😂. It's just too good ❤

[@王永祥-i9f]

As a Digital Animation student, I aspire to be this good, AND FLUID! Dammmn this is so good, great, perfect!!!!!! Absolutely Perfect!! IKZ!

[@delulu_eunplli]

I cannot believe that was not even nine minutes long?? Just the thumbnail alone looked interesting (I love Haru's design, it's simple but has a strong "street" kind of feel to it!). Patiently waiting for the rest!!!!

[@soymaxelgrande]

This is such a beautiful piece of work. The lines, the animation, their movements are so fluid and smooth. Even the color waves are so beautifully blended

[@mothxii5598]

God I am SO glad I didnt skip the ads, this is so cool

[@AzukiEntertainment]

glad you enjoyed it :)

[@ebito9803]

thank you KZbin for recommending this for me what a masterpiece.

[@Someone_7362]

WORDS CAN'T DESCRIBE HOW AMAZING THIS NEW ANIME ISSSS. I CAN'T WAIT FOR NEXT EPISODEEE. LOVEEE THE ARTSTYLEE, PLOT AND EVERYTHINGGGGGG.

[@ralphcabiles3548]

Yo, we're rooting for you! You guys just beat the anime world with that level of animation. Good job. Rooting for more.

[@mkuro2537]

Wow the story is refreshing! The animation is also well drawn and fluid. I already like the characters >w

[@tanafon9489]

I came across this ad and was blown away-can’t believe such an amazing animation is free on KZbin!

[@KAIZENANDCOFFEE]

😱 this is insane. We appreciate all the love from Azuki and the community. Truly at a loss for words.

[@ape5722]

IKUZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@noo_doe]

these visuals are absolutely stunning. looking forward to future content of this !!

[@jerald0730]

Thankful that I didn't skip the ads and immediately subscribed to this channel! This is good!

[@rosaphine524]

this was so beautiful and fun to watch! i was actually giggling, the little frog on the fishing rod is so damn cute and im so excited to learn more about the two charters introduced ☺

[@soloquetryhards9348]

This is so good,I haven't had the motivation to watch anything lately but this came up in my shorts feed as an ad and I wanted to try watching it cause of the animation.. It didn't dissapoint.I loved this first episode.I'm gonna wait for the next one.

[@jhqs_]

wow was not expecting this level of animation, great stuff

[@cungoi5450]

The Waiting Man's mysterious vibe has me hooked. Azuki is building something truly special here!

[@bitterpuppystew]

I need more of this 😭😭😭❤️❤️

[@AzukiEntertainment]

glad you enjoyed! stay tuned for our future content 🙏

[@bitterpuppystew]

@@AzukiEntertainment definitely!!

[@0rangeGirl]

No me arrepiento de haber entrado al anuncio, la animación, el diseño de personajes, la música, todo me encanta

[@DjamTG12345]

This was seriously so good! Why isn't it getting more recognition?!

[@catdogfishdogcats]

Advertising and Algorithms probs. That's the typical answer. Takes most channels years of either organic growth, or a lot of money through ads, or a mix of both. Doesn't matter how good a product is if noone is made known of it

[@aidantayag1896]

this is the type of thing you'd see on Crunchyroll. Crazy how its on yt for free

[@yaminkhan8212]

Thank God i didn't skip the ad. This looked cool af. I'm curious to see if there will be more in the future. IKZ!

[@theanimegamingnerd1]

this is demon slayer level animation and for free this was really just amazing the story telling every other anime would have took 5 episodes to get this far and i like how the introduction was not dragged through muiltipul episodes this i just amazing everything even down to the background and voice acting it was just all amazing good job

[@Pretzel_IKZ]

Haru, the girl. Was voice by Akari Kito who also voiced Nezuko :P

[@AzukiEntertainment]

Appreciate the kind words! Can't wait to share more :)

[@Akehebo]

Hot damn! I'm so glad this popped up on my recommended out of nowhere. This was a banger episode 1, can't wait to see what's next! :D

[@marogmartz]

The colors! The ambiance! The animation! It's so beautiful, I can't believe I get to watch it for free. I'm so glad I got that ad. Can't wait to watch more!

[@joshuarcopeland]

Amazing visuals and audio! Keep it up. I really enjoyed this! We want more!

[@AzukiEntertainment]

love to hear it, glad you enjoyed! :)

[@مشروباتالحانمشروباتالحان]

Very beautiful I felt alive in this piece of art. Please keep going.

[@liamluke3629]

This was an incredible introduction to the Azuki universe! The animation, storytelling, and overall vibe were on point. I love how 'The Waiting Man' sets up a sense of mystery and intrigue while staying true to Azuki's unique aesthetic. Can't wait to see where this journey takes us next!

[@husaynlawal940]

Loved it from the first second, can't believe it's only 8 minutes but it's a great way to make an intro into the Garden

[@AzukiEntertainment]

More to come! Glad you enjoyed 😄

[@JoseHernandez-rw9ti]

Esto estuvo... EPICO!!!!! ya me suscribi estoy esperando con ansias el episodio 2!!!!!

[@alifeofryley]

This is phenomenal! How gorgeous and wonderful :D Truly a joy to watch!

[@hsbsjyss6453]

Loving the blend of tradition and modernity in the visuals and music. Azuki is setting a new standard for web3 culture.

[@anastasiafua]

OH MAN the animation is DIVINE!!! Just found this episode on my feed! Subscribed ❤

[@AzukiEntertainment]

Thanks for your support :)

[@JeromeProductions]

Great start to the show‼️ I’m gonna keep watching🔥

[@Ge_En_Pe]

amazing animation and music, can't wait for the eps 2 also nice VA you have there

[@SheeshCod]

This style the animation omg this is sooo fire immm so mad I discovered it sooo early Lmaoo especially elementals imma be so mad waiting for a episodes and all that lmao 😭😭❤️🫣 keep up the amazing work u got a fan in me

[@Clostro]

This is fire!! Hyped to see what's coming next :D

[@theghost41]

Saw an ad for Elementals seems pretty cool. I like the art style and animation can't wait to see what is to come from this channel.

[@ShimizuKazane290]

This is the greatest anime better than most of it in 2024 nowadays, this brought me back in the time i was enjoyed anime for 24 on 7, it's been a long times since i had that feeling

[@ShimizuKazane290]

This is the first time that I don't even skip ad, and I'd say it's worth it, even though the anime is kinda short, but really good to watch

[@metawuhuama]

wow,happy to see this and you know what ep2 and ep3 would come this year!

[@FrancescoPaccosi]

youtube killed it with this recommendation ngl

[@AzukiEntertainment]

Glad you enjoyed :)

[@AarninDoesStuff]

I got an ad for this, and I thought it looked cool so I clicked. What a goddamn masterpiece.

[@AzukiEntertainment]

love to hear it! :)

[@AarninDoesStuff]

@@AzukiEntertainment Yeah man! I'm totally hyped for episode 2! Hell, I might show my family this!

[@AlexHerts-t6g]

This is breathtaking! The animation, the atmosphere, and the storytelling are on another level. 'The Waiting Man' has me hooked-can’t wait to see what’s next in this mysterious world!

[@vinsmokesanji007vinsmokesa2]

I came here from ad Finally a perfect KZbin channel whete Anime trailers will release This KZbin channel reminds me of JP Anime trailer But the channel was deleted 😭

[@AzukiEntertainment]

Glad you like our channel! We've got no plans to delete it any time soon 😉

[@muxxta]

I see a lot of potential since the Instagram's reels and i hyped it so Hard Nice first ep LETS GOOOO

[@AzukiEntertainment]

[@spirouzi]

well done 👏🏼 the production really lives up to my expectations! IKZ! ⛩️

[@coiphim8444]

The storytelling is so immersive-it’s like stepping into another world. Amazing work from the team behind this!

[@leonG400]

This is really amazing. It would be interesting to see different characters in the same city each episode, but overall i really enjoyed the animation, sound, and music.

[@cryptoniq108]

“Enter the Garden” 3 episode anthology will do just that! Each episode will have different characters and storylines, this was just the first! Azuki has also mentioned that they are working on other longer-form content as well as this anthology.

[@mxubeats]

cannot wait for this to drop! insanity!!

[@hometab4250]

the first ever youtube ad thqt worked on me...just as i was about toskip an ad of this on another vid...i said hold up this man is onto something here...and it led ,e to ur channel i intantly subbed, didnt regret after watching this vid, so eager to see more

[@chanthe2941]

The animation style is absolutely stunning! It feels like every frame is a piece of art. Can’t wait for the next episode!

[@Szymon0852]

Saw an ad of this on toktok and man… I just found gold! This anime looks amazing! Can’t wait for the next episodes

[@Angel-fc2ik]

THE CHARACTER DESIGN IS SO COOL

[@TokyMiku]

Absolutely love the music 💜💜💜 Looking forward to see more!

[@Kalamiro]

Majestic, this is a piece of history! Will be here when a full on series is dropping in the future 🙈

[@khalidahyuga9554]

this.. was awesome cant even describe how intrigued i was amaizing animation colors are nice everything is so fluid IKZ

[@jinxyt007]

tht AD helped me find one of the best channel on YT

[@metawuhuama]

happy to having u here fam and welcome to the garden❤

[@blackblade8845]

Wow this is a great first episode well done skateboarding into the stratosphere another good sekai anime

[@FeNoroe]

WAWAWAWAWAWAWA LOVE IT CANT EXPLAIN HOW MUCH I LOVE IT WE NEED MORE EPS!!

[@connor8276]

Great job Azuki team, haven't even been a member that long and the ending got me haha

[@세렌디피티-w3z]

Amazing work! I watched this ad. So I need to see more your processes!

[@baklolaryn]

Damn Didn't expect to be this good , and the ideas and color's hats off to you brother keep going with this series.

[@alexfanfan9511]

this was amazing, the pacing, the action and of course how amazing the art was. I cant wait to see the future of this series

[@Infinite_Mortis]

I’ll never forget how I found you guys. It was a random ad that just.. idk it caught my attention. Thank you guys for making something so beautiful

[@AnjaliBajracharya-v9s]

Same here

[@toffix1765]

You crazy, thank you so much for this content! I love it

[@Nimsz28]

Well done Azuki!!! Proud to be part of the garden ⛩️

[@Curseddutchman101]

Absolutely stunning!!! Can’t wait for the next!

[@kpopismyjam8336]

Many people came here from an advert, but I came here from the next suggested video after watching a trailer to an anime. It was pretty cool how the mysterious man named "T.K." used his frog to retrieve the coin for her. Interesting how her eye recognised which drink is best suited to her. Even cooler that he made a water looking skateboard appear and rides the long trail with Haru behind and they enter a peaceful, calming and beautiful place. Interested to see other clips connect to this anthology series.

[@atrix1123minin]

Such a delightful short! Mizuki’s energy is contagious!

[@thatother_lky_]

Watched the premiere and loved it! Looking forward to learning more about the characters, Ep2 pleaseeee