Honestly, the name "Lazarus" has been working overtime in the TV world lately. If you’ve spent any time on Prime Video or lurking in anime subreddits, you’ve probably noticed some major confusion. People are talking about the Lazarus 2025 TV series as if it’s one single thing, but we actually have a "Double Lazarus" situation on our hands.
On one side, you have the live-action British psychological thriller from the mind of Harlan Coben. On the other, there’s the high-octane sci-fi anime directed by the legend behind Cowboy Bebop, Shinichiro Watanabe. They both hit screens in 2025, and they couldn’t be more different if they tried.
Let's cut through the noise. Whether you’re here for Sam Claflin’s brooding forensic psychologist or MAPPA’s slick animation, here is the ground truth on what happened with these shows and why they’re dominating the conversation.
The Prime Video Mystery: Harlan Coben’s Lazarus Explained
Harlan Coben is basically a machine at this point. If you liked Fool Me Once or The Stranger, you probably already binged this one. Premiering on October 22, 2025, the live-action Lazarus 2025 TV series follows Joel "Laz" Lazarus (played by Sam Claflin). He's a forensic psychologist who heads back to his childhood home after his father, Dr. Jonathan Lazarus (the iconic Bill Nighy), dies by suicide. Or did he?
The vibe is very "ghost story meets cold case." Laz starts seeing things. Visions. Weird glitches in reality. He’s trying to figure out if his dad was a local hero or a monster connected to a string of murders, including the unsolved killing of Laz’s sister 25 years prior.
💡 You might also like: Is Steven Weber Leaving Chicago Med? What Really Happened With Dean Archer
Why this one feels different
Most Coben shows feel like a standard suburban puzzle. Lazarus leans much harder into the horror-thriller lane. Critics have been split—The Guardian called it "woeful," while Variety praised its "shocking horror twist." It’s polarizing. It’s messy. It’s exactly the kind of show you watch in one sitting on a rainy Sunday because you just have to know if the ghost is real or if Laz is just losing his mind.
Key Cast for the Live-Action Series:
- Sam Claflin as Joel "Laz" Lazarus
- Bill Nighy as Dr. Jonathan Lazarus
- Alexandra Roach as Jenna Lazarus (Laz’s sister who’s into spiritualism)
- Kate Ashfield as Detective Alison Brown
The Adult Swim Powerhouse: Watanabe’s Lazarus
Now, if you were looking for the show with jazz, gunfights, and a dystopian future, you’re talking about the other Lazarus 2025 TV series. This is the anime collaboration between Shinichiro Watanabe and Studio MAPPA (the studio that did Jujutsu Kaisen).
It premiered on Adult Swim’s Toonami on April 5, 2025. The plot is a ticking-clock nightmare. In the year 2052, a neuroscientist named Dr. Skinner creates a "miracle drug" called Hapna that fixes all pain. Everyone takes it. Then, Skinner disappears, only to resurface three years later with a terrifying message: everyone who took Hapna will die in 30 days.
📖 Related: Is Heroes and Villains Legit? What You Need to Know Before Buying
The "John Wick" Connection
What makes this anime stand out isn't just the story; it’s the pedigree. Chad Stahelski, the director of the John Wick films, choreographed the action sequences. You can actually feel the weight of the fights. It’s not just "anime punching"—it’s tactical, cinematic movement.
Add a soundtrack by Kamasi Washington and Bonobo, and you get that classic Watanabe "cool" that’s been missing since Samurai Champloo.
What Most People Get Wrong About the 2025 Timeline
There was a lot of chatter that these shows were connected or that one was an adaptation of the other. They aren't. 1. The Live-Action: A British production filmed in Liverpool and Morecambe. It’s a 6-episode limited series.
2. The Anime: A 13-episode original story produced by Sola Entertainment and MAPPA. It’s sci-fi, whereas the Prime series is a psychological thriller.
If you search for "Lazarus 2025," Google often lumps the cast lists together, which is a total mess. You won't see Bill Nighy voicing a character in the anime, and you won't see a vaccine for a miracle drug in the Coben show.
👉 See also: Jack Blocker American Idol Journey: What Most People Get Wrong
Is the Hype Real? (The E-E-A-T Perspective)
From a critical standpoint, the anime has held up much better. While Harlan Coben's Prime series faced some "adaptation fatigue" from viewers who felt the twists were getting predictable, the Watanabe anime is being hailed as a return to form for high-concept sci-fi.
The Prime Video series actually filmed in some pretty eerie locations like the Morecambe seafront, which gives it a grounded, bleak British aesthetic. If you're into "North-of-England noir," it hits the spot. But if you want something that pushes the medium, the MAPPA production is where the real heat is.
Real Talk: Which one should you watch first?
- Watch the Prime Video series if: You like Broadchurch, The Sinner, or anything where a family secret leads to a basement full of old files.
- Watch the Adult Swim/Max series if: You like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Akira, or just want to see the best fight animation of the year.
How to Watch Both Today
The live-action Lazarus 2025 TV series is exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. All six episodes dropped at once, so it’s a quick binge.
The Lazarus anime aired its finale on June 29, 2025. You can find the English dub on Adult Swim/Toonami or stream the whole season on Max. If you prefer the Japanese voice cast (which includes Mamoru Miyano and Megumi Hayashibara), those versions usually hit Max about a month after the English broadcast.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check your region: Prime Video has the live-action series in over 240 countries, but the anime's availability on Max can vary depending on where you live (specifically in Europe).
- Avoid Spoilers: If you’re starting the Coben series, stay off the Wikipedia "Episodes" section—the twist in episode 5 is easy to ruin.
- Listen to the Score: Even if you aren't an anime fan, the Lazarus soundtrack by Kamasi Washington is available on Spotify and is arguably some of the best jazz-fusion of the last decade.
Start with the Prime Video pilot if you want a mystery, or queue up the first episode of the anime on Max if you need an adrenaline hit. Just make sure you know which "Lazarus" you're clicking on before you start.