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Mamoru Oshii
Mamoru Oshii directs the two-part theatrical anime Armored Trooper Votoms: Gray Witch, whose first part opens in Japan on November 20. Ohta Publishing releases a single-issue CONTINUE magazine around the film on November 19.
Synthesized from 7
Yomimono stories · updated
1d ago
Mamoru Oshii's current project is the two-part theatrical anime Armored Trooper Votoms: Gray Witch, which he directs. The first part opens nationwide in Japan on November 20, and the release timing for the second part has not been announced. Ohta Publishing will release CONTINUE SPECIAL Armored Trooper Votoms: Gray Witch on November 19, a single-issue magazine built entirely around the film: 80 pages in full color, 1,980 yen including tax, in B5 variant format. The issue carries a long interview with Oshii, a talk between Miyuki Sawashiro (Ash Vamps) and Asami Ando (Maki Stauffenberg), a feature by Sumire Uesaka, cast as a young maintenance soldier, and a commentary on the original Armored Trooper Votoms.
The magazine arrives the day before the film, so print is the main production and cast access in the run-up to the theatrical release. Beyond the film, Oshii's earlier work is circulating on the festival and home-video side. The Busan International Film Festival added a curated anime strand to its 31st edition, Japanese Animation Special: Masterpieces of Madness, Exhilarating Prospects 12+1, pairing 12 anime films with one European classic, Paul Grimault's The King and the Mockingbird. The selection includes Oshii's Angel's Egg. The strand also spans Taiji Yabushita's The White Snake Enchantress, Osamu Tezuka's Phoenix 2772, and Rintaro's Metropolis, with new works from Shingo Natsume and Ryo Katanosaka. Rintaro will appear at the festival.
The Patlabor X account posted the trailer from the end credits of Mobile Police Patlabor EZY File 1 carrying the credit "trailer approval: Mamoru Oshii." The trailer follows the preview for Oshii's 1991 film Kerberos: The Cerberus of Hell. Storyboard artist Shinji Higuchi planted it. The post links the in-joke to the daily uploads of the Patlabor TV series on the Bandai Namco Filmworks YouTube channel.
Key facts
- Directorial project
- Armored Trooper Votoms: Gray Witch, a two-part theatrical anime directed by Oshii ↗
- Release date
- First part opens nationwide in Japan on November 20 ↗
- Magazine
- CONTINUE SPECIAL Armored Trooper Votoms: Gray Witch, 80 pages full color, 1,980 yen including tax, B5 variant format, released November 19 ↗
- Magazine cast features
- Long interview with Oshii, a talk between Miyuki Sawashiro (Ash Vamps) and Asami Ando (Maki Stauffenberg), and a feature by Sumire Uesaka ↗
- Festival selection
- Angel's Egg is in the Busan International Film Festival strand Japanese Animation Special: Masterpieces of Madness, Exhilarating Prospects 12+1, at the festival's 31st edition ↗
- Patlabor credit
- The Mobile Police Patlabor EZY File 1 end-credits trailer carries the credit "trailer approval: Mamoru Oshii" ↗
- Patlabor trailer origin
- The trailer follows the preview for Oshii's 1991 film Kerberos: The Cerberus of Hell and was planted by storyboard artist Shinji Higuchi ↗
Timeline
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
Claim activity
When a claim about Mamoru Oshii was confirmed, debunked, or disputed against
open-web sources. The record stays even after a claim drops off the facts list.
- Confirmed Mamoru Oshii directs Angel's Egg Sep 10 · source
All coverage
1d ago
Sunrise unveiled the main visual, advance trailer, and theme song trailer for Armored Trooper Votoms: The Grey Witch on October 23. The film opens nationwide in Japan on November 20, 2026, as a Sunrise 50th anniversary project. The theme song is "Like a Nameless Poet," performed by Mika Nakashima with music, lyrics, and arrangement by Toshihiko Takamizawa of THE ALFEE. The CD single releases November 25 at 1,450 yen, with streaming starting November 20. The advance trailer opens with Maki looking up at ATs in a maintenance factory and shows her investigating Ash, the soldier called the witch of the punishment unit who always survives. The enemy Balarant army's AT Fatty appears for the first time. A stage greeting is set for opening day at TOHO Cinemas Shinjuku, with director Mamoru Oshii and cast members Miyuki Sawashiro, Asami Ando, Shinichiro Miki, and Yuki Kaji scheduled to appear.
Oct 8
Ohta Publishing will release CONTINUE SPECIAL Armored Trooper Votoms: Gray Witch on November 19, a single-issue magazine built entirely around Mamoru Oshii's theatrical anime of the same name. The volume runs 80 pages in full color, priced at 1,980 yen including tax, in B5 variant format. It carries a long interview with Oshii, who directs the film, and a talk between Miyuki Sawashiro, who plays Ash Vamps, and Asami Ando, who plays Maki Stauffenberg. Sumire Uesaka, cast as a young maintenance soldier, contributes a feature on her attachment to the Votoms series, and the magazine includes a complete commentary on the original Armored Trooper Votoms. The film opens nationwide in Japan on November 20, one day after the magazine. It is a two-part theatrical series, with the first part arriving on that date and the second part's release timing still to be announced.
Sep 2
The Busan International Film Festival has added a curated anime strand to its 31st edition. Titled Japanese Animation Special: Masterpieces of Madness, Exhilarating Prospects 12+1, the program pairs 12 anime films with one European classic, Paul Grimault's The King and the Mockingbird. The selection spans Taiji Yabushita's The White Snake Enchantress, Osamu Tezuka's Phoenix 2772, Mamoru Oshii's Angel's Egg, Rintaro's Metropolis, and new works from Shingo Natsume and Ryo Katanosaka. Rintaro, now working on a new Galaxy Express 999 feature, will appear at the festival.
Aug 28
The preview cuts and synopsis for Episode 8 of the TV anime "Ghost in the Shell: The Ghost in the Shell," titled "INTERMISSION + BRAIN DRAIN i," have been released. Episode 8 is scheduled to air from 23:00 on August 25, with fastest streaming on Prime Video starting at 24:35 the same day. Due to the Asian Volleyball Championship, the broadcast start time may shift to between 23:00 and 24:05. The synopsis reveals that after diving into the Puppeteer, Motoko awakens and comes to understand the truth of the incident, but she begins to sense the Puppeteer's presence. During an operation to suppress terrorists on a ship, Section 9 advances, but Motoko accidentally shoots and kills the leader. The episode visual is part of a weekly initiative where each episode gets an alternative design poster, with Episode 8's design handled by Cota Kira. The anime airs every Tuesday at 23:00 on Kansai TV and Fuji TV's "Fire Animebaru!!" slot. Other streaming services begin distribution sequentially from August 26 at 24:35. The series has three episodes remaining after this one, making it a 10-episode run.
Aug 18
Scene photos and episode visuals for episode 7 of the TV anime Ghost in the Shell: THE GHOST IN THE SHELL have been released. The episode reveals the Puppeteer inside a robot, demanding political asylum before being seized. The episode's alternative design poster is by Kano Kameda.
Aug 10
The official Patlabor X account posted the trailer from the end credits of Mobile Police Patlabor EZY File 1 that carried the credit "trailer approval: Mamoru Oshii." The trailer closely follows the preview for Oshii's 1991 film Kerberos: The Cerberus of Hell, and was planted by storyboard artist Shinji Higuchi.
Aug 5
The TV anime Ghost in the Shell: The Ghost in the Shell has released preview stills, a synopsis, and an episode visual for its fifth episode, titled PHANTOM FUND. The episode is scheduled to air on August 4 at 23:00 in the Hi Anime Bar!! slot on Kansai TV and Fuji TV's national network, with a same-day streaming release on Prime Video at 23:30. In PHANTOM FUND, Motoko and her team head north to monitor the combat cyborg Coil Krasnov. To expose Coil's objectives and the corruption hidden behind Sagawa Electronics' underground factory expansion, Motoko goes to Sagawa Electronics headquarters while Batou and the others head to the underground factory. The episode visual is part of a special initiative that produces alternative-design posters for each episode, with the fifth episode's design by Daiya Tanabe of maxilla. The anime, based on Masamune Shirow's original manga, is directed by Moko-chan, with series composition and scripts by SF novelist Tow Ubukata, character design by Shuhei Handa, and animation production by Science SARU.
Jul 5
The upcoming television anime "Ghost in the Shell: The Ghost in the Shell" has revealed its opening and ending theme songs. King Gnu performs the opening theme "Go Ghost," while Millennium Parade performs the ending theme "Blue." This marks the first time that King Gnu and Millennium Parade, both featuring Daiki Tsuneta, have contributed theme songs to the same work. The announcement was made during a panel at Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles on July 4. A fifth promotional video previewing the opening theme was also released. The anime is produced by Science SARU, with Mokochan directing his first series. Toh Enjoe is writing and overseeing the series scripts. Shuhei Handa is designing the characters and serving as chief animation director. Taisei Iwasaki is the music director, composing alongside Ryo Konishi and Yuki Kanesaka. The anime will premiere on July 7 on Fuji TV's "Hi Anime!!" block at 11:00 p.m. JST, followed by streaming on Prime Video at 11:30 p.m. JST in over 240 countries and territories. The ending theme "Blue" features Saya Gray and Daniel Caesar.