Yoshitaka Amano's ZAN Anime Project Reveals Staff of Mecha Anime Veterans
Yoshitaka Amano's long-gestating anime project ZAN, based on his 2010 art collection DEVA ZAN, has revealed its staff and will premiere a pilot film at Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles on July 3. The project, now listed as a limited anime series, was originally announced as a film in 2010 and rebooted as a series in 2022. The staff includes several mecha anime veterans who previously worked together on Armored Trooper Votoms. Shigeyasu Yamauchi and Toru Yoshida are directing. Ryosuke Takahashi is handling series composition. Moriyasu Taniguchi is chief animation director. Kunio Okawara is mechanical designer. Minoru Nishida is art director. The story follows a young samurai named ZAN from Sengoku-era Japan who is guided by a mysterious girl, Uzume, into a different world governed by the life symbol Trope and its ruler RIKKA. Alongside the announcement, Amano launched a new US-based company, Yoshitaka Amano Inc., headquartered in Los Angeles, which will focus on animation production, art management, and licensing. An immersive exhibition called AMANO is also planned for global expansion starting in 2027.