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Animation Studios Sunrise, Shaft Tease 1st Anime Collaboration

Animation studios Sunrise and SHAFT launched an official X (formerly Twitter) account titled "Sunrise x Shaft New Anime" on Thursday, kicking off a countdown until the anime's official reveal on June 23 at 24:30 JST (effectively June 24 at 12:30 a.m.). The X account will post countdown updates over the next days leading up to the reveal, beginning with a video that features the use of "color scripts," offering a glimpse into the anime's world. The new anime is the first ever collaboration between Sunrise and Shaft.

Below are images of the "color scripts" used in the video:

Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Filmworks

Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Filmworks

Image courtesy of Bandai Namco Filmworks

Sunrise is best known for the Mobile Suit Gundam series and other mecha anime such as Muteki Chōjin Zambot 3 and Armored Trooper Votoms. Sunrise is also known for its Love Live! and Code Geass anime series.

The company recently launched its "Sunrise 50th Anniversary" project to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Muteki Chōjin Zambot 3, the first work under the Sunrise brand, in 2027. The anniversary project also includes the "Mirai e no Kōro" or "Pursuing the Future" short film project, which will feature six original 3DCG animated works in collaboration with other production studios. The project initially revealed two of the six short films titled "Dice with Demon" ("Haseo Sugoroku") and "Metafear."

SHAFT was established in 1975. The studio is notably associated with director Akiyuki Simbo's work. Simbo, alongside Shin Oonuma and Tatsuya Oishi, was critical to establishing the studio's house style, persisting to various degrees even among the studio's other directors. The studio is particularly known for such anime as Puella Magi Madoka Magica, the Monogatari series, and March comes in like a lion. The studio also worked on such anime as Pretty Boy Detective Club, Assault Lily Bouquet, and RWBY: Ice Queendom.

SHAFT is animating the upcoming television anime adaptation of Tsumuji Yoshimura's Just Like Mona Lisa (Seibetsu "Mona Lisa" no Kimi e.) manga.

Source: Press release