Anime Manga Explosion Featured Animation Artist Kameyama Yohei

・First-ever TV appearance by rising director Kameyama Yohei

・Kameyama reveals the inspiration behind Milky☆Highway, which has topped 12 million total views on YouTube, and breaks down the making of Milky☆Subway: The Galactic Limited Express

・We present the first half of his film Milky☆Subway: The Galactic Limited Express – the Movie, uncut!

The ANIME MANGA EXPLOSION documentary series (NHK World TV) dives deep into the artistry of the creators behind Japanese manga and anime that electrify audiences worldwide.

On June 28th 2026, ANIME MANGA EXPLOSION airs a special episode on rising director Kameyama Yohei, who made his professional debut with the anime series Milky☆Subway: The Galactic Limited Express on streaming and TV broadcast. The work topped viewer-satisfaction rankings in summer 2025, and five months after it aired the anime was released with new editing and scenes as Milky☆Subway: The Galactic Limited Express – the Movie.

Kameyama initially grabbed the spotlight with MILKY☆HIGHWAY, his 3 min 30 sec anime graduation project from vocational school. Released in 2022, the short film was created entirely with 3DCG and the eccentric characters and beat-synched action got people talking. In his first-ever TV appearance, Kameyama talks about the genesis of the work.

Three years following the release of Milky☆Highway, the sequel was released in 2025 as the short anime series Milky☆Subway: The Galactic Limited Express. Kameyama not only directed and wrote the script, but also handled character design, 3D modeling and animation, taking on most of the visual creation himself. The work is set in space and features cyborg and enhanced human characters, and in a special twist, Kameyama incorporates a retro worldview into this outlandish setting. We asked Kameyama for the backstory to his unique concept. And, he took us through the production process using rare behind-the-scenes materials. Kameyama shows how he used animatics to build the fast-paced dialogue. He also shares his actual 3D animation data to explain the special emphasis he placed on creating characters with a human touch.

We also present the first half of the film Milky☆Subway: The Galactic Limited Express – the Movie uncut. In this episode, Kameyama himself talks about his vision behind this unique work. Don't miss this chance to see the anime creative process that skyrocketed Kameyama from graduation work to anime series and feature film.

Broadcast schedule:

June 28, 2026 (Sun) NHK World TV
28-minute episode broadcast from 12:10, 18:10, 23:10, and next day 5:10 (Japan time)

Free VOD streaming on the NHK World Japan website from the following day. See the viewing guide for details: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/ja/tv/howto_watch_in_japan/

Featuring: Kameyama Yohei (Director)

Narrator: Michael Turpin

Episode preview: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/shows/2099033/

Official website: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/shows/anime_manga/