Think the golden age of realistic tactical mechas is buried in the past? Hold on tight. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, studio Sunrise has just dropped a nostalgia bomb: the first official trailer for Armored Trooper Votoms: Die Graue Hexe. This new project will be a cinematic feast divided into two parts, confirming that the first film will hit Japanese cinemas with full force on November 20.

A titanic alliance to revive a classic

When you bring together two industry giants, the result has to be historic. This installment is being co-produced by Sunrise and Production I.G, but the real gem is that the direction is handled by Mamoru Oshii. Yes, we’re talking about the very visionary genius behind timeless masterpieces like Ghost in the Shell and Patlabor. Knowing that Oshii loves to mix the visceral crudeness of war with deep narratives, expectations for this installment are already breaking the roof.

The return of the old iron and real war

For younger otaku, the franchise debuted in 1983 and earned the absolute respect of the community for not beating around the bush. Here you won’t see teenagers shouting the names of their magical powers to save their waifu; this is pure tactical survival, hardened soldiers, and robots that are essentially tanks with legs. The new trailer for Die Graue Hexe made it clear that that dark essence remains intact, but now backed by next-generation visual quality that promises to maximize the tension of every mechanical battle.

Armored Trooper Votoms synopsis

The original saga transports us to the relentless Astragius Galaxy, a fractured universe consumed by a stellar-scale war that seems endless. The story followed the harrowing journey of Chirico Cuvie, an ordinary soldier navigating the hell of combat trying to survive military betrayals and ruthless conflicts. Known for its hyper-realistic focus on mech battles, the work steers clear of cheap heroism to focus on the traumas and tactical struggles of rank-and-file soldiers trapped in political machinations far bigger than themselves.

Does the triumphant return of this old-school titan excite you, or do you prefer modern action mechas?