Sci-fi fans worldwide know the monumental impact the Akira movie had on pop culture. After years away from the spotlight, legendary mangaka and director Katsuhiro Otomo is ready to regain full control of his creative vision. He has officially launched his own animation studio in Tokyo, named Oval Gear, with the goal of producing feature films that can compete globally and captivate new audiences.

A school for the new generation

Otomo founded the company to genuinely pass on his unique work methods and narrative style to a new generation of artists. In fact, the studio confirmed via a statement that its first animated feature is already in production, prompting an active search for talent, hiring animators and creative staff to join its ranks and learn directly from the master.

The mystery of the lost work

What has fans speculating are the identity of this first film. If we recall, back in 2019, the director announced an ambitious sci-fi film titled Orbital Era in collaboration with Sunrise. The story promised to show the lives of a group of young people surviving in a space colony across four seasons. However, the project completely vanished from the public radar without a trace.

Curiously, sharp-eyed fans noticed that the official logo of Oval Gear bears an undeniable resemblance to the concept art of that lost film. Although the company remains tight-lipped and hasn’t confirmed whether they recovered the survival space script or are developing a completely new story, the excitement for the return of this genius is immense.

Given the high level of quality and visual excellence this director brings to all his masterpieces, do you think the first film from this new studio will overcome the massive cultural shadow left by Akira, or will it be a more experimental project focused on testing its new talents?