Katsuhiro Ōtomo is properly back in the animation conversation, and for anime fans who grew up hearing Akira treated like sacred text, this is big news.
The legendary manga creator and anime director has announced the formation of a new Tokyo-based feature animation studio called OVAL GEAR. The studio already has its first project in production, though the title, story, release window, and staff details have not been revealed yet. OVAL GEAR is also currently recruiting animators and production staff, which suggests this is not just a small label on paper — it is being built as an active production house.
For newer fans, Ōtomo is the name behind Akira, one of the most important manga and anime films ever made. Even if you have never watched it, you have definitely felt its influence somewhere — cyberpunk cities, biker gang visuals, psychic destruction, that iconic red motorcycle slide. From Hollywood sci-fi to modern anime, Akira still casts a very long shadow.
But Ōtomo’s career is not only Akira. Before becoming a global anime icon, he built his name in manga with works including Domu and Kibun wa mō Sensō. In animation, he directed segments and films across projects like Robot Carnival, Memories, Gundam: Mission to the Rise, and Steamboy. He also contributed to or collaborated on titles such as Harmagedon, Roujin Z, Spriggan, Metropolis, Freedom Project, and Hipira: The Little Vampire.
That history matters because OVAL GEAR could mean a rare new feature-length project shaped directly by one of anime’s most influential visual storytellers. For Malaysian and SEA anime fans, this is the kind of development worth watching early. We get a lot of seasonal anime noise every year, but Ōtomo’s work usually sits in a different lane — big ideas, dense worldbuilding, and animation built to last longer than one hype cycle.
There is also an interesting loose thread here: Orbital Era. Back in 2019 at Anime Expo, Ōtomo announced that he was working with Sunrise on a space science-fiction film called Orbital Era. At the time, it was described as his third feature after Akira and Steamboy, with a story about young people growing up on a space colony across the four seasons. Ōtomo was attached for the original work, design work, screenplay, and direction.
Since that 2019 announcement, there has been no public update on Orbital Era. Anime News Network notes that the OVAL GEAR logo resembles artwork Sunrise showed for Orbital Era, but there is currently no confirmation that the new studio’s first project is connected to that film. So yes, fans can speculate — but until OVAL GEAR says it clearly, we should not treat it as confirmed.
Still, the timing is exciting. Anime films have become a much bigger deal in Malaysian cinemas over the last few years, from mainstream shonen blockbusters to more niche festival-style releases. If Ōtomo’s new studio produces a theatrical feature, there is a real chance SEA distributors and cinema chains will pay attention, especially if the project carries his name prominently.
For now, the key takeaway is simple: Katsuhiro Ōtomo has launched a new animation studio, its first work is already moving, and the studio is hiring. No trailer, no release date, no confirmed connection to Orbital Era yet — but for anime fans who care about the medium beyond weekly simulcast rankings, OVAL GEAR is now officially one to watch.
Source: Anime News Network