Takayuki Hirao’s next anime film, Wasted Chef, is finally starting to show more flavour — literally and emotionally.
Animation Studio CLAP revealed that the film’s teaser visual was shown during the Annecy Animation Showcase at the 79th Cannes International Film Festival, held from May 15 to 17. For anime fans who track industry signals, this is a pretty solid one: Cannes’ animation push is not just random hype, it is where unfinished projects get seen by international buyers, distributors, and festival people.
That matters for Malaysia and SEA because films like this do not always get wide theatrical runs here unless there is enough regional interest or a strong distributor behind them. A Cannes-side showcase gives Wasted Chef a better shot at travelling beyond Japan, especially if it builds the same cinephile crowd appeal that helped titles like Pompo: The Cinéphile stand out.
The teaser visual carries the tagline: “That day, ‘you’ and ‘taste’ disappeared from the world.” Very dramatic, very anime, and honestly the kind of hook that immediately tells you this is not just a cute cooking movie.
The Pompo team is back
The big reason to pay attention is the staff reunion. Takayuki Hirao, Studio CLAP, character designer Shingo Adachi, and composer Kenta Matsukuma are all back together after working on Pompo: The Cinéphile.
That is a strong creative combo if you enjoy anime films with high-energy direction, expressive characters, and big emotional swings. Hirao’s style usually has that “cinema kid with too many feelings” energy — fast, stylish, and sincere without becoming boring.
The project was first announced back in June 2023. The team later shared a new imageboard concept in June 2025, and now the teaser visual is being positioned in front of an international animation crowd. Step by step, it feels like CLAP is building this one carefully.
Special trailer coming with Pompo revival screenings
Studio CLAP also confirmed that a special trailer for Wasted Chef will be shown early at revival screenings of Pompo: The Cinéphile in Japan, starting May 29.
More information is expected at the Pompo: The Cinéphile 5th Anniversary Stage Greeting event, happening at Shinjuku Piccadilly on May 31. So if we are getting cast, release window details, or a fuller story breakdown, that is probably the date to watch.
For Malaysian anime fans, this is one of those “keep on radar” projects. If the trailer lands online after the Japan screenings, expect anime film Twitter/X, AniList circles, and Letterboxd bros to start dissecting the vibe immediately.
What is Wasted Chef about?
According to Variety’s description, Wasted Chef follows a young chef searching for a missing flavour. His journey takes him to a ruined city where taste no longer exists. After being rescued by a character named Kasumi, his cooking begins to bring back forgotten memories. But there is also a darker threat trying to wipe away desire itself, turning his quest into something much bigger than just food.
That premise sounds very SEA-friendly, honestly. In Malaysia, food is not just food — it is memory, family, culture, lepak sessions, road trips, pasar malam, mamak at 1AM. An anime about taste disappearing from the world could hit harder here than people expect, because the idea of losing flavour also feels like losing identity.
Variety also reported that the film is currently planned for completion in 2027, so this is still a long-game watch rather than something dropping next season.
Cannes is putting more spotlight on anime
Wasted Chef was part of the animated works-in-progress shown at the Annecy Animation Showcase, under Cannes’ expanded Cannes Animation initiative. Another Japanese project featured there was dwarf studios’ stop-motion samurai film HIDARI.
Japan is also the 2026 Country of Honor at Cannes’ Marché du Film, with Cannes Animation hosting panels and workshops focused on Japanese animation. In simple terms: anime is getting even more serious attention from the global film market.
For us in Malaysia and SEA, that could mean more festival-style anime films getting international licensing, cinema screenings, or at least stronger streaming visibility. Hopefully Wasted Chef is one of them, because this one already has the ingredients for something special.
Source: Anime News Network