Kyoukai Senki - What We Know So Far

Mecha maniacs should suit up and get ready for something new. The world of mecha anime is receiving an early Christmas gift from the likes of Sunrise Beyond and BANDAI SPIRITS. The two companies have recently announced their newest original mecha anime (anime about people piloting giant robots). It is called "Kyoukai Senki" and it seems just the right thing for fans of other mecha series like "Mobile Suit Gundam" and "Neon Genesis Evangelion."

BANDAI SPIRITS and animation studio Sunrise Beyond announced "Kyoukai Senki" back in March 2021, releasing a short trailer as a teaser for the upcoming project. The trailer has not been officially translated into English, so concrete details regarding the series are few and far between for those hindered by the language barrier. What is known is that this mysterious anime may be released sooner than later. So, before the show comes out right under our noses, here is what we know so far about "Kyoukai Senki's" release date, cast, and plot.

You can tell that Sunrise Beyond has been working on "Kyoukai Senki" for a long time just from the animation shown in the trailer. It's clear that some of the stuff in there isn't simply short samples made for this trailer; they're fully-fledged snippets of what we're going to see in the final product. It's no surprise then, that BANDAI SPIRITS and Sunrise Beyond plan on airing the show before 2022.

The only odd thing about this decision is that despite promising a 2021 release date, neither company has actually given a specific date. According to CBR, the show is aiming for a Fall 2021 release, but that's still a rather wide period of time for fans to be counting on. It is uncertain why the show's producers have neglected to be more specific for the time being. Regardless, until BANDAI SPIRITS or Sunrise Beyond announce anything else, it would be beneficial for potential fans to keep their ears to the ground and hope the anime doesn't get released while they weren't looking.

We're gonna give it to you straight on this one. Nobody has any idea who is supposed to star in this anime. We do know a bit about the principal characters in "Kyoukai Senki" (more on them later), but at this moment, nobody has announced any of the actors set to portray them. The only information we do have is on the anime's production team, not its stars.

In that regard, "Kyoukai Senki" seems to have some big names behind it. The animation director, Nobuyushi Habara is pretty seasoned when it comes to mecha anime (and anime in general). He has experience working on the original 1980's "Transformers" cartoon, as well as the "Mobile Suit Gundam" and "Broken Blade' series. Likewise, character designer Kenichi Ohnuki has worked on multiple "Gundam" series, including "Seed," "Seed Destiny," and "Encounters in Space." So, while we may not know who is in the cast of 'Kyoukai Senki," we at least know their talent will be in good hands with animators that are experts in the genre in question.

Similar to series like "Mobile Suit Gundam," "Kyoukai Senki" is a military science fiction story. This means that, unlike other mecha anime such as "Gurren Lagann," "Kyoukai Senki" is going to be much more invested in serious topics like war and politics. The show is set in Japan during the year 2061. At this point, Japan is in deep water. The country is currently controlled and oppressed by four trade organizations (via My Anime List). At some point, however, a youth named Amo Shiiba gets his hands on a mecha known as an AMAIM war machine (don't ask us what it stands for) and embarks on a mission with his AI friend Gai to free Japan once again.

Of course, it wouldn't be a good mecha anime if the protagonist didn't have a rival. Though he is also on the side of Japan's resistance, teenager Geshin Tezuka fights for a much darker cause. Hellbent on revenge, Tezuka throws himself into the conflict in order to find the people who killed his father and bring them to justice. More is sure to unfold as these two young warriors battle it out for glory.