Alice To Tres No Maboroshi Kojo - What We Know So Far

Most anime fans have probably watched a series or movie that came from the mind of writer Mari Okada. Her resume of titles is massive. Including her own original anime series like "Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day" and film "The Anthem of the Heart," Okada has also done a lot of series composition for shows like "Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko" and "Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans" (via Anime News Network).

In 2018, she jumped on many fans' radar when she made her directorial debut with "Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms." It's a beautiful anime movie on motherhood and loss that earned much critical acclaim. In fact, "Your Name" director Makoto Shinkai also heavily praised Okada's movie on his Twitter account. Given her prolific career, it's little surprise that Okada has been busy with another major project, titled "Alice to Tres no Maboroshi Kojo" (Alice and Therese's Illusory Factory). Fans are excited about the new film, as the trailer reveals gorgeous animation and hints of a haunting and perhaps surreal plot.

There's a lot of mystery surrounding the upcoming anime movie, but here's everything we know so far.

"Alice to Tres no Maboroshi Kojo" was initially revealed a few weeks ago during Studio MAPPA's 10th Anniversary Event. Along with a host of reveals on other upcoming projects from the studio, the movie was a bit of a welcome surprise for fans. Unfortunately, while MAPPA provided the first trailer as well as some key art, there currently isn't an official release date for the movie.

Via CBR, MAPPA did mention that they are currently hard at work on the film. Mari Okada said on the official movie site that they have a long way to go. The animation studio already has a lot of projects in development, in addition to "Alice to Tres no Maboroshi Kojo." MAPPA dropped a trailer for the anime adaption of Tatsuki Fujimoto's popular Shonen Jump manga "Chainsaw Man," as well as key art for the second part to the final season of "Attack On Titan" and "Takt Op. Destiny," an anime series based on Bandai Namco's upcoming game series. With so much going on with the studio, it's likely we won't see "Alice to Tres no Maboroshi Kojo" until sometime in 2022.

An official cast list of voice actors for "Alice to Tres no Maboroshi Kojo" hasn't been revealed yet. There also hasn't been a reveal of the identity of the major characters we see in the first trailer. However, the production side of the upcoming anime movie is a different story and is a primary reason why fans are excitedly anticipating its release. Via Crunchyroll, besides penning the screenplay, "Alice to Tres no Maboroshi Kojo" serves as Mari Okada's second time behind the director's chair.

In addition to Okada, "Jujutsu Kaisen" animation director Tadashi Hiramatsu will serve as sub-director. Some old teammates who worked with Okada on the anime series "A Lull In The Sea" will join her for the movie. Yuriko Ishii is returning to work with Okada as character designer and animation director, along with Kazuki Higashiji, who will serve as the art director. As for the music, Masaru Yokoyama, who worked on "Her Blue Sky," will be the movie's soundtrack composer.

An official plot synopsis for "Alice to Tres no Maboroshi Kojo" hasn't been revealed yet. However, Mari Okada has given a few details about the general plot of "Alice to Tres no Maboroshi Kojo" via the movie's official website. Okada said that the movie is about boys and girls in a world having to fight fate with "love as a weapon." Via Anime News Network, Okada described it as a "first-love fantasia" story.

While the trailer raises many questions about the plot, it also reaffirmed the suggested significant plot points from the director. A possible love triangle is on display in the trailer. It also shows children running in a labyrinth trainyard and living in what looks like a small town, but all of it is certainly not ordinary. For instance, the opening shot shows three children, each covering an eye or both eyes in front of an oncoming train. This could suggest that they are the main characters of this movie, and at one point, something magical and glowing flies through the frame. Is this an example of the "fate" they have to fight? Hopefully, we'll learn more about Alice to Tres no Maboroshi Kojo the closer we get to a release.