The Girl From The Other Side - What We Know So Far

As the animation studio behind early seasons of "Attack on Titan" and the Viking-inspired war tale "Vinland Saga," Wit is typically known for stories deeply imbued with themes of violence. However, it seems the studio is embarking upon new stylistic territory with their upcoming anime project, "The Girl from the Other Side." Based on the manga of the same name by author Nagabe and published in Mag Garden's "Monthly Comic Garden" magazine, Wit has held a clear interest in the franchise since it adapted the manga into a 10-minute short in 2019.

This latest project, though, is something a bit more extensive than just a short. This will be a feature-length Original Anime DVD (OAD), exclusive only to those that purchase a physical copy. In general, one would have to be a die-hard fan of either Wit or the manga to be interested in this project. However, the story bears a unique and interesting fairy tale concept that seems more than capable of hooking a few newcomers. With that in mind, here is everything we know about the release date, characters, and plot of "The Girl from the Other Side."

The story behind the development of "The Girl from the Other Side" is fairly unique as far as anime go. On March 11, Wit Studio officially launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter in order to pay for the development of the OAD. Amazingly (though perhaps not surprisingly given the popularity of both Wit and the original manga), the campaign reached its initial goal of 3 million Yen (almost $27,000) in only four hours. By May 8, the fans had contributed enough to overcome Wit's 20 million Yen stretch goal by an extra $2 million.

Obviously, this means that the "Girl from the Other Side" OAD will almost certainly come out on its scheduled release date of March 10, 2022 (via Anime News Network). Plus, the DVD will be delivered to fans with a collection of bonus content for meeting the campaign's stretch goals. This includes some behind-the-scenes content, an exclusive chapter of the manga created by Nagabe, and animated versions of Nagabe's weekly illustrations.

So far, Wit has only revealed two of the characters set to appear in the "Girl from the Other Side" OAD. They are, of course, the little girl and shadowy creature seen in almost all of the promotional art for both the manga and the OAD. The latter, Shiva, is a pale little girl who lives in a dangerous and mystical forest, but is protected by the dark, antlered creature, whom she calls Teacher. The two are played by Rie Takahashi and Jun Fukuyama respectively.

Though Wit has only revealed character information that pertains to this main duo, the manga does feature several more characters. The official synopsis featured on the official website for Seven Seas — the publisher responsible for the manga's English translation — reveals that the girl does have an unknown grandmother, while MyAnimeList makes mention of more than one god or goddess that influence the manga's series of events. Whether these characters will actually appear in this OAD, as well as which actors would portray them, are (so far) unknown.

"The Girl from the Other Side" takes place in a dualistic world. Things are divided between light and dark, where most "good" things inhabit the light-based world of the Outside. Most "bad" things, meanwhile, exist within the woodland bounds of the Inside. The story stars Shiva, a little girl from the Outside who somehow finds herself living alone in an abandoned village somewhere within the Inside. The Inside is populated by dangerous, cursed creatures who infect light creatures on contact.

However, Shiba is protected by the strange, cursed — yet benevolent — creature called Teacher. Though the two cannot make physical contact, it's clear that Shiva and Teacher share a special relationship. That relationship is tested, though, when Shiva runs away to look for her long lost grandmother. Along the way, she uncovers some dark secrets regarding her family's hidden past.