We think that the popular opinion is that this year’s Anime Expo has been one of the biggest conventions in the expo’s history. Along with shining a spotlight on several of the current running beloved anime franchises, Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo dropped a number of jaws with not just the announcement that his legendary anime series would be returning to screens as a new anime but also that he would be creating his third feature length film, Orbital Era. While not much is known about the property, a promo and poster were released to “whet some whistles”.
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The new anime franchise has created an Official Twitter Account to share any developing news from this upcoming anime film as well as sharing promotional materials:
大友克洋監督最新作映画『ORBITAL ERA』が制作決定!
— 映画「ORBITAL ERA」公式 (@OrbitalEra) July 5, 2019
『AKIRA』、『スチームボーイ』に続く長編アニメーション作品です。
ぜひご期待下さい!https://t.co/IggAq3QZgK pic.twitter.com/UziJdnOVO5
Also, Twitter User PHJD8I8 shared the key visual from the upcoming anime that hints at a strange new world for anime fans to encounter:
“Orbital Era” anime film key visual and website https://t.co/7MZnuJEOoO pic.twitter.com/WWWmvwKShV
— moetron | pKjd (@pkjd8I8) July 5, 2019
Katsuhiro Otomo has created two of the most widely recognized anime movies around in the forms of Akira and Steamboy which both take audiences by the hand into strange new worlds that reflect current events and environments that we see today. Akira for example may have had the setting of a futuristic cyber-punk scenario with psychic powers ripping apart the cityscape, but it also dove head first into themes such as isolation, rejection, and uprising against the government. Otomo’s works are never what they appear to be on paper and so we’re looking forward to see what curves the legendary anime creator has in store for us with Orbital Era.
The promotional materials so far have shown a person inside an astronaut suit with the letters “CCCP” stamped on the helmet, as well a skateboard careening through space past a satellite soaring through the stars. Whether this story is going to revolve around any super human abilities or simply supply us with an ordinary look at an extraordinary surrounding is yet to be seen.
What do you think of the poster and promotional materials released so far for Katushiro Otomo’s upcoming Orbital Era? What are your theories on what this third release from the legendary anime creator could be? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime!