{"site":"Yomimono","license":"CC BY 4.0 (citation required)","generated_at":"2026-05-22T21:16:45.279Z","story":{"id":"r_0d8a6a22898246eab0617cb1","slug":"katsuhiro-otomo-opens-feature-animation-studio-oval-gear","url":"https://yomimono.id/katsuhiro-otomo-opens-feature-animation-studio-oval-gear","headline":"Katsuhiro Ōtomo Opens Feature Animation Studio Oval Gear","summary":"Director and manga artist Katsuhiro Ōtomo has founded a new animation studio called Oval Gear. The studio will focus on feature-length work. Its first project is already in production. The company is hiring animators and production staff as it builds out its team. Ōtomo is best known for the 1988 film Akira, which he directed and wrote based on his own manga. His other directing credits include the anthology Memories, the steampunk feature Steamboy, and the science-fiction story Roujin Z. He also contributed to Perfect Blue, the psychological thriller directed by the late Satoshi Kon. The formation of Oval Gear marks a return to feature animation for Ōtomo, whose last full-length directorial work was Steamboy in 2004. The studio name and its immediate hiring push suggest a permanent production base rather than a one-off project team. No release window or title for the first film has been shared.","why_it_matters":"Ōtomo has not directed a feature since 2004, and a permanent studio signals a multi-project commitment rather than a single return.","published_at":"2026-05-16T13:16:38.000Z","source_count":2,"sources":["Anime News Network","Niche Gamer"],"citations":[{"source":"Anime News Network","title":"Akira's Katsuhiro Ōtomo Establishes New Feature Animation Studio Oval Gear","url":"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-05-11/akira-katsuhiro-otomo-establishes-new-feature-animation-studio-oval-gear/.237245"},{"source":"Niche Gamer","title":"Katsuhiro Otomo launches his own animation studio OVAL GEAR","url":"https://nichegamer.com/katsuhiro-otomo-launches-his-own-animation-studio-oval-gear/"}],"license_url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","entities":{"anime_titles":["Akira","Memories","Steamboy","Roujin Z","Perfect Blue"],"manga_titles":["Akira"],"studios":["Oval Gear"],"people":["Katsuhiro Ōtomo","Satoshi Kon"],"type":"announcement","domain":"anime","is_roundup":false}}}