{"rewrite":{"id":"r_c89633c1dfb9f48036ad15ed","clusterId":"c_7f2fcc6523badaa5e3108bf4","slug":"yoshitaka-amano-s-zan-anime-project-names-mecha-anime-veterans-to-staff","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Yoshitaka Amano's ZAN Anime Project Reveals Staff of Mecha Anime Veterans","summary":"Yoshitaka Amano's long-gestating anime project ZAN, based on his 2010 art collection DEVA ZAN, has revealed its staff and will premiere a pilot film at Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles on July 3. The project, now listed as a limited anime series, was originally announced as a film in 2010 and rebooted as a series in 2022. The staff includes several mecha anime veterans who previously worked together on Armored Trooper Votoms. Shigeyasu Yamauchi and Toru Yoshida are directing. Ryosuke Takahashi is handling series composition. Moriyasu Taniguchi is chief animation director. Kunio Okawara is mechanical designer. Minoru Nishida is art director. The story follows a young samurai named ZAN from Sengoku-era Japan who is guided by a mysterious girl, Uzume, into a different world governed by the life symbol Trope and its ruler RIKKA. Alongside the announcement, Amano launched a new US-based company, Yoshitaka Amano Inc., headquartered in Los Angeles, which will focus on animation production, art management, and licensing. An immersive exhibition called AMANO is also planned for global expansion starting in 2027.","whyItMatters":"The project reunites key staff from Armored Trooper Votoms under Amano's direction, marking a rare convergence of classic mecha anime talent on a dark fantasy property that has shifted from a theatrical film to a limited series over 16 years of development.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe pilot film will have its world premiere at the Yoshitaka Amano panel at Anime Expo 2026 on July 3. The panel will also introduce the production team and the new company. Takahashi, Yoshida, and Taniguchi will attend the event.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eScriptwriter Yuya Takashima, who wrote the novelization of \u003cem\u003eMobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury\u003c/em\u003e and the novel for \u003cem\u003eSpace Battleship Yamato: Dawn\u003c/em\u003e, is writing the scripts. The story follows the young samurai ZAN, who is guided by the voice of a mysterious girl named Uzume into a different world. He fights alongside the mechanical lifeform Panther and Uzume, and he begins to question the \u0026#34;justice\u0026#34; he fights for as he battles the ruler RIKKA and the life symbol Trope.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe project was originally announced in 2010 as a film, with Amano making his directorial debut. He established his own production studio, Studio Deva Loka, to create it. The film was slated for a 2012 worldwide debut but was never released. Dark Horse Comics released the \u003cem\u003eDEVA ZAN\u003c/em\u003e artbook in hardcover in January 2013. Jaymen Tokyo and Good Win were previously listed as producers on the theatrical project. Mariko Suzuki, film producer Hiroaki Ikegami, Kazuhiko Yusa, and Shin Koyamada were listed as producers.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe larger ZAN project also includes a play-to-earn blockchain game and NFT art. Singaporean blockchain firm Trophee will contribute to those projects.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Yoshitaka Amano's ZAN, a dark fantasy born from over 300 original drawings, finally gets a pilot film premiere at Anime Expo on July 3. The staff is a Votoms reunion: Takahashi, Yamauchi, Yoshida, Taniguchi, Okawara.","twitterPost":"Amano's ZAN anime is now a limited series, not a film. The pilot drops at AX 2026. Staff includes Gundam mecha designer Kunio Okawara and Votoms creator Ryosuke Takahashi.","threadsPost":"ZAN's staff includes mecha veterans like Ryōsuke Takahashi and Kunio Ōkawara, but the project is a limited series, not a full-length cour. That format choice suggests the adaptation will be compact, possibly treating Amano's art as a contained story rather than an ongoing franchise.","newsletterBlurb":"Yoshitaka Amano's ZAN anime project has revealed its staff, a reunion of mecha anime veterans from Armored Trooper Votoms. The pilot film will premiere at Anime Expo 2026 on July 3. Amano also launched a new US company and announced a global immersive exhibition.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Anime News Network\",\"url\":\"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-07-01/yoshitaka-amano-zan-anime-project-reveals-staff-of-mecha-anime-veterans/.239205\",\"title\":\"Yoshitaka Amano's ZAN Anime Project Reveals Staff of Mecha Anime Veterans\"},{\"source\":\"Denfaminicogamer\",\"url\":\"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/260702v\",\"title\":\"Yoshitaka Amano's All-New Original Anime 'ZAN' Launches. Pilot Film to Premiere Worldwide at Anime Expo 2026\"},{\"source\":\"KAI-YOU\",\"url\":\"https://kai-you.net/article/95851\",\"title\":\"Yoshitaka Amano's Original Anime 'ZAN' Announced: Dark Fantasy Born from Art Collection\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":15096,"outputTokens":1460,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1782963895,"createdAt":"2026-07-02T03:37:23.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-07-02T03:39:50.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-02T03:39:50.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_7f2fcc6523badaa5e3108bf4","canonicalTitle":"News\nYoshitaka Amano's ZAN Anime Project Reveals Staff of Mecha Anime Veterans","representativeArticleId":"a_9a550709f6a46532becff517","sourceCount":3,"writtenSourceCount":3,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[\"ZAN\"],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"Yoshitaka Amano\",\"Masashi Ikeda\",\"Tōru Yoshida\",\"Ryōsuke Takahashi\"],\"type\":\"announcement\",\"domain\":\"anime\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"written","firstSeenAt":"2026-07-02T02:39:48.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-02T08:01:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-02T08:53:45.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Anime News Network","url":"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-07-01/yoshitaka-amano-zan-anime-project-reveals-staff-of-mecha-anime-veterans/.239205","title":"News\nYoshitaka Amano's ZAN Anime Project Reveals Staff of Mecha Anime Veterans"},{"source":"KAI-YOU","url":"https://kai-you.net/article/95851","title":"天野喜孝原作のアニメ『斬 -ZAN-』発表　アート作品集から誕生したダークファンタジー"},{"source":"Denfaminicogamer","url":"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/260702v","title":"天野喜孝氏が描く完全新作オリジナルアニメ『斬 -ZAN-』が始動。「Anime Expo 2026」でパイロットフィルムが世界初公開"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":["ZAN"],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":["Yoshitaka Amano","Masashi Ikeda","Tōru Yoshida","Ryōsuke Takahashi"],"type":"announcement","domain":"anime","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["The ZAN pilot film will premiere at Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles on July 3.","The staff includes mecha anime veterans from Armored Trooper Votoms: Shigeyasu Yamauchi and Toru Yoshida as directors, Ryosuke Takahashi as series composer, and Kunio Okawara as mechanical designer.","Yoshitaka Amano launched a new US-based company, Yoshitaka Amano Inc., headquartered in Los Angeles, for animation production, art management, and licensing.","The story follows a young samurai named ZAN from Sengoku-era Japan who is guided by a girl named Uzume into a different world ruled by RIKKA and the life symbol Trope.","The project was originally announced as a film in 2010 and rebooted as a limited anime series in 2022, with a blockchain game and NFT art also planned."]}