The two-part Armored Trooper Votoms: Die Graue Hexe theatrical anime has received a main visual (drawn by co-character designer Takashi Kojima) and a pre-release trailer ahead of Part 1’s November 20 release.
The new promotional materials arrived with the announcement of “Na mo naki Shijin no you ni” by Mika Nakashima as the main theme. A separate, shorter-length trailer contains a snippet of the song.
Armored Trooper Votoms: Die Graue Hexe is a new entry in the Armored Trooper Votoms sci-fi franchise, set towards the end of a 100-year conflict between the two powers Gilgamesh and Balarant. The plot sees officer Maki Stauffenberg (Mabuki Ando) being assigned to investigate penal soldier Ash Vamps (Miyuki Sawashiro) who, owing to her continued survival despite the battles she is sent to, has the moniker of “Witch.”
The anime is directed by Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor the Movie, Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer), who also wrote the script with Keiji ni Mukanai Shojo series author Kei Yamamura, and produced by Sunrise with assistance from Production I.G. It is a 50th anniversary commemoration project for Sunrise.
Among the other staff are original character designer Kazuchika Kise (xxxHOLIC, Made in Abyss, and Ghost in the Shell: Arise character designer), character designers Tetsuya Nishio (Naruto, The Sky Crawlers), Kojima, and Shingo Ogiso (Blade of the Immortal, The Heroic Legend of Arslan chief character designer), and music composer Kenji Kawai (Ghost in the Shell).
The original Armored Trooper Votoms TV anime, created and directed by Ryosuke Takahashi (MUTEKING THE Dancing HERO chief director, Gasaraki director, Young Black Jack series composer and supervisor), started airing in April 1983 and ran for 52 episodes. The premise saw soldier Chirico Cuvie going on the run after a mission targeting his side’s allies leads to a betrayal and the discovery that one of the objectives is a woman.
A number of OVAs were released between the TV anime and Armored Trooper Votoms: Die Graue Hexe, among them 2011’s Armored Trooper Votoms: Chirico’s Return.
Production credits
• Director: Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor the Movie, Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer)
• Original character designer Kazuchika Kise
• Character designer: Tetsuya Nishio
• Character designer: Takashi Kojima
• Character designer: Shingo Ogiso
• Original mechanical designer: Kunio Okawara (Armored Trooper Votoms mechanical designer)
• Mechanical designer: Shinobu Tsuneki (Tengoku Daimakyo)
• Mechanical designer: Yoshihiro Sono (Urusei Yatsura remake co-mechanical designer)
• Music composer: Kenji Kawai (Ghost in the Shell)
• Planning and production: Sunrise
• Production assistance: Production I.G
