Mamoru Oshii has confirmed that he has directed Armored Trooper Votoms: Die Graue Hexe, an anime film in two parts with the release date in Japan for its first part set for November 20.
This film will be a continuation of the cult anime Armored Trooper Votoms, by Ryosuke Takahashi, considered the pioneering anime in creating a more realistic and raw version of mechas. All of this without abandoning a strong anti-militarist critique.
Oshii is a director famous for having directed the two original Ghost in the Shell movies. Two very unique reinterpretations that are much more philosophical than the original manga, which, while shaping what most people understand as Ghost in the Shell, are not exactly faithful to the source. This has led the studio Science SARU to release a new adaptation next July that is more faithful to the original.
A director of classic anime (and other peculiar things)
In recent years, he has been more focused on producing unique and very particular live-action films with a very intense use of CGI. But aside from Ghost in the Shell, he is also famous for two mecha films and one aviation film: the two excellent Patlabor: The Movie and the underrated The Sky Crawlers.
As for Armored Trooper VOTOMS: Die Graue Hexe, it will be surrounded by a star team. With the approval of the original author, music by Kenji Kawai, and being a collaborative production between Sunrise and Production I.G., the quality is guaranteed. Now what remains is to know a release date for the West. Although if a director seems assured to reach the West, it is whatever Oshii produces.
