It has been announced that " Armored Trooper Votoms Armored Trooper Votoms : The Grey Witch (Hexe)," the first completely new installment in the popular anime series "Armored Mobile Police Patlabor" in approximately 15 years, will be released in two parts, with the first part opening on November 20th. It has been announced that Mamoru Oshii, known for "Ghost in the Shell" and "Patlabor," will direct the film, and that Ryosuke Takahashi, the original creator and director of "Armored Trooper Votoms," will participate as a supervisor.
Some of the main staff have also been announced, with Shinobu Tsuneki, known for "Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These," and Yuta Sono, creator of the manga "Armored Trooper Votoms AT Stories," handling the mecha designs, while Kenji Kawai, who has previously collaborated with director Oshii, will be in charge of the music. Sunrise will produce the series, with Production IG providing production assistance.
A special trailer featuring a Scopedog racing through the flames of battle, an enigmatic "witch," and a new teaser visual depicting a Scopedog have all been released.
Director Oshii commented, "I was a huge fan of the original Armored Trooper Votoms. It's a work I've always admired and wanted to make something like it someday. Some people might suspect that we'll be serving stand-up soba noodles in Votoms, but we're being serious. We're making a serious war action film."
Original creator and supervisor Takahashi said, "Each film has a director's unique 'touch,' and I myself am a fan of the 'Oshii touch.' I'm looking forward to seeing how filmmaker Mamoru Oshii's directorial 'touch' will be showcased in this adaptation of 'Armored Trooper Votoms.'"
It was announced that the plastic model kit "HG Scopedog Gray Witch [Desert Color] (tentative)" (Bandai Spirits) will be released in the fall of 2026, and that plans are underway for the figure "HI-METAL R Scopedog Gray Witch [Desert Color] (tentative)" (Bandai Spirits) and a plastic model kit in the "VA-KIT PLATOON" (MegaHouse) series.
"Armored Trooper Votoms" is a robot anime directed by Takahashi, with mechanical designs by Kunio Okawara and character designs by Norio Shioyama, and it aired on television from April 1983 to March 1984. The story takes place at the end of the Hundred Years' War, which divided the Astragius Galaxy in two between the opposing star systems of Gilgamesh and Balalant, and follows Chirico Cuvie as he participates in an absurd operation to attack an allied base.
Following its television broadcast, the series has continued to be loved for over 40 years, with OVAs (Original Video Animations), spin-offs, theatrical films, novels, and new plastic model kits and figures being released. To commemorate Sunrise's 50th anniversary, a new project is being produced. The release date for the second film will be announced at a later date.
◇Staff (titles omitted)
Director: Mamoru Oshii; Original Story & Supervision: Ryosuke Takahashi; Original Mechanical Design: Kunio Okawara; Mechanical Design: Shinobu Tsuneki & Yudai Sono; Music: Kenji Kawai; Production: Sunrise; Production Cooperation: Production IG
