No mecha fan has not heard of the mecha juggernaut animation studio Sunrise. With works like Gintama to Gundam and Cowboy Bebop, it has been a staple of the industry. And it’s nearing it’s 50th anniversary in 2027. Wikipedia lists Sunrise Studio was founded in 1972 but it seems they’re counting after their rebrand to Nippon Sunrise in 1977 along with their inagual animated production Muteki Chojin Zambot 3.
With this, they are kicking off 2026 with the “Sunrise 50th Anniversary” Project, which aims to redefine the Sunrise brand which has endured for half a century and as a token of gratitude to everyone who supported them from their first animated work. The anniversary project will run from 2026 to 2028 and will feature numerous productions as part of the celebration.
WIth this context, they have announced a new animated Votoms production in collaboration with another industry juggernaut, Production I.G.
The latest installement in the long-running Votoms franchise is Armored Trooper Votoms: Die Graue Hexe, which translates to “The Gray Witch.” Sunrise has been using “witch” a lot in their productions lately, from The Witch from Mercury, to Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe (which is “Circe no Majo” in Japanese), and then this one.
As mentioned, this is going to be produced in collaboration with Production I.G and is going to be helmed by none other than Mamoru Oshii of Patlabor and Ghost in the Shell fame, so this is something definitely to watch out for. On that note, you can watch this quick teaser they dropped along with the announcement. It’s nothing much but it’s always nice to see Scopedogs in gorgeous animation.
I’m inclined to think this is going to be an OVA or released on streaming, and I will be surprised if we get a full fledged series out of this. Regardless, I am looking forward to which other titles would get new productions as part of this anniversary project.
