Armored Trooper VOTOMS Reveals First New Anime in 15 Years, Opening in Theaters on November 20 as a Two Part Film With New Footage and Scene Cuts Featuring a New Scopedog

It has been announced that Armored Trooper VOTOMS: Die Graue Hexe, the first completely new film in the Armored Trooper VOTOMS anime series in 15 years, will be produced as a two part theatrical project. The first part is scheduled to open in theaters on November 20.

Alongside the announcement, additional staff information, a teaser video, a teaser visual, and scene cuts were also revealed.

The newly released teaser video features the latest anime footage, showing a Scopedog racing through the flames of war and the mysterious figure of a “witch.” The teaser visual released at the same time depicts a new Scopedog.

Additional staff members have also been announced. Ryosuke Takahashi, the original creator and director of Armored Trooper VOTOMS, is participating as supervisor. Mechanical design is handled by Shinobu Tsuneki, known for mechanical design on Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These, and Yoshihiro Sono, who also worked on the manga Armored Trooper VOTOMS AT Stories. Music is composed by Kenji Kawai, who has collaborated with Mamoru Oshii on numerous works.

Armored Trooper VOTOMS is set in the Astragius Galaxy, where battles and conspiracies unfold. The story follows a protagonist who continues fighting and fleeing while pursuing the mystery of his own birth. The bipedal humanoid weapons known as Armored Troopers are treated as expendable weapons. Because the survival rate for soldiers who pilot them is extremely low, they are mockingly called “VOTOMS,” meaning “the lowest scum,” a play on the word “bottoms.” Produced by Sunrise, the series is known as a real robot anime that thoroughly portrays robots as consumable military equipment.

Since the TV series aired from 1983 to 1984, the franchise has expanded through OVAs, side stories, theatrical films, event screenings, and books. This completely new work is being produced as a Sunrise 50th anniversary title. Mamoru Oshii serves as director, Sunrise handles animation production, and Production I.G provides production cooperation.

Comment from Director Mamoru Oshii

“I was a huge fan of the original VOTOMS. It was a work I admired, and I always wanted to make something like VOTOMS someday. Some people may suspect that I would put standing soba into VOTOMS, but I am taking this seriously. I am seriously making a war action film.”

Comment from Original Creator and Supervisor Ryosuke Takahashi

“A film has a director’s unique touch, and I myself am a fan of the ‘Oshii touch.’ As he takes on VOTOMS this time, I am looking forward to seeing the directorial touch of filmmaker Mamoru Oshii come through.”

Source : ORICON NEWS