Renowned
creator Shoji Kawamori, the mind behind legendary franchises such
as Macross and Aquarion, officially announced his
new original film project: Meikyuu no Shiori (translated
as "Shiori of the Labyrinth" or simply "Labyrinth").
The film will be released in January 2026 and represents the
author's first full-length animated film that is not based on a previous
franchise.
The project's official website went live on Wednesday, revealing a visual teaser, a promotional video and the first details about the creative team.
A
teenager trapped in a digital world
The story
follows Shiori Maezawa, a seemingly normal high school student who,
after breaking her smartphone, mysteriously appears in a side-by-side, deserted
version of Yokohama. When she checks her cell phone, she discovers posts and
photographs of her on social networks that she does not remember uploading.
Soon, Shiori is forced to face an uncontrollable version of herself and must
find a way to escape the digital labyrinth that has trapped
her.
Kawamori's
Emotional and Modern Approach
Kawamori
explained that the central idea of the film arises from considering smartphones
as a kind of "other self", a digital version that accumulates
personal data and virtual identity. Their goal is to create an emotional
experience with a mix of pop entertainment, music, and horror.
The
high-level creative team behind
The film
will be produced by SANZIGEN, with Shoji Kawamori directing.
The original concept comes from the companies Slow Curve, Vector
Vision, GAGA and Fuji Television, and the
planning and production are in charge of Slow Curve.
The script
was written by Taichi Hashimoto (Listeners, Gate
Keepers 21), while the character design will be in the hands of Risa
Ebata, known for her work on Macross Frontier and AKB0048.
Kawamori,
a living legend of anime
With a
career spanning more than four decades, Shoji Kawamori is
widely recognized as the creator of The Vision of Escaflowne, Basquash!, Nobunaga
The Fool, and the Macross franchise, where he was the
designer of the iconic transformable mecha. In addition, he has
contributed as a mechanical designer in productions such as Patlabor, Eureka
Seven, Outlaw Star and Ghost in the Shell.
Currently,
Kawamori is also part of the team of 10 co-producers responsible for the
organization of Expo 2025.
With Meikyuu
no Shiori, Kawamori bets on a fresh, thoughtful and emotional proposal,
exploring the dark side of digital life in a film that promises to leave its
mark on contemporary animated cinema.
