Katsuhiro Otomo has started a new animation studio called Oval Gear and it quickly caught the attention of anime fans around the world.
The move brought new hope for his long delayed film Orbital Era, which was first started buzzing about a few years ago but never fully updated.
The studio has now gone live with its official website and fans noticed something important right away.
The site, however, shows visuals that match Orbital Era, including a space themed character that was previously linked to the film. This made many people believe that the project may finally be active again.
Oval Gear explains on its website that the studio was created to pass on Otomo’s creative style to new artists while also building new anime projects for the future.
It also says the studio wants to share new stories with global audiences.
Another key detail is that the studio is hiring new staff, as this usually means work is starting behind the scenes and a project is being built step by step.
Fans have been waiting for years because Otomo has not directed a major anime film in a long time, as his last major anime work was connected to Short Peace in 2013.
With this new studio launch, excitement has returned and many now believe Orbital Era could finally move closer to becoming a real film.
2026-05-18 17:51:00
