Legendary director Mamoru Oshii and original franchise creator Ryōsuke Takahashi are collaborating with Sunrise and Production I.G on Sōkō Kihei Votoms Haiiro no Hexe (Armored Trooper Votoms: Die Graue Hexe), a two-film theatrical project returning to the seminal real-robot universe. The first feature is scheduled to premiere in Japanese theaters on November 20. Accompanying the announcement are two promotional trailers and a visual previewing the main theme song, "Na mo Naki Shijin no Yō ni" (Like Some Nameless Poet), performed by Mika Nakashima and composed by Toshihiko Takamizawa of THE ALFEE.
The story follows Ash Vamps, a feared Armored Trooper pilot known across the battlefield as the "Grey Witch," voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro. Opposite her, Mabuki Andou stars as Maki Stauffenberg, an intelligence officer secretly tasked with investigating Ash's past. The supporting ensemble cast includes seasoned industry talents such as Shinichirō Miki, Yūki Kaji, Yūichi Nakamura, Tomokazu Sugita, Daisuke Ono, and Takahiro Sakurai.
The production reunites Oshii with long-time musical collaborator Kenji Kawai, whose iconic compositions previously scored Ghost in the Shell and Patlabor 2: The Movie. Mechanical design duties are spearheaded by Shinobu Tsuneki and manga artist Yoshiro Sōno based on original mecha designs by Kunio Ōkawara. Original character concepts are supplied by Kazuchika Kise, with animation character designs handled by Shingo Ogiso, Takashi Kojima, and Tetsuya Nishio.
Real Robot Heritage
Debuting in 1983, the original Armored Trooper Votoms defined gritty realism in mecha storytelling alongside Mobile Suit Gundam. The series treats its Vertical One-man Tanks for Offense & Maneuvers (VOTOMS) as disposable, mass-produced military equipment with notorious mortality rates among pilots. Die Graue Hexe represents the franchise's first anime release since 2011's Armored Trooper Votoms: Alone Again.
