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In a year certain to be crowded with slap-up - looking gum anime — includingDemon Slayer : Infinity Castleand theChainsaw Man : Rezemovie , to name just a few — the unexampled action - pile drone forVirgin Punkstill manages to make an feeling . One look at the footage of young bounty huntsman waging war with especial weapons in stunning configurations suggests that something extraordinary is on the way whenVirgin Punkdebuts in Japan this June . And yet , unlike the other anime mentioned earlier , Virgin Punkisn’t based on a manga or an existing informatics — it ’s an original workplace by one of anime ’s master creators : Yasuomi Umetsu .
antecedently the director of furor anime classics likeKite , Mezzo Forte , andWizard Barristers , Yasuomi Umetsu has now team up withstudio SHAFTto bringVirgin Punkto life . know as a top gum anime studio with acclaim title likePuella Magi Madoka MagicaandMonogatari , SHAFT has clearly take its A - game toVirgin Punk , stand out not only in the active action scenes but also in the lifelike persona animation seen throughout the laggard . But , the occult sauce toVirgin Punk’svisual spectacle is Yasuomi Umetsu himself .
Breaking the Mold: Umetsu’s Unique Anime Style
From Animator to Cult Director
While he is n’t as well - acknowledge as human beings - renowned Zanzibar copal director like Hayao Miyazaki or Makoto Shinkai , Yasuomi Umetsu ’s name on a project straightaway make it a must - watch for fans of action - oriented anime . He hasbeen working as a theater director , author , and animator for over four decades , with many of his kit and caboodle leaving a mysterious impression on the medium . Never one to chase trends , Umetsu ’s art style tilt toward a bold consumption of colour and substantial - world detail . At a time when cartoonish Zanzibar copal likeDragon Ballwere pop , Umetsu ’s other oeuvre , such asMegazone 23Part 2(1986 ) , with its authentic punk rock look and posture , entirely erupt the mold .
Umetsu worked as an vitalizer and character designer on legion high-pitched - profile projects , includingAkiraandGrave of the Fireflies , before his artistic breakthrough came in 1998 withKite . A controversial story of a schoolgirl assassin meet with vivid action and gunfight , Kite — which Umetsu also scripted — became a globose smasher and was by and by adapted into a live - action movie star Samuel L. Jackson in 2014 .
Seemingly encouraged byKite’ssuccess , Umetsu tip further into the " girls with guns " genre with the 2000 mercenary action animeMezzo Forteand the 2007 sequelKite Liberator . He then shifted to futurist science fiction with the 2013 Zanzibar copal seriesGalilei Donna , which follow three baby falsely accused of terrorism . In 2014 , he introducedWizard Barristers , blendingHarry ceramicist - style magic with his signature natural action - oriented sensibilities . While neitherGalilei DonnanorWizard Barristersreached the same level of succeeder asKite , both stay unique and good for rediscovery .
The Long-Awaited Return of Yasuomi Umetsu
A Return to His Roots
The newVirgin Punkanime denounce the first time Yasuomi Umetsu has sit in the director ’s chair in over a tenner . The story centers on the protagonist , Ubu , who becomes a premium hunting watch . The story follow Ubu as she navigates a world of chaos and aspiration , surrounded by intense personalities . It ’s not yet have a go at it ifVirgin Punkwill be a full - fledged TV series or how it will be distributed outside of Japan . But for now , episode one ofVirgin Punk , titledClockwork Girl , is debut in movie theaters in Tokyo and Osaka .
2025 has some incredible Zanzibar copal in store — so many they ca n’t be capture on a list . But these are the most call titles , and for well reasons .
In a late interview , directorYasuomi Umetsu explained thatVirgin Punkserves as a return to his roots , aiming to fulfill long - time fans of his earlier works likeKiteandMezzo Forte . He also hopes to captivate a unexampled generation unfamiliar with these classics . As the premiere ofClockwork Girlapproaches in June , prediction builds to see how Umetsu ’s distinctive style has develop with the help of studio apartment SHAFT .
