Yoshitaka Amano of Final Fantasy Fame is Creating an Anime

The renowned artist Yoshitaka Amano is bringing an original anime to life. This limited series, titled “Zan,” draws inspiration from Amano’s dark fantasy art project, Deva Zan, which was compiled into an artbook back in 2013. Fans can catch the first trailer at Anime Expo in Los Angeles on July 3. Here’s the initial teaser image for the series:

This project has been in the works for quite some time. In 2010, Amano established a film production company called Studio Devaloka, which initially announced plans for a 3D anime movie titled “Zan.” After a few years of quiet, the film was reimagined as a series in 2022. A recent announcement for the limited anime described it as follows:

Combining original and newly crafted artwork by Amano with expressive hand-drawn animation, “ZAN” is a dark fantasy epic that traverses time and space through dynamic action, sword fights, and visually stunning heroes. The series brings together seasoned anime creators under Amano’s artistic direction to create a premium animated experience for audiences worldwide.

The development of the series is being handled by Yoshitaka Amano Inc. The animation team includes Masashi Ikeda (known for Inuyasha and Gundam Wing) and Toru Toshida (Armored Trooper VOTOMS and Gundam Seed) as animation directors. Moriyasu Taniguchi (Samurai Champloo and Vinland Saga) will serve as the principal animator. The series composition is in the hands of Ryosuke Takahashi (Armored Trooper VOTOMS and The Fable), with Yuya Takashima (Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury and The Fable) also contributing to the writing. The art direction will be led by Kunio Ogawa (Time Bokan and Mobile Suit Gundam) and Minoru Nishida (Kill Bill and Doraemon: Nobita’s Dinosaur).

Amano is widely recognized for his illustrations in the Final Fantasy series, the Vampire Hunter D novels, and Sandman: The Dream Hunters, but he also has a rich history in the anime industry. He has worked as a character designer for various shows, including Casshan and Science Ninja Team Gatchaman. Additionally, he co-created the cult classic 1985 film Angel’s Egg, which beautifully showcases his dreamlike aesthetic over a surreal 71 minutes. It will be exciting to see how Amano’s unique art style is brought to life in this upcoming animated project next week.