Four production stills of the upcoming KILLTUBE original theatrical anime have been revealed during the Work in Progress session at this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
The Work in Progress session took place on June 26, 2026 and featured four members of the KILLTUBE production team in attendance: director Kazuaki Kuribayashi (Kizumonogatari film trilogy web production assistant), concept art director Fujihiko Sawai (of Wachajack), co-screenwriter Ryo Takebayashi, and producer Kayane Fujimura.
A Japanese theatrical release is being planned for KILLTUBE first, which will then be followed by premieres in France and North America. A global rollout is scheduled to follow sometime in 2027 and beyond.
The other production staff for KILLTUBE includes:
- • Screenplay: Saeri Natsuo, Ryo Takebayashi, Takenori Tokuyama
- • World View Setting: Yusuke Ujita
- • Technical Direction: CAVIAR’s Takumi Shiga , Masato Goto, Bivi, Frog96, Marusou
- • Character Design/Technical Direction: Nike Shimaguchi
- • Technical Direction/VFX Supervisor: Kassen’s Takahiro Ota
- • Music Director: Matsuza Katakumi
- • Music Composition: Takao Ogi
- • Concept Artist: Shusei Sasaya
- • Character Settings: ARuFa
- • Graphic Designer: Masataka Yoshida
- • Art Director: Takuya Sekikawa
- • CG Lead Animator: StudioNoco’s Daisuke Kaneko
- • CG Supervisor: Yuki Mizoguchi
- • CG Animation Supervisor: MontBlanc Pictures’s Satoshi Takeno
- • Background Modeling Supervisor: Barehand’s Jun Kazuse
- • CG Effects Supervisor: Tai Komatsu
- • Technical Artist: Hiroyuki Okada
- • CG Producer: Nanao Nakatsuka
VFX studio Kassen and artist collective Wachajack are credited as co-creators for the film, while STUDIO DOTOU is in charge of the animation production.
The film’s main voice cast will star Yui Tsukada as Musashi, Kengo Kawanishi as Kikuchiyo, and Ayane Sakura as Leonardo.
©CHOCOLATE/KILLTUBE
KILLTUBE is the first anime film production from CHOCOLATE Inc as part of its “108 Experiments” initiative to develop new ways to “create works, present them, and earn revenue to nurture original stories.” The company previously worked on the production and publicity for the Dark Gathering anime series, as well as planning for the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba’s Total Concentration exhibition. The film has a reported budget of 1 billion yen (US$6.8 million).
A 1-minute pilot of the film was released in April 2024, when they also announced the film’s production.
The official synopsis of KILLTUBE is described on its YouTube channel as:
In 2026, Japan continues its isolation under the Edo Shogunate. Amidst strict social hierarchies, three individuals, treated as scums of society, cross paths in a prison cell destined for a fateful encounter. They join the dueling video platform “KILLTUBE” to pursue fortune and to win their freedom in a segregational world.
In an era dubbed the “Age of Great Duels,” where one can amass immense wealth simply by defeating the strong, they face discrimination from samurais and merchants seeking power and authority. As they break the limits of convention and claim victory after victory, they rise in popularity, becoming decorated celebrities of their time.
However, just as they reach the height of their fame, they uncover the hidden truth behind “KILLTUBE”…
Source: press release
