My comment on “MARS EXPRESS,” opening in theaters across Japan on January 30, 2026 (Fri). This is it! The look, design, world-building, story, theme, authorial voice. It evokes the hard Sci-Fi anime that I love – the ones released in the ‘80s and ‘90s during the OVA boom from the likes of Mamoru Oshii, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, and Satoshi Kon! These pioneers enlightened the “otaku,” who were “minorities” in Japan, with their genius and scattered the seeds of “OTAKU” culture across the world. It is a form of animation that emerged only in that special era – something neither “live-action” nor “cartoon” but our “Japanimation!” This film is exactly that. It is a rare anime that could never emerge from streaming services or even from modern Japan. This French anime is something we ought to support and protect at all costs.