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Yanmar's Miru Original Anime Project Streams Concept Video
posted on by Egan Loo
Machinery manufacturer Yanmar Holdings streamed a concept video for its original anime project Miru (To Envision) on July 1. The same video also debuted at Yanmar's exhibit along with a giant statue of the main robot mecha at Anime Expo.
At the Anime Expo panel for Miru on July 3, the staff discussed the production's development. The staff deliberately steered the main mecha design away from existing hero robot design tropes. When asked if the story will have a villain, the staff said that not only may the story not have a villain, it may not have a traditional hero or conflict.
The team already has members from both Japan and the United States, and they are considering more collaborators not only from those countries but also from Europe. They clarified that the production is not at the stage to announce its release format or medium.
The project features robots by designers from the company, and story scripts by Shigeru Morita (Lagrange - The Flower of Rin-ne, A Dark Rabbit Has Seven Lives, The Island of Giant Insects) from Studio Nue. Design company btrax is credited for assistance with the project. (Artist YKBX drew the above visual.) Yanmar credits Yanmar Holdings Inc. Brand Department Design Office for the robot's design, with Yū Iguchi as concept artist.
The project had an exhibit at the Los Angeles Convention Center's South Hall Lobby at Anime Expo from July 1 to July 4. The exhibit featured a statue of its main robot, the key visual, and the above concept movie for the anime (YKBX is credited as director for the concept movie, with cubesato credited for sound design). Yanmar chief business officer Akihiro Nagaya, design company btrax's CEO Brandon K. Hill, and artist YKBX appeared at the Miru panel at Anime Expo.
Source: Miru's Anime Expo panel
