50 Anime on One Canvas
The anniversary key visual, unveiled through Japanese entertainment news outlet Oricon News, features 50 titles selected from Sunrise's catalog of more than 500 works, all presented in freshly drawn original artwork. The studio describes the selection as "works that have received particularly high support" over the decades.
The visual spans nearly the full breadth of Sunrise's history. Confirmed titles include the studio's 1977 debut Invincible Super Man Zambot 3, multiple entries in the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise (the original series, Char's Counterattack, Wing, SEED, Unicorn, and The Witch from Mercury), Space Runaway Ideon, s-CRY-ed, Mai-HiME, Code Geass, TIGER & BUNNY, Keroro Gunso, Natsume's Book of Friends, the Aikatsu series, and Love Live!. The visual debuted at Licensing Japan, the annual B2B trade show at Tokyo Big Sight that opened June 17, signaling plans to expand Sunrise brand merchandise both domestically and internationally.
Sunrise operates today as a production brand within Bandai Namco Filmworks rather than as a standalone studio, but the company is clearly betting that the brand name still carries weight. The project runs through 2028, timed so the actual 50th birthday of Zambot 3 (October 1977) falls right in the middle.
Six Short Films Chart a 'Route to the Future'
Alongside the key visual, Bandai Namco Filmworks announced a short film project titled Mirai e no Kōro (Route to the Future). The initiative will produce six original 3DCG animated works across six different studios, all linked by the theme of "the future." Two of the six have already been revealed with teaser trailers.
The first, Haseō Sugoroku, is directed by Hidekazu Ohara at SUNRISE Studios. Set in Heian-era Japan, it follows a nobleman's strange encounter with a demon at the Suzaku Gate and a high-stakes game tied to resurrecting his deceased wife.
The second, Metafear, pairs SUNRISE Studios with YAMATOWORKS. Directed by Shūhei Morita with character and visual design by Tatsuyuki Tanaka, the film follows a girl who catalogs her nightmares by name. When one nightmare resists being named, it manifests as a monster. The remaining four short films are listed as "coming soon" on the project's official site.
Looking Ahead
The highest-profile production under the anniversary umbrella is Armored Trooper Votoms: Die Graue Hexe, a two-part theatrical film directed by Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell). Original Votoms creator Ryōsuke Takahashi supervises, with legendary mecha designer Kunio Okawara returning alongside new designers Shishin Tsuneki and Yoshihiro Sono. Kenji Kawai composes the score. Sunrise and Production I.G co-produce, with Part 1 set for November 20, 2026.
No international streaming or distribution partners have been announced for any of the 50th anniversary productions. Given Bandai Namco Filmworks' existing relationships with Crunchyroll and international Gundam distribution, further announcements are likely as the three-year project continues through 2028.