The original anime film GROTESQQQUE, a collaboration between director and animator Atsushi Nishigori and animation studio CloverWorks, is set for theatrical release in 2026. This ambitious project weaves together three distinct stories: Elians, Yoroshiku Shojo, and Nocturne: Kono Grotesque na Yoru ni. Now, the full cast of 14 talented performers spanning voice acting, music, and stage has been unveiled.
Nishigori, known for directing The Idolmaster and DARLING in the FRANXX as well as serving as chief animation director on the blockbuster Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time, is taking on the roles of director, scriptwriter, and original character designer for this film. CloverWorks, the studio behind hits like SPY×FAMILY and Bocchi the Rock!, produces the animation. The duo previously collaborated on DARLING in the FRANXX and the 2021 concept movie VOY@GER for the Idolmaster series. Together, they aim to deliver a cinematic experience that is distorted and uneven yet captivatingly beautiful.
Three Worlds Collide
In Elians, an alien girl teams up with a civil servant at a space agency to search for “friends” in a chaotic hustle. Yoroshiku Shojo follows a group of girls called Gal-P as they engage in a frenzied battle royale over the winner of the game “Queen of Butterfly.” Nocturne: Kono Grotesque na Yoru ni portrays a pure-blood vampire and three girls who survive by being bitten and “infected” as they travel by wagon through a post-apocalyptic world where humanity is extinct.
GROTESQQQUE characters
The newly announced cast includes a diverse lineup of popular talents from various fields: Tomoka Asemi, Kana Ichinose, Miku Ichinose (Nogizaka46), Nagi Inoue (Nogizaka46), Maaya Uchida, Rumi Okubo, Rie Kugimiya, Nao Tomisato (Nogizaka46), Miyu Tomita, Aruno Nakanishi (Nogizaka46), Ikumi Hasegawa, Saori Hayami, Gen Hoshino, and Sara Minami (listed in Japanese syllabary order). Details on which characters they will portray are expected in future announcements.
GROTESQQQUE is scheduled to open in theaters in 2026.
Production Information
- Title: GROTESQQQUE (2026 theatrical release)
- Components: Elians, Yoroshiku Shojo, Nocturne: Kono Grotesque na Yoru ni
- Director, Script, Original Character Design: Atsushi Nishigori
- Planning & Production: JOEN, Aniplex
- Animation Production: CloverWorks
- Cast: Tomoka Asemi, Kana Ichinose, Miku Ichinose (Nogizaka46), Nagi Inoue (Nogizaka46), Maaya Uchida, Rumi Okubo, Rie Kugimiya, Nao Tomisato (Nogizaka46), Miyu Tomita, Aruno Nakanishi (Nogizaka46), Ikumi Hasegawa, Saori Hayami, Gen Hoshino, Sara Minami
- Production: Project GTQ
- Distribution: ANIMEC
- © Atsushi Nishigori, CloverWorks / Project GTQ
