Twin Engine’s Four Anime Define First Half of 2026: Chou Kaguya-hime!, Mononoke Movie, Tongari Boushi no Atelier, Nihon Sangoku

The first half of 2026 has seen four anime works that captured fan attention—Netflix original theatrical anime Chou Kaguya-hime!, Gekijouban Mononoke Dai San Shou Hebi no Kami, spring TV anime Tongari Boushi no Atelier, and Nihon Sangoku—all produced by the Twin Engine group.

Twin Engine was founded in 2014 by Yamamoto Kouji, the first editor-in-chief of Fuji TV’s late-night anime slot Noitamina. The holding company groups multiple anime studios under a unique model that handles planning, production, promotion, and distribution under the motto “create and deliver ourselves.” With nearly 20 studios in its group, Twin Engine partners with streaming platforms like Netflix and sometimes bypasses traditional production committees, allowing each studio to express its individuality. The first half of 2026 showcased this approach prominently.

Chou Kaguya-hime! / Studio Colorido — Updating the Brand While Forging New Paths for Original Works

Studio Colorido has built a reputation with magic-realist works set in modern Japan, such as Penguin Highway, A Whisker Away, and Drifting Home. However, Chou Kaguya-hime!, the studio’s highest-grossing film to date, takes a different direction. Set in a near-future where VR spaces are common, the story follows high school girl Sakayori Iroha, who juggles part-time jobs and studies. She meets a carefree girl named Kaguya and, swept along, becomes a streamer with her, enjoying games and live events. When Kaguya returns to the moon like the classic tale, Iroha grieves but moves forward, eventually reuniting with Kaguya through time-slip and humanoid gimmicks.

This narrative departs from Colorido’s usual “return to everyday life after the extraordinary” pattern. The protagonist does not return to her old routine but pursues a path as a researcher. Yet the studio’s DNA remains: Iroha’s encounter with Kaguya drives her to change her relationship with her family. The film successfully expands the brand while keeping its foundation. Director Yamashita, after helming short anime, took on this original feature, reflecting Twin Engine’s development model of testing short works on social media and scaling up those that gain traction.

Tongari Boushi no Atelier / BUG FILMS — Faithful Adaptation Paves Way for Original Works

Tongari Boushi no Atelier adapts Shirahama Kamome’s manga serialized in Monthly Morning Two (Kodansha), with cumulative sales of 9 million copies. BUG FILMS, a Twin Engine group studio, animated all 13 episodes. The story follows Coco, a girl who dreams of becoming a witch, as she studies magic at an atelier to restore her petrified mother. BUG FILMS faithfully reproduces the manga’s appeal at a high level.

Originally scheduled for 2025, the broadcast was postponed to spring 2026 to improve quality. According to BUG FILMS’ studio vision released in 2023, 2026 was meant to be a phase of “brand reinforcement through original works.” No original has been announced yet, likely due to the delay of Tongari Boushi no Atelier. This suggests that BUG FILMS’ next project will be an original, not another adaptation. Completing this series marks a significant milestone for the studio.

Nihon Sangoku / Studio Kafka — The Studio’s First Full New Work Signals Twin Engine’s Momentum

Nihon Sangoku adapts Matsuki Ikka’s manga from Manga One (Shogakukan). Set in a near-future Japan where disasters and war have regressed civilization to the Taisho era, the political drama follows protagonist Sankaku Seiki, who uses rhetoric and strategy to reunite a Japan split into three kingdoms. Its heavy worldbuilding punctuated by casual humor earned praise, and it ranked first among spring anime on Amazon Prime Video.

Studio Kafka was established as a spin-off from WIT Studio to produce The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2. Apart from that and the co-produced Gekijouban Mononoke, Nihon Sangoku is Studio Kafka’s first completely new anime. Twin Engine has 17 affiliated studios but previously produced relatively few series. Works like Jigokuraku (by MAPPA) and My Deer Friend Nokotan (by WIT Studio) were outsourced. Nihon Sangoku marks the beginning of Twin Engine’s own studios ramping up production.

Gekijouban Mononoke Dai San Shou Hebi no Kami / Twin Engine — Closing a 20-Year Era

Twenty years after the Mononoke series began as an episode of Ayakashi on Noitamina, the theatrical trilogy concludes with Gekijouban Mononoke Dai San Shou Hebi no Kami. This is a major milestone for Twin Engine, which originated from that brand. The series has consistently incorporated feminist critiques of patriarchy, and the film trilogy intensifies social commentary on bureaucratic distortion, reproductive rights restrictions, institutional oppression, and corrupt traditions.

This shift coincides with the retirement of Twin Engine’s representative director and central producer, Yamamoto Kouji, from producing. The Mononoke series he produced has been core to Twin Engine’s visual sensibility. He will now focus on nurturing the next generation, making this film a clear turning point for the company.

Beyond Anime: Twin Engine’s Manga and Light Novel Push

Chou Kaguya-hime! updated Colorido’s brand direction and demonstrated a path from shorts to original features. Tongari Boushi no Atelier positions BUG FILMS for its first original work. Nihon Sangoku brought Studio Kafka and other Twin Engine studios into the spotlight. And Gekijouban Mononoke closed the Noitamina and Yamamoto Kouji era. But Twin Engine’s changes extend beyond anime.

The group is strengthening its own original content business, including light novels and manga. In 2024, Twin Engine partnered with Miki Kazuma, former Dengeki Bunko editor known for Sword Art Online, to launch the “Aniseka Novel Award,” which guarantees anime adaptation and publication for winners. The first round attracted over 6,000 entries. That same year, Twin Engine announced the “Twin Engine Newcomer Manga Audition” and launched its own manga label and web manga magazine, releasing five serialized and five one-shot works in December 2025, with full-scale manga operations starting summer 2026.

With strong production capabilities and diverse studios, Twin Engine has balanced production and manufacturing. Now it moves into the stage of “creating original works.” The next developments are eagerly anticipated.

(C) Matsuki Ikka / Shogakukan / Nihon Sangoku Production Committee
(C) Colorido・Twin Engine Partners
(C) Shirahama Kamome / Kodansha / “Tongari Boushi no Atelier” Production Committee
(C) Twin Engine