A Singapore-based studio just made three major anime announcements at one of the world’s most prestigious animation festivals — and two of them involve classic Japanese franchises that fans have waited decades to see revived.
Kasagi Labo, the anime venture studio headquartered on Keong Saik Road in Singapore, unveiled three separate projects during its panel at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on 24 June 2026: a new Ninja Scroll film, a reimagining of the 1973 classic Casshan titled Casshan 2045, and an original sci-fi feature called Ars Gratia.
Ninja Scroll: A Singapore Studio, a Legendary Franchise
The new Ninja Scroll project is being produced as a film, and Kasagi Labo has brought on Masao Maruyama — co-founder of Madhouse and MAPPA, and producer of the original 1993 Ninja Scroll film — as a special creative advisor, as reported by Anime News Network. Having Maruyama on board is a significant mark of legitimacy: he helped shape one of anime’s most iconic action films in the first place.
Plot, cast, and release window are not yet announced. The announcement arrives in the same season that the Ninja Scroll 4K restoration — supervised by original director Yoshiaki Kawajiri — is getting a limited US and Canada theatrical run in October 2026, following its world premiere at the Berlinale film festival in February. A 4K Blu-ray Steelbook is also planned for early 2027. No Singapore theatrical dates have been confirmed for the restoration; local fans will likely need to import the physical release.
Casshan 2045: Yoshitaka Amano Reimagines a 1973 Classic
Casshan 2045 takes on Tatsunoko Production’s foundational TV anime Shinzō Ningen Casshan (1973), the story of a scientist’s son who transforms himself into a robot warrior to combat humanity-threatening machines — sacrificing his own humanity in the process. The project is still at the tentative-title stage, but Kasagi Labo has already confirmed that Yoshitaka Amano, the legendary artist whose work defines the visual identity of the Final Fantasy series, is providing original character design concepts, per Anime News Network.
Amano’s involvement alone makes this a headline. His ethereal, detail-dense style is immediately recognisable worldwide — bringing him in to reimagine Casshan signals that Kasagi Labo is after genuine artistic reinvention rather than a nostalgia cash-in. No further details on cast, studio partners, or release window have been disclosed.
Ars Gratia: An Original Sci-Fi Feature
The third announcement is an entirely original work. Ars Gratia (tentative title) is a sci-fi feature developed alongside Good Smile Company and LIDEN FILMS, with Ilya Kuvshinov — the prolific Russian-Japanese artist known for his character design work on Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 — serving as both director and character designer, per Anime News Network. Kuvshinov’s instantly recognisable digital painting aesthetic gives this one a very distinct look before a single frame of animation has been shown.
A Singapore Studio at the Centre of Anime Revival
Kasagi Labo — led by CEO Kendrick Wong with offices in Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan — has been building steadily toward moments like this. The studio secured a USD $33 million anime production fund targeting legacy IP revivals and original works. It is already in production on GATE 2 (sequel to the beloved Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri) and an original shōnen sci-fi adventure. As Wong told Anime Corner, the studio “aims to bridge Japan’s legendary creators to global audiences hungry for authentic anime storytelling.”
For Singapore anime fans, this carries a double significance. A studio based in our own city is producing anime that will reach global audiences — which remains a rare enough fact to be remarkable. And the franchises being revived, Ninja Scroll and Casshan, are exactly the kind of classic anime that older Singapore fans encountered growing up, giving these reveals a personal resonance that a completely new IP would not have.
No release windows have been announced for any of the three projects. We will update as details emerge. For more anime news and announcements, head to our manga and anime coverage.