The wait is over. At the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026, the Sunrise × SHAFT anime project that has had the fandom buzzing for a week finally has a name: Fool Night. The dark sci-fi thriller will stream exclusively worldwide on Netflix later this year — yes, including Singapore.
What Is Fool Night?
Based on the award-winning manga by Kasumi Yasuda, Fool Night is set in a bleak future where thick clouds permanently block the sun, plunging Earth into endless darkness. With plant life wiped out and oxygen depleting, humanity devised a drastic solution: transfloration, a process that converts dying humans into plant-like organisms to restore the oxygen supply.
At the centre of the story is Toshiro Kamiya, a young man who undergoes transfloration and discovers an unexpected side effect — he can hear plants. That ability sets him on a path to bridge the silence between humans and those who have transformed, a drama of identity, grief, and survival sitting somewhere between hard science fiction and quiet horror.
Two Studios. One Historic First.
This announcement caps a genuine historic milestone: Sunrise and SHAFT have never collaborated on an anime before. Sunrise’s legacy spans Cowboy Bebop, Code Geass, and the entire Gundam franchise; SHAFT built its reputation on the kinetic, visually daring style of Puella Magi Madoka Magica and the Monogatari series. Pairing them on a single dark, atmospheric sci-fi property is a bold creative bet — and the kind that tends to pay off.
Meet the Team Behind It
The production staff is full of names anime fans will recognise:
- Director: Atsuyuki Yukawa — previously an episode director on Suzume no Tojimari; Fool Night marks his debut as a chief series director
- Series Composition: Jin Tanaka — the writer behind Oshi no Ko
- Character Design: Robert Sato
- Sound Director: Yota Tsuruoka — credits include A Silent Voice (Koe no Katachi)
- Music: Tatsuya Kato — the composer behind the acclaimed Dr. STONE score
The lead voice cast is equally well-matched. Koki Uchiyama — known to many as Tomura Shigaraki in My Hero Academia — voices protagonist Toshiro Kamiya. Minako Kotobuki (Tsumugi in K-On!) plays Yomiko Horai, Toshiro’s childhood friend.
An Award-Winning Manga with a Global Following
Yasuda’s manga is no newcomer to acclaim. Serialised in Shogakukan’s Big Comic Superior since November 2020, it currently runs to 12 volumes. It ranked in Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2023 — Japan’s reader-voted best manga guide — and took home the Japan Expo DARUMA Award 2023 for Best Suspense in France, signalling international appetite long before any anime was confirmed. Singapore and SEA readers can pick up the English-language volumes through Shogakukan Asia.
Netflix Streams Worldwide — Singapore Included
Netflix confirmed a worldwide exclusive for Fool Night in 2026. No specific episode count or premiere date beyond “2026” was given at Annecy, so keep an eye on the Netflix Singapore page for updates. Given how quickly Netflix rolls out its anime titles globally, expect close-to-simultaneous access for Singapore fans when the series premieres.
Last Words
Midnight in Singapore, and the anime news cycle just woke up. Fool Night checks every box for a prestige Netflix anime: an acclaimed manga source, a career-defining staff roster, and two studios whose visual signatures are so distinct that their collision alone is worth watching. Singapore fans who want to get ahead of the curve can dive into the English manga through Shogakukan Asia now. We will be covering this one closely as a premiere date firms up. For more anime news, check out our Manga Anime coverage.