Armored Trooper Votoms Gets a New Teaser as Mononoke and Patlabor Update
New promo trailers and casting updates are rolling out across several long-running anime-and-mecha properties, from a fresh theatrical entry in the Armored Trooper Votoms universe to Netflix’s next Mononoke installment—and more Patlabor news spanning movies and games.
Key takeaways
- A new promotional video and additional production details were unveiled for Armored Trooper Votoms: Die Graue Hexe, with its first film set to open in theaters on 20 November.
- Miyuki Sawashiro voices Ash Vamps (the “Gray Witch”), while Mabuki Andō plays Maki Stauffenberg in the Votoms films’ cast.
- Mononoke – Il film 3: la maledizione del serpente arrives on Netflix on 29 September, after debuting in Japanese cinemas on 29 May.
- Netflix already has the first two Mononoke films (dubbed) and the 12-episode series that began as a spin-off of Ayakashi – Japanese Classic Horror.
- Patlabor’s cinematic “File 3” is being promoted, and the franchise also has a game, Patlabor: the Case Files, launching 15 September on PS5 and PC.
Votoms: “Die Graue Hexe” gets a new trailer, cast, and major staff
The official site for Armored Trooper Votoms: Die Graue Hexe (also known as Sōkō Kihei Votoms Haiiro no Hexe) shared a new promotional video along with fresh information covering both cast and staff. The project is tied to the franchise that began in 1983, and it will be released as two linked anime films.
The story is set around the illegal mission at the heart of the original 1983 plot: armored soldier Chirico Cuvie is on the run from his own army. Betrayed by his commanders and left for dead, he makes his way to Uoodo City—a hive of criminals and refugees—where surviving will require every battlefield skill he’s honed. Guided by the image of a mysterious woman whose fate is tied to his, Chirico’s search is described as something that will shake the foundations of the entire galaxy.
Voice casting includes Miyuki Sawashiro as Ash Vamps, a feared AT pilot known as the “Gray Witch.” Mabuki Andō plays Maki Stauffenberg, an agent assigned to investigate Ash’s past. Additional cast members announced for the films are Shinichirō Miki, Yūki Kaji, Yūichi Nakamura, Satoshi Tsuruoka, Tomokazu Sugita, Kenta Miyake, Chafurin, Hōchū Ōtsuka, Daisuke Ono, Takayuki Sugō, Takahiro Sakurai, and Sumire Uesaka.
Direction is led by Mamoru Oshii, working with Sunrise and a collaboration from Production I.G. Ryōsuke Takahashi is listed as supervising the project; he’s also credited as the director and creator of the original anime concept from 1983. Mecha design is handled by Shinobu Tsuneki, Yoshihiro Sono, Jū Ishiguchi, and Wataru Inata. Music is composed by Kenji Kawai, who has previously collaborated with Oshii on projects including Ghost in the Shell and Patlabor 2: The Movie.
Further production roles include:
- Character design concept: Kazuchika Kise
- Character design: Shingo Ogiso, Takashi Kojima, Tetsuya Nishio
- Original mecha design: Kunio Ōkawara
- Clothing design assistance: Katsuya Terada
- Art settings: Satoshi Takabatake, Yasumitsu Suetake, Kazushige Kanehira
- Art direction: Yūji Honjō
- Color design: Nagisa Abe
- Cinematography direction: Yūki Kawashita
- CG animation direction: Yōta Tasaki, Toshihisa Yokoshima, Takeru Nakajima
- Editing: Aya Hida
- Sound direction: Kazuhiro Wakabayashi
The first of the two films is scheduled for a 20 November theatrical release.
Mononoke film 3 hits Netflix this September, plus Patlabor “File 3” and a new game
A new promotional video was also released for Mononoke – Il film 3: la maledizione del serpente (Gekijōban Mononoke Dai-San-Shō: Hebigami), the third entry in the franchise’s film trilogy. It will stream on Netflix on 29 September. The film opened in Japanese theaters on 29 May.
The source plot summary for the first Mononoke movie’s story follows Asa and Kame forming an immediate friendship during their first day of service at the Ōoku, a lavish pleasure palace that houses Lord Tenshi’s harem. The setup is described as one where men are barred from entry, and violations are met with execution by decapitation. Beneath the palace’s luxury and routine, darker plans and ruthless rivalries are said to emerge. A mysterious potion vendor known as the “Pharmacist” appears at the Ōoku as an otherworldly threat begins to surface.
The first two films—Mononoke – Il film 1 – Lo spirito nella pioggia and Mononoke – Il film 2 – Le ceneri della rabbia—opened in Japanese cinemas in summer 2024 and spring 2025 respectively. They’re also available on Netflix with dubbed audio. On the same platform, Netflix carries the franchise’s 12-episode series, created as a spin-off from Ayakashi – Japanese Classic Horror.
Finally, a new promotional video was released for “File 3,” the third cinematic chapter of Patlabor EZY, which will include episodes seven and eight from the series.
Patlabor EZY is planned as an eight-episode animated series with a three-part theatrical run. The first two parts arrived in Japanese theaters on 15 May and 14 August 2026, while the third part is scheduled for 5 March 2027. “File 1” and “File 2” are described as omnibus-format films bundling six anime episodes in independent stories, while “File 3” focuses on the final two episodes and will present them as a two-part story.
The Patlabor setup is centered on rapid development of hyper-technologies and the use of humanoid “Labor” machines across industry. Their adoption is said to have created a new social problem: Labor-related crime. To respond, the Metropolitan Police Department established a special unit, Special Vehicle Section No. 2, made up of Labor patrol units known as Patlabor.
Voice casting for this project includes Kaori Nazuka as Kaoru Mitarai and Taku Yashiro as Takuya Niiro.
On the gaming side, a promotional video was released for Patlabor: the Case Files. The game is set to launch on 15 September for PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam.
The broader Patlabor franchise—originally conceived by HEADGEAR—spans a 22-volume manga that ran from 1988 to 1994, along with multiple animated adaptations. The earlier OVA series was directed by Mamoru Oshii for the first six episodes and by Naoyuki Yoshinaga for the final seventh. A TV series followed between 1989 and 1990, then another OVA run. The franchise also includes two films that debuted in 1989 and 1993, both directed by Oshii. In Italy, the TV and OVA releases were distributed by Yamato Video, while the first two films were distributed by Shin Vision. Later entries include the 2002 film Patlabor WXIII and the 2016 animated short Patlabor Reboot, plus a live-action The Next Generation -Patlabor- series running from 2014 to 2015 with a follow-up film.
