← all stories
CloverWorks
CloverWorks is producing multiple high-profile projects for 2026 and 2027, including the original omnibus film GROTESQQQUE, a new Evangelion TV series co-produced with Studio Khara, and the anime adaptation The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All, while expanding its direct-to-consumer retail presence through pop-up shops and a regional tour.
Synthesized from 11
Yomimono stories · updated
4d ago
CloverWorks is in a period of major production activity, with several ambitious projects announced or in progress. The studio is producing the original omnibus film GROTESQQQUE, directed by Atsushi Nishigori and scheduled for a 2026 theatrical release. The film consists of three distinct stories and has announced a 14-person cast that includes voice actors, idols from Nogizaka46, and musician Gen Hoshino. Thirty-five artists will contribute music to the project, with details on their participation to be announced from July 2026 onward. GROTESQQQUE is the first project from JOEN, a creative partnership formed in 2022 by CloverWorks, WIT Studio, Shueisha, and Aniplex.
In a major franchise development, CloverWorks is co-producing a new Neon Genesis Evangelion television series with Studio Khara. The series will be written by NieR creator Yoko Taro, with Kazuya Tsurumaki and Toko Yatabe directing and Keiichi Okabe composing the music. Original Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno is not listed among the lead creative credits. Story details, release timing, and cast have not been revealed. The studio is also adapting Sumiko Arai's manga The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All, which will premiere in January 2027. Masashi Ishihama directs, and the opening theme is the 1991 Nirvana track "Breed." Crunchyroll will stream the series.
On the infrastructure side, CloverWorks and A-1 Pictures opened a joint animation studio called FLINT BASE in April 2026. The studio is a separate entity focused on training new animators, while both parent companies maintain their existing in-house teams. CloverWorks has also expanded its retail footprint, running a regional POP UP SHOP 2026 tour across three cities and selling official studio merchandise at a WIND BREAKER collaboration event at RED° TOKYO TOWER. The My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 Thank You Book ranked second in Amazon's Hobby Bestseller Ranking for the "Anime & Moe Goods" category as of July 2, 2026.
Key facts
- GROTESQQQUE film release window
- 2026 ↗
- GROTESQQQUE director and producer
- Directed by Atsushi Nishigori, produced by CloverWorks, first project from JOEN ↗
- New Evangelion series creative team
- Series composer and scriptwriter Yoko Taro, directors Kazuya Tsurumaki and Toko Yatabe, composer Keiichi Okabe; co-produced by Studio Khara and CloverWorks ↗
- The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All premiere
- January 2027, directed by Masashi Ishihama, produced by CloverWorks, streamed by Crunchyroll ↗
- FLINT BASE opening
- Joint animation studio opened in April 2026 by CloverWorks and A-1 Pictures, backed by Sony Group ↗
- POP UP SHOP 2026 tour cities
- Ebetsu (Hokkaido), Nagoya, and Kochi, running January to April 2026 ↗
- My Dress-Up Darling Thank You Book ranking
- Ranked 2nd in Amazon Hobby Bestseller Ranking for Anime & Moe Goods as of July 2, 2026 ↗
Timeline
- Jul 4, 2026 The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All Anime Debuts in January 2027
- Jul 2, 2026 My Dress-Up Darling Thank You Book Ranks 2nd in Amazon Hobby Bestsellers
- Jun 17, 2026 35 Artists Join Music for Atsushi Nishigori's Animated Film GROTESQQQUE
- Jun 10, 2026 CloverWorks' Grotesqqque Film Reveals 14 Cast Members
- May 31, 2026 CloverWorks Official Goods to Release at WIND BREAKER × RED° TOKYO TOWER Event
- May 31, 2026 CloverWorks POP UP SHOP 2026 Tour Announced for Three Cities
- May 30, 2026 New Evangelion Series Announced With NieR Creator Yoko Taro Writing
- May 30, 2026 CloverWorks and A-1 Pictures Open New Animation Studio FLINT BASE in April 2026
- May 30, 2026 Atsushi Nishigori and CloverWorks' Grotesqqque Anime Film Reveals 14 Cast Members
- May 29, 2026 WIND BREAKER Pop-Up Shop Opens at Kinokuniya Shinjuku in June
- May 25, 2026 Black Butler Pop-Up Shop Opens at Laforet Harajuku in Late May
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
Facts
- Announced
- POP UP SHOP 2026 tour in three cities · 2026-05-31
- Announced
- pop-up shop for Black Butler - Boarding School Arc and Black Butler - Green Witch Arc · 2026-05-25
Connections
Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/cloverworks.
CC BY 4.0.
Claim activity
When a claim about CloverWorks was confirmed, debunked, or disputed against
open-web sources. The record stays even after a claim drops off the facts list.
- Confirmed CloverWorks produces Grotesqqque Jun 18 · source
- Confirmed CloverWorks produces Grotesque Jun 4 · source
- Confirmed CloverWorks produces WIND BREAKER May 31 · source
- Confirmed POP UP SHOP 2026 tour in three cities May 31 · source
- Confirmed pop-up shop for Black Butler - Boarding School Arc and Black Butler - Green Witch Arc May 28 · source
All coverage
4d ago
CloverWorks announced during its Anime Expo panel on July 4 that the original anime film Grotesqqque, directed by Atsushi Nishigori, will open in Japanese theaters on November 6. The film is an omnibus of three stories with distinct worldviews: "Aeliens," "4649 Girl" (pronounced "Yoroshiku Shojo"), and "Nocturne: Kono Grotesque na Yoru ni." Nishigori directs, writes the screenplay, and designs the characters. The opening theme is "Shoot Shoot Shoot" by the band METALVERSE. A trailer and key visual were released. The cast includes Kana Ichinose, Gen Hoshino, Chika Anzai, Maaya Uchida, Rumi Okubo, Rie Kugimiya, Miyu Tomita, Ikumi Hasegawa, Saori Hayami, Sara Minami, and four members of Nogizaka46: Nagi Inoue, Aruno Nakanishi, Miku Ichinose, and Nao Tomisato. The film is produced by CloverWorks and comes from JOEN, the company jointly established by Aniplex, CloverWorks, Wit Studio, and Shueisha. The film will make its world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, running from July 16 to August 2.
5d ago
The anime adaptation of Sumiko Arai's manga The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All will premiere in January 2027, as revealed in a teaser trailer unveiled at Anime Expo 2026. CloverWorks is producing the series, with Masashi Ishihama directing. The cast includes Akari Kitō as Aya Ōsawa and Mariya Ise as Mitsuki Koga. Rino Yamazaki handles series composition, and Kanna Hirayama is the character designer. The opening theme song is the 1991 Nirvana track "Breed." Crunchyroll will stream the anime. The manga follows high schooler Aya, who develops a crush on a cool CD shop employee, unaware that the employee is actually her quiet female classmate Mitsuki. Arai began the manga on Twitter in April 2022 before moving to pixiv Comic in April 2023. Kadokawa Shoten publishes the print volumes, with the fourth volume released on February 19. The series ranked second on the 2024 Kono Manga ga Sugoi! guidebook for top manga for female readers and second on the 23rd Da Vinci "Book of the Year" list.
Jul 2
The Dengeki Hobby Web editorial department reconstructed the Amazon Hobby Bestseller Ranking for the "Anime & Moe Goods" category as of July 2, 2026. CloverWorks' "My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 Thank You Book" placed second. The list also includes a Gunpla kit and a candy toy.
Jun 17
The original animated film GROTESQQQUE, directed by Atsushi Nishigori and produced by CloverWorks, has announced that 35 artists will contribute music to the project. The lineup includes ASCA, Reol, Otoha-otoha-, Iori Noguchi (=LOVE), TAKU INOUE, Junna, and 29 others, spanning singer-songwriters, Vocaloid producers, idols, bands, and composers. The film is scheduled for release in 2026 and consists of three distinct stories: Ellians, about an alien girl and a civil servant searching for friends; Yoroshiku Shojo, a battle royale among girls called Gyaru P; and Nocturne ~Kono Grotesque na Yoru ni~, following a pure-blood vampire and three infected survivors traveling through a devastated world. The cast includes Tomoka Anzai, Kana Ichinose, Miku Ichinose (Nogizaka46), Nao Inoue (Nogizaka46), Maaya Uchida, Rumi Okubo, Rie Kugimiya, Nao Tomita, Aruno Nakanishi (Nogizaka46), Ikumi Hasegawa, Saori Hayami, Gen Hoshino, and Sara Minami. Details on how the 35 artists will participate will be announced from July onward.
Jun 10
CloverWorks revealed the cast and characters for its original omnibus anime film Grotesqqque on Saturday. The 14-person cast includes Kana Ichinose, Maaya Uchida, Rie Kugimiya, and four members of Nogizaka46. The film, directed by Atsushi Nishigori, will open in 2026 and comprises three stories with different worldviews.
May 31
CloverWorks announced on March 19, 2026, that it will sell official studio merchandise at the TV anime WIND BREAKER × RED° TOKYO TOWER collaboration event. The lineup includes items featuring cover illustrations of the after-recording script, created by director Toshifumi Akai and character designer/chief animation director Taishi Kawakami. Products include script-style notebooks and can badges, among other items that use artwork from the production studio. The event runs from April 3 to May 6, 2026, at RED° TOKYO TOWER on the 5th floor. A purchase bonus offers a random postcard from eight designs for every 2,200 yen spent on new WIND BREAKER merchandise during the period. After-event online sales are planned, with details to be announced later.
May 31
CloverWorks announced a regional tour of its POP UP SHOP 2026 event, starting January 16 in Ebetsu, Hokkaido, followed by Nagoya in February and Kochi in March. The pop-up shops will sell merchandise for series including My Dress-Up Darling, Wind Breaker, Bocchi the Rock!, Spy × Family, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, and others. Limited quantities of past release goods and books will also be available. Each venue will display reproduction artwork and production materials, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the studio's animation process. The tour begins at Ebetsu Tsutaya Books (January 16 to February 4), moves to TSUTAYA BOOKSTORE Noritake in Nagoya (February 13 to March 2), and ends at Kochi Tsutaya Books (March 27 to April 13). Stock and exhibits may vary by location. The announcement was made on January 9, 2026.
May 30
A new Neon Genesis Evangelion television series is in development, with NieR creator Yoko Taro attached as series composer and scriptwriter. Studio Khara announced the project during the final program of the Evangelion:30+ 30th Anniversary of Evangelion event over the weekend. The series will be co-produced with CloverWorks, known for Spy x Family. Story details, release timing, and cast have not been revealed. Kazuya Tsurumaki, a longtime Evangelion collaborator and director of FLCL, will direct alongside Toko Yatabe, who has worked extensively within the franchise. Keiichi Okabe, another key NieR creative voice, will compose the music. Original Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno is not listed among the lead creative credits. The announcement positions the project as the franchise's first completely new TV installment in years, fueled by the creative team's well-regarded profiles for atmosphere and story crafting.
May 30
CloverWorks and A-1 Pictures announced on November 4, 2025, that they will open a new animation studio called FLINT BASE in April 2026. The studio is a joint venture between the two Aniplex subsidiaries, backed by the Sony Group. FLINT BASE is described as a new challenge in animation production, focused on drawing and animator work. The companies stated that the studio aims to serve as an entry point for students aspiring to become animators. They noted that even with ongoing digital innovation, animation still requires the work of many animators. Both CloverWorks and A-1 Pictures will maintain their existing in-house animation teams and training systems, which will continue as the core of each studio. FLINT BASE will operate as a separate entity. The announcement was accompanied by the launch of a recruitment drive for new graduates in 2026, specifically for the role of animator at FLINT BASE. Applications are open until November 28, 2025. The official FLINT BASE website provides further details.
May 30
The original anime film project "Grotesqqque" by director Atsushi Nishigori and studio CloverWorks announced its cast on May 30, 2026. The 14-member lineup includes voice actors, actors, idols, and musical artists: Chika Anzai, 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. Specific character assignments were not disclosed. The film is scheduled for a 2026 theatrical release and consists of three parts with distinct worldviews: "ÆLIENS," "4649GIRL," and "NOCTURN: EN CETTE NUIT GROTESQUE." Nishigori handles direction, screenplay, and original character designs. CloverWorks produces the film, which is the first project from JOEN, a creative partnership formed in 2022 by CloverWorks, WIT Studio, Shueisha, and Aniplex. Distribution is handled by ANIMEC.
May 29
CloverWorks announced a pop-up shop for the TV anime WIND BREAKER at Kinokuniya Shinjuku Main Store from June 3 to June 16, 2026. The venue will sell existing goods, display reproduction original drawings, and offer a random sticker bonus for purchases of 2,200 yen or more.
May 25
CloverWorks announced a pop-up shop for the TV anime Black Butler - Boarding School Arc and Black Butler - Green Witch Arc, running from May 29 to June 10, 2026, at SHED By_ACG on the 5th floor of Laforet Harajuku. The shop will sell existing goods and display original artwork. Purchase bonuses include random illustration cards and a one-day-only mini shikishi on June 5.