Shaft has three active anime projects: the Virgin Punk series episode 'Clockwork Girl' releasing digitally in September 2026, the joint production with Sunrise 'Fool Night' debuting on Netflix in 2026, and the television adaptation of 'Just Like Mona Lisa' with a trailer and cast reveal scheduled for August 1, 2026.
Shaft is in a period of high activity with three announced projects. The studio's original anime series Virgin Punk, directed by Yasuomi Umetsu, saw its first episode 'Clockwork Girl' open in Japanese theaters in June 2025 and later screen in the U.S. Aniplex of America announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2026 that the episode will be available for digital purchase in September 2026, marking its first home release.
In June 2026, Shaft entered its first-ever joint anime production with Sunrise, an original animation project confirmed by Bandai Namco Filmworks. The collaboration was announced via a new X account that posted a teaser video with color script artwork and a countdown to a full reveal on June 23. That reveal turned out to be the television anime adaptation of Kasumi Yasuda's manga 'Fool Night,' which will stream worldwide on Netflix in 2026. Director Atsuyuki Yukawa, series composer Jin Tanaka, composer Tatsuya Kato, and sound director Yota Tsuruoka are attached, with Koki Uchiyama and Minako Kotobuki in lead roles.
Earlier in the same week, CyberAgent announced that Shaft will animate the television adaptation of Tsumuji Yoshimura's manga 'Just Like Mona Lisa,' a story about a genderless protagonist and his childhood friends. The manga sold over 1 million copies across 10 volumes. The main cast and first trailer are set to debut at the ANImagic convention on August 1, 2026.
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Aniplex of America announced at its 2026 San Diego Comic-Con panel that 'Clockwork Girl,' the first story in Yasuomi Umetsu and Shaft's Virgin Punk original anime series, will be available for digital purchase in September. The film opened in Japanese theaters in June 2025 and screened in the U.S. later that year.
The manga Fool Night by Kasumi Yasuda will receive a television anime adaptation produced by Sunrise and Shaft, the first collaboration between the two studios, Netflix announced on June 23 during its Anime Studio Focus panel at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival. The series will stream worldwide on Netflix in 2026. Director Atsuyuki Yukawa, who worked as a unit director on Suzume, will helm the project, with Jin Tanaka handling series composition, Tatsuya Kato composing the music, and Yota Tsuruoka directing sound. The cast includes Koki Uchiyama as protagonist Toshiro Kamiya and Minako Kotobuki as Yomiko Horai. A teaser trailer and visual were also released. Yasuda's manga, which launched in Shogakukan's Big Comic Superior in November 2020, has 12 compiled volumes and a cumulative print run of approximately 600,000 copies across 17 countries. It ranked 12th in the male reader list of Kono Manga ga Sugoi 2023.
Sunrise and SHAFT have launched a new anime project together, marking the first collaboration between the two studios. The announcement came on Thursday via a newly created official X account, which began a countdown to a full reveal scheduled for June 23 at 24:30 JST (effectively June 24 at 12:30 a.m.). The account posted a teaser video featuring color script artwork, offering a glimpse into the project's visual direction. Bandai Namco Filmworks, Sunrise's parent company, confirmed the project is an original animation. Sunrise is known for franchises including Mobile Suit Gundam, Love Live!, and Code Geass, while SHAFT is recognized for its distinct visual style in works like Puella Magi Madoka Magica and the Monogatari series. The project's title, format, story, and production staff are expected to be announced when the countdown concludes next week.
CyberAgent announced a television anime adaptation of Tsumuji Yoshimura's manga Just Like Mona Lisa, with SHAFT animating. The story follows a genderless protagonist and his childhood friends. The main cast and first trailer will debut at the ANImagic convention on August 1. The manga ended in December 2022 with 10 volumes and has sold over 1 million copies.