Kazuhiro Takamura Directs Original Mecha Anime Vertex Force for October
The project is a rare original mecha anime with a single creator handling direction, writing, and character design, a concentrated creative role that has produced distinctive works in the past.
Reporting from 2 sources: Anime News Network, OtakuKart Anime.
The original mecha anime Vertex Force will premiere in October 2026. Kazuhiro Takamura is directing the project, writing the scripts, and designing the characters. The production is housed at studio SMDE. A teaser video was released alongside the announcement. The project is an original work, not an adaptation of an existing manga or light novel. The announcement confirms the main creative lead and the production studio, establishing the core team behind the series. The teaser video offers the first look at the show's visual style and mecha designs. The October premiere window gives the production a clear timeline for its debut. The announcement did not include voice cast details or a specific episode count.
The teaser video is 30 seconds long and shows two mecha units in combat. One is a red close-combat type, the other a blue long-range support unit. The footage is entirely CG mecha animation, a choice the announcement materials do not comment on but that is immediately visible in the trailer.
Takamura is best known for directing the 2015 original anime Comet Lucifer, a project where he also handled series composition and character design. That earlier work was produced at 8-Bit, not SMDE. The concentrated role he occupies on Vertex Force mirrors the Comet Lucifer setup: one person directing, writing, and designing. Comet Lucifer ran for 12 episodes. No episode count has been given for Vertex Force.
Studio SMDE is a newer production house. Its prior credits include animation production assistance on The Idolmaster Shiny Colors and in-between animation work on several other series. Vertex Force is the studio's first project as the lead animation producer. The announcement does not list a composer, sound director, or any voice cast. The teaser video carries no dialogue, only music and sound effects.
The October 2026 window places the premiere in the fall broadcast season, the same seasonal slot that has launched original mecha titles such as Valvrave the Liberator and Cross Ange. The announcement does not name a broadcaster or streaming platform.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.