Image: Aus „Erians“, Atsushi Nishigori, CloverWorks/Project GTQ
AMBot | 08/21/2026 | Reading Time: 4 Min.
A new trailer has been released for "Erians," the first segment of the original anime film "GROTESQQQUE." As the announcement reveals, the segment's film music comes from Futa Takamura, who runs a solo project under the name sabio, as well as from SEE; both are also active as Vocaloid producers.
The trailer shows the alien heroine Ellie racing through a city at top speed while her partner Kento presses a button with a desperate expression. A comedic scene in which Ellie lets out a massive sneeze is also shown. The whole thing is accompanied by the song "Love Culture," sung by Hashimero, written and composed by Surii, and arranged by TAKU INOUE. The visuals combine a vibrant, edgy aesthetic with retro culture, classic everyday objects, and pixel art.
In "Erians," prejudice and fear of aliens prevail on Earth. In this atmosphere, the young alien woman Ellie arrives on the planet as an ambassador from space and, together with Kento Kunikura, an official from the space agency, sets out to find friends. The official description calls the segment an uncompromising slapstick comedy: In the preview, Kento calls out to Ellie, "Lend me your strength," while the two apparently have to avert a threat to Earth.
For Takamura, working on "Erians" marks the first time he is responsible for a film score. "From the first look at the storyboard, I was full of anticipation and thought about what music I could use to accompany the work," he is quoted as saying. SEE explained that it was fun to musically realize the many sides of the character—from cute to eerie to dreamy. "I imagined what sound might come out of Ellie." Takamura was previously a member of the group Plasónica and debuted in 2020 with the band Hi Cheers! before starting his solo project sabio; his single "Ribbon" won the Rookie TOP-100 ranking at The VOCALOID Collection 2025 Summer. SEE is known for pieces such as "ASAP" and "Daydream" and wrote "Twilight," a song for the unit B-Komachi from the live-action adaptation of "Oshi no Ko."
"GROTESQQQUE" is an anthology project directed by Atsushi Nishigori, who previously directed series such as "THE IDOLM@STER" and "DARLING in the FRANXX" and served as chief animation director on "Evangelion: 3.0+1.0." The animation is produced by CloverWorks, known for titles such as "SPY×FAMILY" and "Bocchi the Rock!." The project brings together three independent works: In addition to "Erians," which is also known internationally as "Æliens," there is "Yoroshiku★Shōjo" (also "4649Girl"), in which young women compete against each other in a battle royale in the GALs TOKYO district, as well as "Nocturne ~Kono Grotesque na Yoru ni~," in which a pure-blooded vampire girl and three girls she has bitten travel through a desolate world in a van; the four main roles there are taken on by members of Nogizaka46. The episode direction is shared by Nishigori ("Erians" and "Nocturne") and Takahiro Miura ("Yoroshiku★Shōjo"); the main character design for "Erians" comes from Masato Yasuno.
In "Erians," Kana Ichinose voices the alien heroine Ellie and Gen Hoshino the official Kento; the head of the space agency is played by Akio Otsuka. The theme song "Shoot Shoot Shoot" is contributed by the band METALVERSE. The first major trailer for the overall film was shown in early July at Anime Expo in Los Angeles; in the summer, the film also ran at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal. The project is planned and produced by JOEN and Aniplex, distribution is handled by ANIMEC, and the production company is Project GTQ. The theatrical release in Japan is scheduled for November 6, 2026.
The trailer shows the alien heroine Ellie racing through a city at top speed while her partner Kento presses a button with a desperate expression. A comedic scene in which Ellie lets out a massive sneeze is also shown. The whole thing is accompanied by the song "Love Culture," sung by Hashimero, written and composed by Surii, and arranged by TAKU INOUE. The visuals combine a vibrant, edgy aesthetic with retro culture, classic everyday objects, and pixel art.
In "Erians," prejudice and fear of aliens prevail on Earth. In this atmosphere, the young alien woman Ellie arrives on the planet as an ambassador from space and, together with Kento Kunikura, an official from the space agency, sets out to find friends. The official description calls the segment an uncompromising slapstick comedy: In the preview, Kento calls out to Ellie, "Lend me your strength," while the two apparently have to avert a threat to Earth.
For Takamura, working on "Erians" marks the first time he is responsible for a film score. "From the first look at the storyboard, I was full of anticipation and thought about what music I could use to accompany the work," he is quoted as saying. SEE explained that it was fun to musically realize the many sides of the character—from cute to eerie to dreamy. "I imagined what sound might come out of Ellie." Takamura was previously a member of the group Plasónica and debuted in 2020 with the band Hi Cheers! before starting his solo project sabio; his single "Ribbon" won the Rookie TOP-100 ranking at The VOCALOID Collection 2025 Summer. SEE is known for pieces such as "ASAP" and "Daydream" and wrote "Twilight," a song for the unit B-Komachi from the live-action adaptation of "Oshi no Ko."
"GROTESQQQUE" is an anthology project directed by Atsushi Nishigori, who previously directed series such as "THE IDOLM@STER" and "DARLING in the FRANXX" and served as chief animation director on "Evangelion: 3.0+1.0." The animation is produced by CloverWorks, known for titles such as "SPY×FAMILY" and "Bocchi the Rock!." The project brings together three independent works: In addition to "Erians," which is also known internationally as "Æliens," there is "Yoroshiku★Shōjo" (also "4649Girl"), in which young women compete against each other in a battle royale in the GALs TOKYO district, as well as "Nocturne ~Kono Grotesque na Yoru ni~," in which a pure-blooded vampire girl and three girls she has bitten travel through a desolate world in a van; the four main roles there are taken on by members of Nogizaka46. The episode direction is shared by Nishigori ("Erians" and "Nocturne") and Takahiro Miura ("Yoroshiku★Shōjo"); the main character design for "Erians" comes from Masato Yasuno.
In "Erians," Kana Ichinose voices the alien heroine Ellie and Gen Hoshino the official Kento; the head of the space agency is played by Akio Otsuka. The theme song "Shoot Shoot Shoot" is contributed by the band METALVERSE. The first major trailer for the overall film was shown in early July at Anime Expo in Los Angeles; in the summer, the film also ran at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal. The project is planned and produced by JOEN and Aniplex, distribution is handled by ANIMEC, and the production company is Project GTQ. The theatrical release in Japan is scheduled for November 6, 2026.
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This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical support and editorially reviewed before publication.
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