Yanmar’s Miru: Paths To My Future Anime Reveals Studios, Staff for 5 Episodes

The official website for machinery manufacturer Yanmar Holdings‘ original anime project Miru: Paths To My Future revealed the animation studios and staff for each of the five episodes in the omnibus series.

Episode 079: “Stardust Memory”

• Animation Production: LinQ
• Director: Norio Kashima
• Script: Yasushi Hirano
• CG Director: Tatsuya Kawano
• Character Design: Sumakidori
• Character Supervisor: Yuta Hatakeyama
• Mecha Design: Kenji Teraoka
• Compositing Director of Photography: Maki Ueda

Episode 101: “The King of the Forest”

• Animation Production: TriF Studio
• Director/Character Design: Okamoto
• Script: Aya Matsui
• Art Board: Nurikabe
• Animation Director: Shōko Miyano
• 3DCG Director: Shota Kawamura
• Sound Director: Takeshi Takadera
• Sound Production: HALF H·P STUDIO
• Music: RightTracks
• Animation Producer: Takayuki Ōme

Episode 217: “Londonderry Air”

• Animation Production: Scooter Films x Shirogumi Inc.
• Director: Tomohiro Kawamura
• Character Design: JINO
• Script: Kazuho Hyodo
• CG Director: Hiroyuki Yoshida
• Art Director: Noriko Katsumata
• Sound Director: Ryoji Kameda
• Sound Effects: Yoshiaki Tokunaga
• Recording: Shinichi Kobori
• Sound Production: Ai Addiction
• Sound Production Manager: Junichi Inaba, Ryūhei Matsunaga
• Music: Kenji Katō
• Music Producers: Yukio Nagasaki, Tomonobu Kikuchi
• Music Production: RightTracks Inc., Beatrick
• Producers: Takurou Harada, Akiko Ashizuka
• Animation Producers: Shinya Higuchi, Hiromasa Inoue

Episode 630: “Re: MIRU”

• Animation Production: REIRS
• Director: Naofumi Mishina
• Script: Yasushi Hirano
• Producer: Ayumi Gotō
• CG Director (Assets): Motohito Nasu
• CG Director (Cut Production): Fumiko Mitani
• Production Progress: Sora Iwama
• Supervisor: Masashi Kobayashi
• Direction: Tomio Yamauchi
• Animation Director/Character Design: Fujio Koda
• Character Draft: Saeko Suzuki
• Setting Production: Vincent Riki Erickson
• Art Directors: Henrik Karppinen, Tomoya Oda
• Color Key Artist: Naoko Kodama
• Background Setting: Sachiko Kondō
• CG Background: Ryūichi Sunō, Henrik Karppinen
• Compositing Director of Photography: Keiji Ōshima
• Production Progress Desk: Ai Ōta
• Animation Producers: Yukimasa Morimura, Shinichirō Sawae
• Photography: Fumiaki Nimura

Episode 926: “Wait, I’ll Be There”

• Animation Production: LARX×Studio Hibari
• Producer: Yūji Miyazaki
• Director: Saori Nakashiki
• Character Designer/Executive Producer: Terumi Nishii
• Script: Katsuyuki Sumisawa
• Color Key Artist: Naoya Imamura
• CG Director: Daisuke Katō
• Art Director: Hirofune Hane
• Compositing Director of Photography: Tripod
• Sound Director: Takahiro Fujimoto
• Editing: Rie Itō(Morita Editing Office)

The anime will premiere in April. Virtual singer group V.W.P. will perform the opening theme song “AI=UTA.”

Yanmar Holdings describes the anime:

In the distant future, humans create a robot named MIRU capable of traveling through
time, visiting various eras, places, and even parallel worlds. Unlike some robots, MIRU isn’t
equipped with weapons. Instead, it helps people overcome immense obstacles peacefully,
encouraging new beginnings without violence.
MIRU continuously evolves by interacting with people, learning and growing to assist those
struggling to survive. It listens to their problems and offers support. By helping others, MIRU sets
off a “Butterfly Effect,” of dramatic change guiding society toward a brighter future.
Why was MIRU created? What is its purpose? Can it save the Earth and humanity from a
dystopian future?

Yanmar Holdings created and is producing the anime. Masuo Ueda (Sekirei, Space Brothers, Crest of the Stars) is the executive producer, with production support by Skyfall Co., Ltd. btrax Japan LLC is cooperating in the planning of the anime.

The anime’s staff stated in July 2023 that they deliberately steered the main mecha design away from existing hero robot design tropes. When asked if the story will have a villain, the staff said that not only may the story not have a villain, it may not have a traditional hero or conflict.

The project features robots by designers from the company, and story scripts by Shigeru Morita (Lagrange – The Flower of Rin-ne, A Dark Rabbit Has Seven Lives, The Island of Giant Insects) from Studio Nue. Yanmar credits Yanmar Holdings Inc. Brand Department Design Office for the design of the robot shown in July 2023, with Yū Iguchi as concept artist.

Sources: Miru: Paths To My Future anime’s Japanese website, Press release, Comic Natalie