Japanese company CHOCOLATE Inc. (live-action film MONDAYS: See You “This” Week!, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba's Total Concentration exhibition, production and publicity for Dark Gathering anime) has announced the production of its first anime film, KILLTUBE, with the release of a trailer pilot film introducing the concept of the movie. The company is aiming to produce a 90-minute film for release in spring 2026.
Theatrical Anime KILLTUBE Pilot Film
KILLTUBE Official Website: https://killtu.be/
The trailer revolves around the Edo-punk theme, depicting Tokyo's Shibuya and Shinjuku districts in a parallel world, where the Edo shogunate has closed off Japan for over four centuries up to 2026. In this isolated, stratified society, the only way to change one's standing in life is through duel battles streamed on KILLTUBE. The battle entertainment story unfolds when an unlikely trio from the lowest depths of society withstand ridicule and aim for the top, thereby discovering the hidden truths behind the KILLTUBE system.
THE STORY
In the year 2026, Japan continues to be closed off from the rest of the world by the Edo Shogunate. In the midst of a stratified society, three people treated as social trash by the system end up in prison and in order to win their freedom join the dueling video platform "KILLTUBE" aiming to make a fortune. In this "Great Dueling Age", where one can win a huge fortune simply by "defeating the stronger one". The three are discriminated against by samurai and merchants who fight for power and authority, but manage to gain some popularity becoming "the men of the hour". As they win over the public, they discover the hidden truth behind the "KILLTUBE" system.
CHARACTERS
The main characters of the story:
Killtuber MUSASHI
There ain't a single reason I can't do this.
A wild child born on Criminal Mountain and raised by dogs until the age of 4. He was picked up and raised by Manjiro ( age 40), a samurai who was once famous in Edo. He is a man of curiosity and fearlessness. Manjiro once told him, "Aim for the highest place in Edo," and that's why he came to Edo City. Unbound by anything, he lives as he pleases. No limits, the symbol of freedom.
Producer KIKUCHIYO
There is no way I'm going to die in a place like this... When I die I'll die drowning in money.
He is handsome, tall and a genuine con-man. He is quick-witted and cunning. He believes that money and power are everything in this world, and despite his low status, he earns a good amount of money by relentlessly using his own tricks. He is a habitual scammer and pickpocket, and has made a small fortune by using Killtubers as pawns to market his products. He plans to use the same trick on Musashi to get him to register on Killtube so that he can make some extra money.
Engineer LEONARD
If this world was made by someone's hand, its program is truly a bit too buggy.
An inventor who believes himself to be the reincarnation of Leonardo da Vinci. His parents, who taught him the art of invention, were executed for treason when he was eight years old. After that, he lost his mind and stopped expecting anything from the world. He has no interest in people and only wishes he could forever keep on inventing. He is a good business partner of Kikuchiyo.
Skip Killtuber SAGAWA
If there is a way, go ahead...、If there is no path, go on anyway...、If I don't stop... a way will emerge!!!
His prosthetic leg is a replaceable gear that allows him to run freely on water and walls at speeds of over 400 km/h when he is in the right mood. He is able to cross the Japanese archipelago with only his legs in just 8 hours. He eats early, goes to bed early, wakes up early and is a super short sleeper...he is fast at everything he does. He says it's faster for him to take his own pictures, so he also carries his own camera, which gives his dueling videos an amazing sense of realism.
Rare Beast Killtuber CHINJU
You being alive... is a waste of oxygen.
He thinks humans should be kept by animals. He is 28 years old, but at heart he is a six-year-old boy.
He is so kind that he even gets angry when he accidentally steps on a flower. When he is in a duel, he gets help from his "friend" animals. All of these animals are the product of chimera technology inherited by his family. He is also doped up and has the power of an elephant.
Gyaru Killtuber RUI
You're too small fry to even talk about LOL
She is a genius at demonstrating all kinds of weaponry and is constantly inundated with sponsorships. Her most popular project is the "10 Trendy Swords vs NPC Slash Challenge" series. Her slow pace and fashion sense have made her a favorite among teenage girls. She has a huge following among teenage girls, but what she really wants to kill the most her own act of "the person that everyone around her admires".
Gameplay Killtuber GIEMON
I'm going all in from here on out, okay? No looking at cheat sites for this match.
A descendant of one of Edo's foremost science and technology company families, he is a genius inventor. His hobby is to stir things up. He has a variety of fighting styles, including a yabusame (horseback archery) mode in which he drives his enemies into a corner like in an FPS game, and a robot mode in which his form evolves depending on viewer donations.
Art Killtuber HOKUSAI
Don't worry, I'll make you a fancy coffin
He sees dueling as an art form and thinks about how he can make battles more aesthetic with the use of colors. He fights with a jet pack on his back, spraying ink all over the place, He completes his art with the blood of his victims. The more damage he takes in battle, the more inspired he becomes.
Dance Killtuber ZINROKU
Hey, I'm over here. Is your eyesight already dropping due to old age?
He is the descendant of a super Kabuki family. He fuses martial arts and dance in his fight-style dancing to music like a maniac. He is known for his outstanding performing skills on Killtube duels and the duel in which he participated with 3,000 orchestra members is legendary. However, for some reason, he is about to be ousted from the Top 7.
Vlog Killtuber NAOSUKE
A mystery.
The staff aims to use 3DCG to depict the look of shin-hanga (Showa period woodblock prints) in vivid colors and different textures. CHOCOLATE Inc. is working with up-and-coming VFX studio KASSEN and concept artist group WACHAJACK with a budget of 1 billion yen (about US$6.6 million). In charge of direction and concept planning is Kazuaki Kuribayashi in connection with STUDIO DOTOU. CHOCOLATE Inc. will be in charge of project planning and production.
STAFF:
Script: Saeri Natsuo, Ryo Takemura, Takenori Tokuyama
World View Setting: Yuusuke Ujita
Technical Direction: Takumi Shiga (CAVIAR), Masato Goto, Bivi, Frog96, Marusou
Character Design/Technical Direction: Nike Shimaguchi
Technical Direction/VFX Supervisor: Takahiro Ōta (KASSEN)
Music Director: Matsuza Katakumi
Music Composition: Takao Ogi
Concept Art Director: Fujihiko Sawai (WACHAJACK)
Concept Artist: Shusei Sasaya
Character Settings: ARuFa
Graphic Designer: Masataka Yoshida
Art Director: Takuya Sekikawa
CG Lead Animator: Daisuke Kaneko (StudioNoco)
CG Supervisor: Yūki Mizoguchi
CG Animation Supervisor: Satoshi Takeno (MontBlanc Pictures)
Background Modeling Supervisor: Jun Kazuse (Barehand)
CG Effects Supervisor: Tai Komatsu
Technical Artist: Hiroyuki Okada
CG Producer: Nanao Nakatsuka
The film project is part of the "108 Experiments" initiative by CHOCOLATE Inc. to develop new ways to create works, present them and earn revenue to nurture original stories. The Director made the following comment about the experiment:
Comment by Director Kazuaki Kuribayashi
This project is a "testing ground" in the name of theatrical animation production. How do you create an original work from scratch, deliver it to the world, earn money, and grow it? There were so many things I didn't know, so I decided to give it a try anyway. I have been taught things I didn't know by various people and helped by them every day, so I would like to experiment more and more and report the results of my experiments.
The company is also currently looking for creators and partners to work with them on KILLTUBE.
