Today, I managed to catch the Japan premiere of Sparks of Tomorrow (二十世紀電氣目録-ユーレカ・エヴリカ-), the next TV anime series from Kyoto Animation that is loosely inspired by a light novel published by Kyoani. It will start airing on TV and streaming services from July 2026. The Japan premiere included a stage event with the voice actors of the two main characters (Sakamoto Kihachi, voiced by Uchida Yuma, and Momokawa Inako, voiced by Amamiya Sora) as well as the director, Ota Minoru.
While Kyoani did publish a light novel titled 二十世紀電氣目録, it seems that the anime series is only loosely inspired by the original work, and therefore, it is anyone's guess how the story will pan out. Basically, the official website says:
A Tale of Adventure for Boys and Girls
Who Dreamed of the Age of Electricity
in a World Shrouded in Smoke!
Who Dreamed of the Age of Electricity
in a World Shrouded in Smoke!
A little while ago.
Kyoto in the early 20th century, having evolved differently from the history we know today.
In a world where only steam engines had advanced, the city was shrouded in smoke.
──A little while ago. Kyoto in the early 20th century, having evolved differently from the history we know today. In a world where only steam engines had advanced, the city was shrouded in smoke.
With challenging art backgrounds reminiscent of Impressionist paintings and intricate animation, it depicts the dreams of boys and girls shining in an era of upheaval and innovation.
Kyoto Animation's new frontier.
From the way it is being promoted, it seems that Kyoani is trying to position this as the next Violet Evergarden.
Except for me, it wasn't.
The background art was very well done, and the animation was Kyoani class. But that's about it. The Japan premiere showcased episodes 1 to 3 of the TV series that will be aired in July, but the story failed to draw my attention. The characters were deformed sometimes to exaggerate expressions, but instead of adding to the artistic expression and direction, it felt more like a cheap comedy trick most of the time. For around 67 minutes (the length of the premiere), I couldn't help but feel it was trying to copy Miyazaki Hayao and Shinkai Makoto in some weird mash-up that simply failed to hit home.
The music used for the series also felt generic, like something you have heard elsewhere. I don't even remember it now. I don't even have much to say for the story because it felt like another boy-meets-girl generic romcom, except that it is set in some steampunk alternate Meiji-era Japan, using the kanji 明滋 instead of 明治 for Meiji to show that it is an alternate timeline. The last 10 to 15 minutes was so uninspiring that I was more or less dozing off, just waiting for the show to be over so that the stage event could begin.
The stage event was also very generic. The voice actors talked a bit about the recording, director Ota said he was chosen as director because he volunteered. I was hoping to hear more about how they went about formulating the (uninspiring) story or working on the soundtrack, but the director was shy and never really talked. In the end, I treated myself to a Whopper Jr. at Burger King as a way to make it up.
On the way home, the words from the recent episode of Akane-banashi came into mind. "Support is gained after you've displayed your art. If such support precedes your art, that's proof of your immaturity." Kyoani has pushed out many great works in the past. Even after the arson attack, Kyoani pushed on, and fans continued to show their support. We kept believing that the Kyoani we knew will return. But is that support really support, or something mixed with pity?
