Atsushi Nishigori directed The Idolmaster and Darling in the Franxx and was chief animation director on Evangelion: 3.0+1.0. His next project is a fully original anime film that the official site describes as him packing in the things he loves, as much as he wants. GROTESQQQUE opens in Japanese theaters on November 6, and Aniplex confirmed on October 22 that it will make a stop at the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival first.

Nishigori, actor Sara Minami and voice actor Kana Ichinose will walk the festival's red carpet on October 26 at Tokyo Midtown Hibiya, joined by Nagi Inoue of Nogizaka46. The event will stream live on YouTube. A screening with a stage greeting follows on October 27 at Marunouchi Piccadilly, with three more Nogizaka46 members from the cast on stage. Tickets for that screening are already sold out.

Three stories in one film

The film isn't a single narrative. It stitches three episodes together, each with its own episode director and look, around what the site calls "grotesque" girls: an alien, a gyaru and vampires.

  • Q1 | ÆLIENS follows Elie, an alien who came to Earth as a goodwill ambassador and absorbs objects into her body. Kana Ichinose voices her, and Gen Hoshino plays Kento Kunikura, the straight-laced government worker she keeps dragging around. Nishigori directs this episode himself.
  • Q2 | 4649GIRL stars Sara Minami as Stella, a girl who has stopped going to school and joins a battle event called QoB after hearing an urban legend. Its supporting cast includes Saori Hayami, Maaya Uchida, Chika Anzai, Rie Kugimiya and Ikumi Hasegawa.
  • Q3 | NOCTURNE: NUIT GROTESQUE is the vampire story, with Nagi Inoue as Ayame, a pureblood vampire who can turn humans. Nishigori directs and designs the characters for this one too, and the four leads are all Nogizaka46 members.

Hoshino's casting stands out in a lineup built mostly around voice actors and idols. The site notes he and Nishigori have known each other for some time.

CloverWorks animates, 35 artists on the soundtrack

CloverWorks handles production, with JOEN and Aniplex on planning and producing. Nishigori wrote the script and the original character concepts.

The music is the other selling point. The site says 35 artists contributed tracks across technopop, Vocaloid, city pop, loud rock, rap, EDM and classical. The GROTESQQQUE Songs & Original Soundtrack album releases the same day as the film, November 6. A song from the 4649GIRL episode, "ZUKIZUKI," is already out as an early digital release.

No release outside Japan has been announced yet, so Philippine fans will have to wait for word on international screenings or streaming.