We are Aliens

われわれはうちゅうじん

Aired: 2026

We are Aliens is an original feature-length animated film planned and produced by the film label NOTHING NEW with cooperation from MIYU PRODUCTIONS. Not based on any existing work, it is an original story in which Kohei Kadowaki serves as planner, screenwriter and director while also handling storyboards, character design, animation direction, art direction and editing. Set in a rural Japanese town during the Heisei era, the film follows Tsubasa, a withdrawn boy troubled by being ordinary, and Akotaro, the popular classmate who seems special, who become best friends in the spring of their third year of elementary school. Their private games, aimless conversations and walks home at dusk make the world feel like it belongs to them alone. One day, however, Akotaro becomes an outsider in class as rumours and stares close in around him, and an irreversible incident follows. Built around the question, What if I were an alien?, the film traces how a friendship changes across thirty years. It received its world premiere in the Directors Fortnight at the 79th Cannes Film Festival and was selected for the Feature Films Competition of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026. Ryuta Bando and Amane Okayama lead the voice cast, Yaffle composed the score, and distribution is handled by TOHO NEXT and NOTHING NEW. Official site: https://nothingnew.film/wearealiens/ (C) NOTHING NEW, MIYU PRODUCTIONS