Renown producer from the Gundam series Masuo Ueda is joining as an executive producer for Yanmar’s five-part anime commercial series MIRU.
The diesel engine company Yanmar Holdings Co., Ltd. is cooking up a major collaborative anime project that Gundam fans will appreciate. The official website and socials for Japanese diesel engine and heavy machinery manufacturer Yanmar revealed a new key visual for their five-part anthology commercial anime project. The project is titled “MIRU: Paths to My Future” and is scheduled to air on Japanese TV between March and May 2025. One of the coolest parts of the reveal was that the veteran producer from many of the Gundam films and series, Masuo Ueda, confirmed joining the project.
Continuing the Gundam train, Studio Nue’s screenwriter Shigeru Morita has also joined this project for Yanmar. He worked on many sci-fi mecha/robot anime series, such as Mobile Suit Gundam Seed, Code Geass, and Star Blazers: Space Battleship Yamato. He will be the screenplay writer for MIRU, while each part is being animated by five different up-and-coming anime studios. Based on the initial visuals, I could tell the impact they are going for with this is on the epic scales of anime films like Belle, Weathering With You or Suzume.
This special edition anime series will be set in a world where humans and robots coexist when the world is on the brink of environmental catastrophe. The team described MIRU as the robot that is “weaponless and stands alongside humans offering support as they face challenges.” Yanmar stated how this project was centred around creating “A Sustainable Future,” guided by the ideology of “Hanasaka,” which values belief in people’s potential and encourages new challenges.
The other big concept MIRU will cover is the concept of the butterfly effect. As the robot keeps on evolving through human interactions and learning their ways, it will overcome obstacles peacefully and influence people for a brighter future. Each of the five anthological stories will have the main character interacting with the robot and dealing with issues related to sustainability and Hanasaka. The ultimate message Yanmar wanted to leave audiences with is “the future is in our hands”, and seek to to make a positive impact on the world with this project. The first visual was released last year.
Here is the provided description of MIRU’s concept:
“Confrontation and Harmony between Humans and Nature.’ The protagonist will navigate challenges and personal growth, striving to preserve the environment required for our existence, while the presence of robots will be depicted alongside their journey. The title of the anime, ‘未ル (Miru),’ represents the future, and is a verb that reminds us of the way we actively move with our own strength. Even if there are difficulties, we will create a better tomorrow by each person overcoming their challenges.”
