Gantz Creator Hiroya Oku's Gigant Gets Anime Film

Japanese entertainment company K2 Pictures has announced an anime film adaptation of Gigant, a science-fiction manga by Hiroya Oku, known for Gantz and Inuyashiki. Gigant, positioned as K2 Pictures’ first animated feature, was announced alongside a musical film adaptation of Osamu Tezuka’s The Book of Human Insects, at Cannes 2026.

The announcement on May 17 marks another high-profile adaptation of Oku, whose previous works have been adapted into both anime and live-action. Gantz and Inuyashiki became streaming successes with mature and experimental storytelling.

Unlike recent shonen-focused theatrical projects, K2 Pictures’ Gigant targets older demographics, with its narrative blending science fiction, voyeurism, and social commentary that focuses on internet culture. Gigant, Oku’s latest long-form work, was serialized in Shogakukan’s Big Comic Superior from 2017 to 2021, compiled into 10 volumes.

With Gigant and The Book of Human Insects, K2 Pictures Bets on Mature Manga

At the Cannes press conference, K2 Pictures CEO Muneyuki Kii introduced the studio’s upcoming lineup, consisting of eight titles, which included both Gigant and The Book of Human Insects. Tezuka’s “forbidden masterpiece” will not get an anime adaptation; it will be introduced in an “overwhelming musical and visual experience” to a global audience.

Adapting one of Tezuka’s seminal seinen manga, along with animation bet on Gigant, reflects the studio's bet on mature manga storytelling. Both Tezuka and Oku’s works have been characterized as disturbing and experimental. Most notably, both manga center on women protagonists, trying to establish themselves.

Among its listed partners is anime studio MAPPA, which is said to be working with Kii on “the planning of two feature-length animations.” However, specific production details, such as cast, staff, and release window, remain unannounced. The Book of Human Insects musical was announced back in 2024 with director Ken Ninomiya.

The Gigant and The Book of Human Insects adaptations highlight Japan’s anime industry’s recent trend of adapting mature narratives to broaden the audience category. Additionally, K2 Pictures announced the closing of its Film Fund I, which raised approximately ¥5 billion (~$33 million USD).

K2 Pictures' entry into animation through Gigant's theatrical release also deviates from commercially successful anime films, which relied on shonen and franchise adaptations. For the industry, the Gigant anime film will test whether adult-oriented properties can achieve the same international commercial reach that mainstream shonen franchises currently dominate.