Written by Sky
On July 3rd, 2026, Kyoto Animation hosted “Kyoto Animation’s New Frontier: Sparks of Tomorrow U.S. Premiere & Director Minoru Ota Q&A” at Anime Expo 2026. Fans were treated to the first two episodes of Sparks of Tomorrow, followed by a Q&A session with director Minoru Ota. The premiere was filled with warmth and laughter from the audience as they watched the main character, Kihachi Sakamoto, begin his journey to create the age of electricity.
The early 20th-century Kyoto setting, mixed with steampunk technology and impressionist visuals, feels like a dream only Kyoto Animation could bring to life. Sparks of Tomorrow is director Minoru Ota’s debut project and producer Satori Senami attributes its unique flair to something only Ota-san could have accomplished.
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⚡New Visual Reveals⚡
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Kihachi Sakamoto
VA Yuma Uchida#sparks_of_tomorrow#二十世紀電氣目録 pic.twitter.com/FXjH3YVZoq— Sparks of Tomorrow (@sparks_of_tmr) March 30, 2026
The ending sequence is a breathtaking painterly view utilizing stained glass, metal mechanisms, butterflies, torii gates, and spider lilies, hinting at what themes are waiting to be discovered. The music producer for this theme, Ginger Root, also served as the emcee and translator for the Q & A section.
💡Ending Theme Song Digital Released💡
Please enjoy it together with the series⚡
Ginger Root [ Soarin’ ]#GingerRoot🎶Link herehttps://t.co/piIocxKViU#sparks_of_tomorrow #二十世紀電氣目録 pic.twitter.com/z3EM6iebDu
— Sparks of Tomorrow (@sparks_of_tmr) July 12, 2026
Ota-san started by thanking the audience for coming out to support his first project, while Senami-san remarked that it was her first time at Anime Expo and seeing everyone’s reactions live was amazing.
Some highlights from the Q&A include:
Q: This is a new frontier for KyoAni. When creating the project, what difficulties did you face and how did you find solutions?
Ota-san: I was aware of the stereotypes and pitfalls of anime, but because it is my first project, it took a lot of time to convince the staff to go with my ideas during the pre-production stage of the show.
Senami-san: I thought Ota-san was a strange person, but because of that, you can see his personality shine through in the finished product.
Q: What would you like the audience to take away from this?
Ota-san: The comedy and drama that go back and forth are something I want people to enjoy. I also want people to remember the colorful personalities of the characters.
Senami-san: I am excited for people to see Ota-san’s personality come through in the show.
Q: How did you integrate steampunk into Kyoto?
Ota-san: At the start of the project, there was a steampunk setting. But as the story progressed, we found the genre to be too limiting and wanted to focus more on the characters. It became something more unique than simply being confined by the steampunk genre. We asked ourselves, “How do people live their everyday lives with steam and pipes?” We wanted the audience to understand how society works, but we didn’t want to confuse them.
Senami-san: With the pipes and the feeling of everyday life in the environment, we wanted Kyoto to still be recognizable.
Q: The background has a brush-like texture inspired by impressionism. How did you accomplish that with unique techniques?
Ota-san: We took inspiration from impressionism, but also from a realistic, gritty texture. 80% is digital, but 20% is analogue and the mixture is what makes Sparks of Tomorrow what it is. The newbies who joined the team were able to contribute to the process because of their familiarity with switching between digital and traditional painting. The back and forth between the painting staff
and myself was extensive because I had such specific visions that they had to revise a lot of their work and it was an intense process to bring that vision to life.
Q: For Ginger Root, how did the opportunity present itself and what are you looking forward to?
Ginger Root: I just got an email from Bandai Namco saying “do you wanna make an ending song for a new KyoAni film?” And I was like “uh yeah!” I heard the opening theme song went through about 15 revisions, so I knew I had to be prepared. I made the song in one go and it got approved in one take. It is all thanks to the director Ota-san because he clearly communicated his vision. The opening theme is more organic and Japanese, but for the ending theme, he wanted me to focus on the guitar and make it sound futuristic. Ota-san gave me a piece of writing and a painting to convey what he wanted from the song and that’s why I didn’t have to revise it 15 times.
Sparks of Tomorrow is now streaming on Netflix with Episode 1 available to watch now. Follow along with this dramedy as Kihachi and Inako strive to bring the age of electricity to Kyoto. Will the quirky pretty-boy Yosuke thwart their attempts? Or will the yin and yang duo succeed in bringing their Sparks of Tomorrow to life? With its unique blend of history, comedy, and stunning visuals, this new Kyoto Animation project is a journey worth experiencing.
Official website: https://denkimokuroku.jp/en/
X: https://x.com/Sparks_of_Tmr
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