Tsutomu Nihei, Polygon Pictures' New Anime Is High Fantasy Ōyukiumi no Kaina Next January

The "2022 Fuji TV "+Ultra" Lineup Presentation" offered more details on Ōyukiumi no Kaina (working title, literally translated as Kaina of the Great Snow Sea), the new project from BLAME! and Knights of Sidonia collaborators Tsutomu Nihei and Polygon Pictures, on Thursday.

The "boy-meets-girl high fantasy" is set in a world where land is being swallowed by the encroaching Great Snow Sea. Humaniy ekes out a harsh life above the Tenmaku (a wordplay on the Japanese word for tent) that stretches from the roots to the tops of giant Orbital Trees. The story centers around Kaina, a boy who lives above the Tenmaku, and Liliha, the princess of the small country Atland in the Great Snow Sea.

Hiroaki Ando (Ajin, Listeners) is directing the anime, and Sadayuki Murai (Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters, Juni Taisen: Zodiac War, Natsume's Book of Friends) and Tetsuya Yamada (episodes of Knights of Sidonia, Juni Taisen: Zodiac War) are writing the scripts. The anime commemorates Polygon Pictures' 40th anniversary

The manga version of the story will launch in Kodansha's Monthly Shōnen Sirius magazine on February 26, and Crunchyroll will offer the manga outside Asia. Nihei is credited with the original story, and Itoe Takemoto (The Beast Player novel illustrator and manga artist) is drawing the manga.

The anime will premiere next January in the +Ultra anime programming block on Fuji TV and its affiliates, and Crunchyroll will stream the anime outside Asia.

Fuji TV launched its +Ultra anime programming block as a sister block to its long-running Noitamina anime block. Fuji TV stated at the time of its announcement that +Ultra was intended to air anime aimed at a more global audience, contrasting with Noitamina's specific target of Japanese audiences. The Crunchyroll Extras channel streamed Thursday's presentation.

Source: 2022 Fuji TV "+Ultra" Lineup Presentation, press release