Release Date
01-08-2025
As we’ve covered before, there’s something aboutanimewhere the central hook is simply “girls with guns” that never ceases to draw the eye,somethingLycoris Recoilproved marvelously. It’s a niche, but one comprising just enough noteworthy stories that it doesn’tfeelniche, and the visual novel seriesGrisaiahas been honing in on that appeal one way or another for over a decade.
Grisaia: Phantom Triggeris the latest anime adaptation based on the visual novel franchise by Frontwing, with artwork by famedMonogataricharacter designer Akio Watanabe. Based on thePhantom Triggerstoryline - a sequel to the story that began with 2012’sThe Fruit of Grisaia, it follows a group of girls specially trained in combat and espionage for national security.
10 Years of Grisaia the Animation
This new anime is not onlya continuation of thePhantom Triggerstorythat began with a series of short films in 2019 and 2020 but also a celebration of ten years since the firstGrisaiaTV anime. 2014’sThe Fruit of Grisaiaby studio 8bit, and its two sequels, centered around Yuuji Kazami, a young hitman who attends Mihama Academy, yearning to live a normal school life. As he befriends his five classmates - all girls - he learns of their trauma and confronts his own.
What Sets The New Series Apart
Phantom Triggeris set years afterThe Fruit of Grisaia,when Mihama Academy and the covert organization of which its operations were a part have been restructured. Rather than having a central protagonist,the story follows an ensemble of new charactersattending a training academy for SORD (Special Organization for Research & Development). The series follows them as they tackle dangerous missions with their unique skill sets.
Meet the Staff Behind Phantom Trigger
Bibury Animation Studios, the production house currently working on the series, was founded by the original director of theGrisaiaanime, Motoki Tanaka (AKA Tensho). The studio’s first projects were thePhantom Triggerfilms, the first few of which Tensho directed. Since then, the anime has been helmed by Kousuke Murayama, who directedGrisaia: Phantom Trigger The Animation - Stargazerin 2020 and who will now direct the new TV series.
Murayama is an animator, animation director, and storyboard artist who has worked on theGrisaiaanime since the beginning, making him a fitting director to take charge.He has worked on theMonogatariseries,Fate/Extra: Last Encore,Assault Lily: bouquet,Madoka Magica, andMagia Record, to name just a few.
One could be forgiven for seeing the trailer forPhantom Triggerout of the blue and thinking it might be a Studio Shaft production, if not an ambitious project from a studio like Silver Link. Much of that is due to the stylistic sensibilities of Akio Watanabe, the man whose artwork made Shaft’s anime adaptation of Nisio Isin’sMonogatariso iconic and striking.
A Hint of Studio Shaft’s Influence
Apart from the eyes, there’s a subtle attention to detail in how Watanabe draws expressions and the detail put into the characters' lips that makes them feel so much more emotive. Plus, in the trailer alone, there are a lot of Shaft’s signature head tilts, which never cease to make a character look cooler. In motion,that comparison to Shaft feels even more aptgiven that Watanabe isn’t merely the character designer but also the chief animation director.
The action will make or break a show like this, but the glimpses of the animation shown thus far hit all the right notes.
The action will make or break a show like this, but the glimpses of the animation shown thus far hit all the right notes. Small moments like Rena reloading her assault rifle are appreciably detailed and satisfying to watch, to say nothing of how detailed the firearms look throughout. The lighting, shading, and letterboxing lend the anime a cinematic quality that the artwork thus far doesn’t betray, save for one slightly stiff-looking shot of Maki firing two pistols.
Much like the franchise as a whole,Grisaia: Phantom Triggeris a story that struggles very little to catch the viewer’s eye,thanks to its tactical military trappingsand strong aesthetic presentation. The tricky part is keeping those hooks in, and time will tell if its storytelling can bring the whole project together or if it can be kept afloat by the gunplay and pretty artwork. Depending on the execution, the latter might be enough to make this an early gem to start the new year.
Grisaia: Phantom Triggerwill be available to stream on Crunchyroll starting May 12, 2025.
