This is the last piece in our Anime Rising series from the magazine’s Oct/Nov issue. Check out the other stories we ran earlier this week about the bright future of this popular content genre, how  producers are exporting it all over the world, and what’s going on in anime’s most important creative pipeline—manga publishing.

As anime continues to enjoy a surge in popularity, studios around the world are banking on its unique style to give their projects a distinctive and appealing look, as well as turning to manga—the graphic novel style that inspired the anime genre—to attract existing fans of well-established publishing brands. Here’s a look at five new projects with this origin story that are currently in development.

Dreamland (pictured, above)

Demo: YA
Co-producers: Dupuis Edition & Audiovisuel (France), Chouette Compagnie (France)
Style: 2D animation
Format: 10 x 22 minutes
Budget: US$5.1 million
Status: Scheduled to start production in October, with scripts for four episodes written, and a bible and trailer available. Dreamland is already lined up to air in France on Anime Digital Network, and its partners are seeking international broadcasters.
Delivery: Q4 2023/Q1 2024

Based on a same-name French manga by Reno Lemaire that’s published by Pika Édition, this fantasy series centers around an apathetic teen, scarred by his mother’s death, who unlocks the power to explore the world of dreams and nightmares. While he sleeps, Terrence explores Dreamland with new friends, and discovers the strength to confront his pain and fears.

Biguden

Demo: Six to nine
Co-producers: Apaches (France), Cosmic Productions (France), Mr Loyal (France)
Style: 2D and 3D animation
Format: 52 x 11 minutes
Budget: US$200,000 per episode
Status: A bible, script and animatic will be available in October, and the partners are seeking broadcasters, distributors and investors.
Delivery: 18 months after financing is secured.

When a young girl arrives in a village, mythical creatures that were thought to be extinct come back to life. Biguden has lost all of her memories, but with the help of friends—and her own half- human, half-magical lineage—she works to keep the peace between humans and all manner of peculiar beings. This adventure-comedy concept is adapted from a book by Stan Silas (author of the Norman graphic novel series).

Ki & Hi

Demo: Six to nine
Co-producers: Drawsome (France), Method Animation (France)
Style: 2D animation
Format: 52 x 13 minutes
Budget: US$8.1 million
Status: A bible and two scripts are completed, along with a two-minute teaser animated by Ireland’s Kavaleer Productions. Drawsome and Method are currently on the hunt for broadcasters. Delivery: September 2024

An adaptation of a French manga collaboration between YouTuber Kevin Tran (5.4 million subscribers) and artist Fanny Antigny, this series is about two reckless brothers locked in an epic sibling rivalry. From squabbles to love, the show will explore the universal experience of having a sibling you don’t always get along with, but never stop loving. Writer Thomas Krajewski (Buddy Thunderstruck) is developing and producing the series with Tran through his prodco (Drawsome), with Macha Uziel-Jardin (Steampunk Explorers) also on board as a screenwriter.

Zoey Oceans

Demo: Six to nine
Producer: Studio Kimchi (Spain)
Style: 2D and cutout stop-motion animation
Format: 26 x 13 minutes
Budget: US$2.7 million to US$3 million
Status: A bible, several animation tests, a pilot episode script, treatments for two episodes and six synopses are available, and Studio Kimchi is seeking broadcasters, distributors and co-producers.
Delivery: 2026 to 2027

Five years after her father’s ship is lost at sea, a young girl embarks on a worldwide search for him. But her only guide is a trail of rubber duckies that were also on the boat and have floated away on the ocean currents. In every episode, Zoey pilots a ship she made herself to follow the ducks far and wide, gathering clues about where her dad might be—and never giving up.

The Tern

Demo: 12 and up
Producer: Cyber Group Studios (France)
Style: 2D animation
Format: 10 x 26 minutes
Budget: US$8.2 million
Status: A bible, teaser, two scripts and an animatic (the first five minutes of the pilot) are available. Cyber Group is seeking broadcasters and a publisher to release a prequel story for this adventure series.
Delivery: Q4 2024

After toxic clouds destroy the atmosphere on Earth, a group of human survivors have been living a floating existence in a fleet of dirigibles for five generations—until a group of teens receive a message from someone on the planet below. No longer content to stay on the ship, they break all kinds of rules to seek out the truth behind a massive conspiracy. Tony Valente, creator of French manga Radiant, is the show’s character designer.

This story originally appeared in Kidscreen’s October/November 2022 magazine.