'Zoids Wild' Franchise Brings Popular Mecha Toy Line Back This Year With a Series of Cross-Media Projects
"Zoids," the popular science-fiction media franchise developed by Takara Tomy, is making a comeback this year with a series of cross-media projects collectively titled "Zoids Wild."
According to Anime News Network, these upcoming projects will include a new television anime series slated to premiere on MBS this summer, a new manga series that is set to launch in Shogakukan's "CoroCoro Comic" magazine next month, a new model kit line, and a Nintendo Switch game.
The model kit line will reportedly launch with the ZW01 Wild Liger and ZW02 Gil Raptor in June. These model kits are priced at ¥3,000 each.
A promotional video has also been released on Takara Tomy's official YouTube channel. It reveals that the Japanese animation studio Oriental Light and Magic is animating the television series under the direction of Norihiko Sudo. His previous works include "Kenyuu Densetsu Yaiba," "ToHeart2," and "Pocket Monsters: Diamond & Pearl."
On the other hand, the series scripts are being handled by Mitsutaka Hirota, who has previously worked on "Sweetness & Lightning," "The Prince of Tennis II," and "Anime-Gataris."
Additionally, an exclusive smartphone app will also be launched to enable fans to take pictures or footage of their "Zoids" model kits. These photos can also be edited and uploaded to social media and video streaming sites.
The "Zoids" science fiction mecha franchise was first launched as a model toy kit line in 1983. A 14-volume manga series by Michiro Ueyama that ran from 1999 to 2001 was then launched and later released in English as "Zoids Chaotic Century" in 2002 by Viz Media.
This manga series inspired the "Zoids: Chaotic Century" television anime in 1999 that Viz Media also released on home video.
Three more anime series soon followed: "Zoids/ZERO," which aired in 2001; "Zoids: Fuzors," which aired from 2003 to 2004; and "Zoids Genesis," which aired from 2005 to 2006.
More information will be released for the "Zoids Wild" anime series in the coming days.
