Earlier today, GKIDS released the new English-subtitled trailer for cocoon – One Summer of Girlhood (cocoon ～ある夏の少女たちより～), a poignant animated adaptation of Machiko Kyō’s acclaimed manga.
GKIDS will begin screening the anime film in theaters on September 4th in Japanese (with English-subtitles) and with an English Dub. The company confirmed that it will also have a home video release.
cocoon -One Summer of Girlhood made its North American debut during the JAPAN CUTS event on July 10th. The film will also be screened in Canada during the The 30th annual Fantasia International Film Festival. The Festival is currently underway, and will be taking place in Montreal until August 2nd.
The film made its debut on on BS-NHK in March 2025, before airing on NHK General in August 2025. According to Anime News Network, Kyō released the manga in 2010, 65 years after the end of World War II. The anime’s 2025 release came 80 years after the end of World War II.
REVIEW: Innocence Lost: How Cocoon Humanized The Himeyuri Corps’ Tragic Fate
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The film stars Hikari Mitsushima as Mayu and Marika Itō as San. It features animation from both veterans and new talent, including Akihiko Yamashita (Spirited Away, The Boy and the Heron) and Shinji Otsuka (Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke). Yukimitsu Ina directs and co-wrote the screenplay with Taku Kishimoto (Haikyu!!, Sakamoto Days). Theatrical screenings also include a special behind-the-scenes feature on the score by composer Kensuke Ushio (A Silent Voice, Chainsaw Man, DanDaDan).
Cocoon (コクーン) is a manga written and illustrated by Machiko Kyō. Serialized in Akita Shoten’s josei magazine Elegance Eve from March 2009 to May 2010, the story is inspired by the real-life Himeyuri Student Corps — a group of Okinawan schoolgirls and teachers mobilized as nurses during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. In October 2025, Viz Media announced it had licensed the series for English release. An anime film adaptation was announced in June 2023; produced by Sasayuri and directed by Yukimitsu Ina, with Hitomi Tateno as animation producer and Kensuke Ushio composing the score. In June 2026, GKIDS acquired the North American rights to cocoon – One Summer of Girlhood. Cocoon is available now at your local book store or e-retailer in print and digitally.
San and Mayu attend an all-girls school on a warm and tranquil island. When war reaches their shores, they are ordered to help nurse the wounded in a military hospital hidden away in a cave. Amidst escalating death and brutality, the friends struggle to find solace in their fragile lives.
Based on the manga by Machiko Kyo, cocoon – One Summer of Girlhood is the debut feature from Yukimitsu Ina and animation studio SASAYURI, founded by former Studio Ghibli animator Hitomi Tateno. The project brings together legendary veteran animators like Akihiko Yamashita and Shinji Otsuka, known for their work on PRINCESS MONONOKE and THE BOY AND THE HERON, with a new, young generation of animating talent. Featuring a stirring score from kensuke ushio (A Silent Voice, Chainsaw Man), the film is a devastating yet beautiful plea for peace.
Source: Anime News Network
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