Almost three decades after Magic Knight Rayearth (魔法騎士レイアース) first aired in 1994, a brand-new anime adaptation is set to premiere on October 7, 2026. Ahead of the announcement, we sat down with producer Kishida Takuma to find out what it means to bring Rayearth back in the Reiwa era — and why he believes the story is more relevant than ever.
The Producer Who Pitched the Project
Kishida’s role on the new series spans the full production pipeline: conceiving the project, finding the right animation studio, coordinating on-set production, and liaising with the original rights holders. He also handled negotiations with the three partner companies co-producing the film.
Crucially, the idea was entirely his own initiative.
“I wanted to create something that was uniquely TMS Entertainment. I’d previously worked in licensing at the company and was involved in producing the DVD and Blu-ray releases of the Heisei-era Rayearth anime. That’s when I started feeling that the themes of Rayearth still hold up today — so I finally put together a proposal.”
A Story That Transcends Its Era
Kishida believes that CLAMP’s work as a whole carries a timelessness that allows audiences across generations to enjoy it together. He also points out that Rayearth can legitimately be called the “originator of isekai” — long before the genre became a dominant force in anime.
“I actually wrote ‘proto-isekai’ in my pitch document. I don’t think CLAMP consciously set out to define a genre, but looking back, their foresight is remarkable.”
Beyond the isekai angle, the story’s classical fantasy setup — rescuing a princess from an evil priest in another world — gives it a broad, accessible appeal that hasn’t aged a day.
Layers Beneath the Adventure
What Kishida finds most compelling about Rayearth is how it gradually reveals each character’s circumstances, relationships, and hidden feelings — drawing viewers in until the very end, which is packed with twist after twist.
“Who is the real enemy? What were we actually trying to save? Where does true justice lie? The themes are multiple and genuinely profound. The way it subverts what you assume to be the formula is fascinating — it forces you to re-examine your own values.”
Children can enjoy the cool characters, giant mecha (魔神), and magical world on a surface level, while adult viewers revisiting the series will find far deeper meaning. The journey of three protagonists growing together — rather than a single hero charging ahead alone — makes it easy to root for them throughout.
For Kishida, bringing Magic Knight Rayearth back in the Reiwa era is ultimately about passing on the themes, storytelling, and charm he has always loved to a new generation of fans.
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