Great Success at Annecy Film Festival: 'A New Dawn' and 'Takopi's Original Sin' Win Awards
One of the most prestigious events in the animation world, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, hosted great surprises again this year. Among the awards announced on June 28, 2026, two productions stood out: the Japanese film A New Dawn and the weekly anime series Takopi's Original Sin (Takopi's Original Sin). Both productions won the jury's approval and were deemed worthy of first place in their categories.
A New Dawn received the Jury Prize in the Contrechamp category, one of the festival's competition sections. The film, directed by Kōbun Shizuno and Kenichi Shimizu, is described as an immersive science fiction drama. A co-production between Japan and France, the film tells the story of a search for hope in a dystopian world. Winning this award is seen as a great success, especially in the Contrechamp section, which values independent productions and experimental narratives.
On the other hand, Takopi's Original Sin (Takopi's Original Sin) won the Jury Prize in the TV Series category. Based on Taizan5's popular manga of the same name, the anime was produced by Studio Bind and directed by Yoshihiro Hiramine. The story follows an alien entity named Takopi who touches the life of a depressed girl, leading to a tragic adventure woven with time loops. The manga has received full marks from both critics and readers since its release in 2022. The anime winning an award at Annecy has multiplied interest in the project.
These awards show not only the quality of the productions but also the importance given to different genres and narratives in the animation industry. Especially Takopi's Original Sin winning an award at such a prestigious festival as a TV series proves that dark-themed, pessimistic but human stories are also widely accepted. Many American and European productions also competed at the festival, but two different faces of Japanese animation – a cinematic sci-fi on one hand and an introspective drama on the other – attracted great interest.
Now all eyes are on how these awards will affect the international distribution of the productions. A New Dawn is expected to have a wider cinema and platform launch in the coming months. Takopi's Original Sin is already streaming on Crunchyroll and other digital platforms; it is said that the award could increase the possibility of a second season or special episode. For anime and manga fans, this summer heralds exciting developments.
