Clevatess Anime Team Inspired by Heidi; Ending Song by Ellie Goulding
Clevatess: The King Lion of the Sky anime team gave important clues about the series' visual world at the Anime Expo panel. Series director Kiyotaka Taguchi and Seiichiro Kuriyama, producer at animation studio Lay-duce, said they drew inspiration from old-school cel animations, especially Heidi, while adapting a modern fantasy story. According to the team, this influence is not just a nostalgic preference; it is also an important way to create a warm, painterly atmosphere that balances the story's dark tone.
In particular, the 1974 Heidi, Girl of the Alps, directed by Isao Takahata and one of the unforgettable examples of World Masterpiece Theater, was referenced in this process. Taguchi and Kuriyama stated that they aimed to carry the soft light and texture of those classic hand-painted cel frames into the digital production stage. Thus, a visual language that is produced today but carries the warmth of the past will emerge.
Kadokawa producer Kōsuke Arai, on the other hand, talked about one of the most striking collaborations of the production. It was announced that British singer Ellie Goulding, known for global hits like 'Burn' and 'Love Me Like You Do', would perform the anime's ending song. Arai shared with the audience the behind-the-scenes of how Goulding got involved in the project and how this song took shape for the anime.
Clevatess is based on the dark fantasy manga written and illustrated by Yū Satomi, which tells the intersecting journey of Clevatess, the lion king of the skies, a dead priestess, and a small baby. At the core of the series is a narrative that makes one rethink the concepts of 'good' and 'evil'; this makes the anime team's choice of a classic, handcrafted-feeling visual language meaningful. Lay-duce's effort to recreate the cel animation aesthetic in the digital era could make the series one of the most visually distinctive productions of the season.
Clevatess is already attracting attention with both its manga and its music lineup. An ending track by a name like Ellie Goulding is the clearest sign that the anime is appealing not only to the Japanese market but also to global pop culture audiences. In the coming period, with new trailers, the release date, and the digital release of Goulding's track, Clevatess is expected to become one of the most talked-about titles on the anime agenda.
