Trailer for WE ARE ALIENS Teases a Beautiful and Heartbreaking Story That Spans 30 Years
The first official Japanese trailer has arrived for We Are Aliens, and if you're expecting a sci-fi adventure based on the title, you're going to be surprised.
The upcoming animated feature from first-time filmmaker Kohei Kadowaki uses its title to draw you in, but what it actually delivers is a deeply emotional drama about friendship, regret, and the moments that shape a lifetime.
Nothing New and Toho Next debuted the new trailer, offering a gorgeous look at a film that blends rotoscoped performances with expressive animation. It isn't traditional anime, and its unique visual style gives the story a grounded, almost dreamlike quality that fits the emotional weight of the narrative.
The story follows Tsubasa and Kyotaro, who become inseparable after meeting as elementary school students. Their friendship seems unbreakable until jealousy, misunderstandings, and one painful incident pull them apart. Decades later, memories of the past resurface, forcing both men to confront the wounds they've carried for years.
The official synopsis reads: "One summer while in third grade, a quiet boy named Tsubasa meets Kyotaro, the admired center of the class, and the two become close friends. Within their small world, they share irreplaceable moments—until a small incident suddenly tears their relationship apart.
“Spanning more than thirty years, this gentle and contemplative story quietly explores what it means to live through the boys’ friendship and the distance that grows between them."
Even though the title suggests something out of science fiction, We Are Aliens is much more grounded. The "aliens" here seem to represent the emotional distance that can grow between people who once knew each other better than anyone else. It's a reflective character drama about growing up, growing apart, and wondering if it's ever too late to reconnect.
The film features voice performances from Ryota Bando and Amane Okayama, with music composed by Yaffle, whose score sounds like it'll add another emotional layer to the experience.
We Are Aliens premiered earlier this summer at both the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it screened in the Directors' Fortnight section, and the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
Critical reactions have been mixed, but it's easy to see why the visuals have caught people's attention. The animation is striking, with a textured, painterly look that gives every frame a sense of intimacy.
Japanese audiences will get to see We Are Aliens when it opens in theaters on September 25, 2026. There's still no word on a U.S. release.