Hideo Kojima is never one to shy away from shouting about his favorite media – be that films, TV shows or, in this case, anime.
Mars Express may have passed many by upon its release in its native France back in 2023 but, out of seemingly nowhere, it's set for a Japanese release and is gaining plenty of plaudits.
Centred on space P.I. Aline and her android partner as a job goes awry amid conspiracies, crime, and missing children, the cinematic release only grossed $1.5 million at the box office and is scarcely found among conversations surrounding the best anime movies of the decade. Maybe that should change.
Kojima, fresh off a mind-bending release of his own with last year's Death Stranding 2, is only too happy to fight its corner, however.
The look, design, world-building, story, theme, authorial voice. It evokes the hard Sci-Fi anime that I love – the ones released in the ‘80s and ‘90s during the OVA boom from the likes of Mamoru Oshii, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, and Satoshi Kon," Kojima wrote on Twitter.
He continued, "It is a rare anime that could never emerge from streaming services or even from modern Japan. This French anime is something we ought to support and protect at all costs." You can read Kojima's full comments below.
My comment on “MARS EXPRESS,” opening in theaters across Japan on January 30, 2026 (Fri).This is it!The look, design, world-building, story, theme, authorial voice.It evokes the hard Sci-Fi anime that I love – the ones released in the ‘80s and ‘90s during the OVA boom from… pic.twitter.com/yE6pqyA3MKJanuary 26, 2026
The Japan Times was also effusive in its response, with its reviewer saying Mars Express is "the best anime film of recent years" (while also mentioning, yes, it's not strictly an anime if it was made outside of Japan. But if they consider it one, so do we). It's also currently sitting on a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
In the U.S., Mars Express is currently available to rent and buy on Prime Video and Apple TV. Sadly, it's not being streamed anywhere in the UK as of writing.
For more, check out the new anime coming your way in the winter 2026 window and beyond, plus all the latest on Chainsaw Man season 2 and Demon Slayer Infinity Castle 2.
