What happened
An original anime film titled Wasted Chef has been unveiled with a teaser visual, courtesy of the Annecy Animation Showcase presentation at the 79th Cannes International Film Festival. The project is directed and written by Takayuki Hirao, with character design by Shingo Adachi and music by Kenta Matsukuma.
Context
The staff list is the headline here. Each of the three principals is bringing a distinct pedigree:
- Takayuki Hirao (director, screenplay) previously helmed Kara no Kyoukai Movie 5: Mujun Rasen, one of the most-praised entries in ufotable's adaptation of Kinoko Nasu's The Garden of Sinners. His handle on layered psychological storytelling is part of the reason this announcement spread fast on enthusiast channels.
- Shingo Adachi is best known as the character designer for Sword Art Online. Different register from Hirao's prior work, which suggests Wasted Chef may sit in a more commercially-styled visual lane than Hirao's earlier features.
- Kenta Matsukuma composed for Eiga Daisuki Pompo-san (*Pompo: The Cinéphile*), a tightly-paced festival favourite. The pairing hints at a brisk, character-driven film.
Producers listed include Ryouichirou Matsuo (*Natsu e no Tunnel, Sayonara no Deguchi*), Yuunosuke Uno (*Witch Watch*), and Kousuke Arai.
Why it matters
Annecy Showcase reveals are increasingly the venue where original Japanese animated features get their first international platform — Mamoru Hosoda's recent films have followed similar trajectories. The fact that Wasted Chef is an original project (no manga or light-novel source) is the bigger story: pure-original animated features are still relatively rare next to the adaptation pipeline, and the staff list signals real production ambition.
No release window, distributor, or plot synopsis has been confirmed yet. The teaser visual is the only public asset.
What to watch for
Expect a full trailer and Japanese release date by Q4 2026 if the project follows the typical festival-reveal cadence. International licensing announcements often follow within a window of weeks once the Japanese broadcaster is locked.