Scheduled to be released next year, the original from C-Station anime Opus.COLORs takes viewers into the art world to explore the concept of ‘perception art’. Hopefully we’ll get a PV trailer in the coming months, along with more details about the plot of the series.

Best known for their Winter 2018 anime Laid-Back Camp – the story of three girls who go outside on a camping excursion – Studio C-Station is no stranger to producing adorable life stories. But whether Opus.COLORs will leverage their strengths or take on an entirely new challenge is unknown.

Director Shunsuke Tada, who has worked on sports anime classics such as Kuroko no Basket and the supernatural series Noblesse, will co-produce with writer Rin Hinata. The two previously worked together on the anime adaptation of Starmyu – another story about artistic high school students.

Little is known about the plot of Opus.COLORs, so for now we can only speculate about what the anime could be, though it’s possible it’s similar to Netflix’s Blue Period anime.

What exactly is ‘perception art’?

While much about perception art remains unclear, information currently on the Opus.COLOR’s official website, it seems to have something to do with the way colors are interpreted and paint the world. It requires both an artist and a critic – or ‘grader’ – to perform. Whether that means the two are working in harmony or whether there is any rivalry between the two participants is unknown.

From the main character’s biography – and the illustration of him with what appears to be a spectral wolf – it’s possible that the story contains extraterrestrial elements. Is the art of perception a form of magic? Or is supernatural imagery believed to be a visual representation of what the characters are feeling internally? It’s hard to say for sure, but either way, it’ll be exciting to see what form ‘perception art’ takes.

Many sports anime in the past have added fantastic elements to everyday activities, such as giving athletes signature moves and attacks that are more common in fantasy shounen series. So it wouldn’t be strange to expect Opus.COLORs to do the same with the art world. That said, since the plot is completely original, C-Station has free rein to do something unique with this anime. We’ll just have to wait for more information to come out!

Who are the characters in Opus.COLORs?

Freshman art subject Kazuya Yamanashi has always had an interest in perception art – a mysterious new art form that has emerged on the scene. But after the death of his parents, he is left with more than general grief. Son of the creator of perception art and a successor to his parents’ talents, Kazuya begins to find that he can see more than what the human eye can normally perceive. While his gift may aid him in artistic endeavors, he is unable to bring him closer to his childhood friend Kyo, who has become distant.

Kyo Takise may have been one of the early proponents of perception art along with Kazuya and his family, but he has put off all the dreams of becoming an artist himself to become a critic. After Mr. and Mrs. Yamanashi’s death, he has become cold and distant – something Kazuya and their mutual childhood friend Jun found disheartening.

relaxed and happy June Tsuzuki has been Kazuya’s main source of support after both the death of his parents and the loss of a close childhood friend. Jun is herself a freshman perception art student and may well be the bridge that rebuilds the friendship the three once had.

Besides the messages on the Opus.COLOR’s official blogThere isn’t much information about the characters — including which voice actors can take on the roles — but some guesses can be made based on the characters’ blood types listed. While not as popular in the West, many anime associate blood types with personality traits (similar to the way zodiac signs are associated with certain personality traits.)

Type O characters (such as Kazuya) are usually depicted as optimistic and strong-willed – a popular example is Izuku Midoriya from My Hero Academia. Kyo’s Type B is usually associated with passionate but selfish characters like Jotaro Kujo from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures. And as for Jun, his type A blood type suggests he may be sensitive yet responsible, like Black Clover’s Asta.

Just as horoscopes are used to “predict” relationships, blood types in Japanese culture are sometimes used to guess whether two people are compatible in relationships. Type O and B are expected to make great combinations; Does this mean that a relationship between Kayuza and Kyo will flourish again? It’s worth noting that this is all speculation based on literary tropes and is not a real indication of how the story will unfold.