As a studio, we consist of people who grew up in the 80s, 90s and 2000s, and witnessed the integration of Japanese media into mainstream western culture, and as such we have a good eye for what ‘feels’ like authentic manga and what does not.

This collaboration between AXE body spray and Atlantian rapper Lil’Baby was the perfect opportunity to showcase this. This was an online-manga project, which differs from our usual work as an animation studio albeit moments in the panels where there are short spurts of animated action. We worked alongside a writer to create the narrative from the ground up; Lil Baby and his companion AXE can return to a ruined Atlanta where they have to fight villains in order to herald the return of the GOAT.

Our aim was to deliver a product that encapsulates the vibrancy, scale and heroic optimism of shonen-style manga whilst appealing to Gen Z’s irreverent sense of humour, and could stand on its own narratively.