Virgin Punk: Clockwork Girl, which opened in only a handful of U.S. theaters in 2025, is the epitome of art as animation. The anime film has a runtime of no more than 35 minutes, which doesn’t sound like much. However, when freelance animators like Daniela Padilla claim “a month of work for one second of animation,” you realize Virgin Punk: Clockwork Girl might not be your typical anime.
This obsessive level of polish should come as no surprise to Yasuomi Umetsu fans. The legendary director is still regarded as one of the most talented storyboard artists in the industry, and it seems his touch hasn’t been lost on Virgin Punk. Umetsu is best known for stand-out hits from the 1990s and early 2000s, including Kite, Mezzo DSA, and Mezzo Forte, and he’s behind some of the most well-known anime opening and ending sequences of all time.
Virgin Punk marks Umetsu’s first original work in over a decade. It’s also one of the only projects he didn’t directly write or title, with those credits going to Yuya Takahashi of Lupin III fame. Clockwork Girl is intended to be the first in a three-part series. Set in the year 2099, the story centers on the young and witty bounty hunter, Ubu Kamigori, in her trifles against criminals using special advanced prosthetics called Somadae.
There’s nothing Virgin Punk is doing that Ghost in the Shell hasn’t done already, but you don’t usually tap into an Umetsu film for the narrative. Umetsu is best known for slick action sequences, offering cinematic-level framing that feels like you’re watching a live-action film — specifically John Woo. These scenes prove the most difficult and time-consuming to animate, and all accounts seem to suggest Virgin Punk was a real doozy to create.
The production figures tell the full story. According to both Umetsu and producer Ryuusuke Suzuki, Virgin Punk required a total of 35,000 drawings to complete (and well over 100,000 when accounting for rough sketches). It’s also made up of around 740 cuts, whereas the industry average for a 30-minute anime would be more like 400, which means many more storyboards and scenes were added well into production. Umetsu is not one to miss any details.
This lends even more credence to Padilla’s claims that a month of work was required for one second of animation. In this way, Virgin Punk feels more like a technical showcase and a testament to Umetsu’s drawing capabilities. It also gives us a fascinating peek at Shaft studio, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. It’s still putting out some of the most beautiful animation work in the industry.
A particular highlight in Virgin Punk was director Takayuki Aizu, who was able to animate water refractions with lifelike detail. The effect gives the impression of light passing through small droplets of water as they slowly slide down Ubu’s body. It’s mesmerizing, but also a technical nightmare — and blood, which Virgin Punk is chock-full of, is even harder to properly animate. Shaft makes it look easy.
These intricate details are what give Virgin Punk such a fascinating layer of brilliance. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind experience that blends some of Umetsu’s best creative elements into one action-packed thrill ride. Unfortunately, it’s only available on DVD and plans for a digital release in the U.S. are still unknown at this time.
It’s a shame that one of the most detail-rich anime movies of 2025 feels largely swept under the rug. If there’s anywhere Virgin Punk belongs, it’s on the biggest screen available at max volume. Just another 10 years to go for the sequel.
