On July 13th, the latest instalment in the long-running Pokémon feature film series will premier in Japan -- along with a fresh animation style for fans to catch.

Pokémon: Everyone’s Story takes a dramatic turn towards a more Ghibli-esque appearance, seen in the beautiful new poster tweeted out by the film’s official account on Sunday.

The style may look familiar – it was illustrated by artist Yoshitoshi Shinomiya, who had previously created a poster for the previous Pokémon movie as well.

The text on the poster roughly translates to: “let’s go with the wind blowing”. Ahem. Interestingly enough, the only Pokémon shown in the image are Pikachu and Eevee. There may be some cross-marketing happening here with the upcoming games slated for November.

However, unlike the Kanto setting in Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!, Everyone’s Story takes place in a brand new location: Fura City, where – according to the trailer – residents “live together with the wind”.

Although the visual changes in the movie appear drastic, many fans have expressed excitement about the new animation style and aesthetic changes. The fresh look is in part thanks to production company WIT STUDIO, the creative crew behind the anime adaptation of the award-winning Attack on Titan manga series.

Everyone’s Story seems to be a sign of the changing times, ushering in a new era for the franchise – not only in the Pokémon films, but also its video games and toys. It will be interesting to see if these changes carry over to the new core RPG slated for 2019, as well.

Sadly, a Western release date for the film has yet to be announced – but, judging by the global excitement surrounding Pokémon at the moment, it’s likely that Ash’s latest silver screen adventure will surf its way over at some point in the near future. After all, it is Everyone’s Story.

Are you a fan of this new art style, or do you prefer the original look of the anime series? Do you think this might indicate a dramatic new look coming to the core RPG game in 2019? Let us know your thoughts below.