Cobra: The iconic space adventure will have a new French animation

French production house Mangouste Anim has secured the rights to reboot Space Adventure Cobra, a seminal sci-fi franchise born from Buichi Terasawa’s 1978–1984 manga, during Annecy International Animation Festival. This move positions the Paris-based studio, which recently distributed Grendizer in France, to expand its reach into iconic anime, leveraging Cobra’s cult status as a blend of action, space opera, and pulp adventure.

Terasawa’s legacy, though cut short by his 2023 death, endures through Cobra’s enduring appeal, evidenced by its recent Blu-ray and streaming revivals, and the upcoming video game The Awakening, set for 2024. By resurrecting a series that redefined 1980s anime, Mangouste Anim not only honors a genre-defining work but also ensures its mythos—marked by a lone hero’s cosmic battles and existential stakes—continues to captivate new generations.

Cobra’s Revival: A Space Opera That’s Too Big for Its Boots

They’ll tell you Cobra’s a relic, a dusty relic of ’80s anime, its glory days buried under the weight of nostalgia. But here’s the kicker: Mangouste Anim has just handed the universe a new lease of life. The French upstarts, based in Paris and founded in 2020, are set to reboot Space Adventure Cobra—a franchise that’s been dead and buried… and then resurrected, like a bad joke, again.

But wait…

Let’s not get carried away. The original Cobra manga, published by Buichi Terasawa in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1978 to 1984, was a beast. It didn’t just sell copies; it devoured the anime scene, its mix of space opera, action, and Pulp Fiction-style grit making it a cult classic. The TV series, which aired in 1982, and the movie that preceded it, Cobra: The Movie (1982), were so iconic they’ve been dubbed “the Star Wars of Japanese animation”—a title that’s probably been claimed by Star Wars itself.

The original Cobra was a cultural earthquake. The protagonist, a space adventurer with a gun-arm that can transform into a weapon? That’s not just a plot device—it’s a metaphor for the human condition. You know, the kind of thing that’s still relevant in 2025. Terasawa, the mangaka, died in September 2023, but his legacy? It’s still being served up.

• Nozomi Entertainment: Released the original series on DVD, then YouTube, Crunchyroll, and eventually gave up.
• Disotek Media: Made Blu-ray and 4K UHD versions in 2019.
• Restrocrush: Added Cobra to its catalog in 2023.
• Microids: Launching a video game, Space Adventure Cobra – The Awakening, in August 2024.

And now Mangouste Anim, a studio that’s still a baby in the industry, is taking the reins. They’ve already distributed Grendizer in France, and now they’re diving into the Cobra pool. You can almost hear the studio’s CEO, Sudo Tadashi, grinning like a Cheshire cat as he announces the deal.

But here’s the irony:

Cobra isn’t just a franchise—it’s a myth. A space opera that’s been resurrected so many times, it’s like a dish that’s been stir-fried and re-served at every family gathering. The original manga, which ran from 1978 to 1984, was a masterclass in storytelling. It didn’t just tell a story; it challenged the narrative of what anime could be. And now, here we are, 40 years later, with a French studio trying to reboot it.

Let’s talk about the money.

The Cobra universe is a goldmine. It’s got action, it’s got mystery, and it’s got that pulp vibe that’s been trending in anime circles since the 2010s. The original series, with its 31 episodes and 1982 film, was a cultural touchstone for a generation that grew up on Star Trek and Doctor Who. Now, with Mangouste Anim and Microids jumping in, it’s like the franchise’s been sugar-coated for the modern market.

But don’t get too excited.

The Cobra myth isn’t just about the story—it’s about the industry. It’s a reminder that even the most iconic franchises can be cherry-picked for profit. And here’s the kicker: Mangouste Anim isn’t just rebooting Cobra; they’re rebranding it. They’re taking a classic and turning it into a franchise—a term that’s been overused in the anime world.

Cobra is a space opera that’s been revived so many times, it’s like a dish that’s been reheated at every family gathering. It’s a testament to the power of storytelling, but also a reminder that even the most iconic franchises can be repackaged for the modern market. And if you think that’s the end of the story? You’re wrong. Because Cobra isn’t just a myth—it’s a business. And business, as they’ll tell you, is always in the market.