‘Love, Death + Robots’ meets the I-Ching in the feature-length sci-fi anthology; 6 original animated visions of humanity’s future from 6 independent Taiwan animation studios explore fate, identity and choice in a future where technology collides with the fragile essence of humanity.
BLISS: Beyond the Edge of Time, a feature-length science fiction animation anthology created by six independent Taiwan animation studios, will make its world premiere at the Taipei Film Festival on June 30, 2026, at Zhongshan Hall in Taipei.
Inspired by six hexagrams from the I Ching, also known as the “Book of Changes,” BLISS: Beyond the Edge of Time brings together six original animated short films that explore fate, identity and choice in a future multiverse where technology collides with the fragile essence of humanity. Across the anthology, memories can be erased, identities rewritten and fate engineered, with stories that consider what remains truly human when civilization reaches the edge of time.
The project, the producers note, is “a poignant, unflinching look into the future, where the cold precision of technology collides with the fragile essence of humanity.”
The project includes 14- to 17-minute films embracing techniques and visual styles ranging from hand-drawn 2D and anime-inspired aesthetics to 3DCG. Targeted at audiences ages 15–45, the anthology explores humanity’s evolving relationship with technology, memory, identity, consciousness and transformation through distinct visual styles, narrative approaches and emotional perspectives.
Enjoy the teaser and full trailer:
“The I Ching is an ancient Chinese system of 64 hexagrams: binary codes of solid and broken lines that map the shifting forces of the universe,” BLISS executive producer Kevin Geiger said. “In the BLISS animation anthology, the I Ching functions as a primal source code — an ancient algorithm embedded in the fabric of our respective sci-fi story worlds. BLISS exemplifies the artistic excellence and collaborative spirit that define Taiwan’s creative industries. It’s an inspiring example of what can happen when independent creators unite around a shared vision.”
The anthology’s shorts are Whispers in the Void, directed by Geiger and produced by De Yi Chuang Yi Limited (tellretell); The Last Faith, directed by Yu-Shu Liu and produced by Hytree Studio; Ship of Theseus, directed by Liwei Chiu and produced by Studio2 Animation Lab; The Poacher, directed by Jo-Jo Hwang and produced by One Punch Studio; Re-Soul, directed by Wei Chih Liao and produced by Movect Studio; and Paradise L05T, directed by Jade Lien and produced by Tracking Troops.
In Whispers in the Void, in a distant future, captain Leizu and her android first mate Mira struggle with the changing nature of their relationship while investigating a derelict interstellar freighter. Inside, they discover a failed Taiwanese colony ship bearing a lone infant survivor with a mysterious link to Leizu, forcing them to question the boundaries of love and time.
The Last Faith follows an AI seeking divine protection aboard the Pilgrimage Train toward the Eternal Palace, questioning whether faith is salvation or prison. In the end times, who will receive true blessings? A burning question about devotion, sacrifice, and the machinery of belief.
Inspired by the “Ship of Theseus” paradox, this episode explores whether humanity is approaching the Singularity in the age of AI. Through a debate between a father with amnesia and his vegetative daughter, it confronts the question “Who am I?” while reflecting on the intersection of sci-fi and real-world technology.
The Poacher begins when an extinct leopard reappears, sparking a clash between a conservation officer and a radical activist group before a journey through time reveals the truth between protection and liberation — and the impossible question of who truly belongs to whom.
Re-Soul is set in a future where souls can be digitized and the Underworld has become a restricted digital forbidden zone, following Yara and a Taoist as they traverse a virtual network to reclaim her husband’s spirit, only to uncover a tangled web of digital love.
In Paradise L05T, two weeks before the end of the world, Z takes his childhood sweetheart Dorothy on their very first date to an abandoned amusement park. As the time to escape the planet with his family draws near, Z faces an impossible choice between love and survival.
“We live in uncertain times,” BLISS producer Wen Feng said. “Science fiction has always been an ideal genre for reflecting on the present through imagined futures. In the BLISS anthology, our directors had complete creative freedom to express their perspectives on that uncertainty. Remarkably, common themes organically emerged across their different visions. Above all, the anthology films repeatedly returned to one enduring idea: love, as the most powerful force guiding us through time into the unknown.”
Collectively, the six films showcase the breadth of contemporary Taiwanese animation, spanning diverse artistic techniques, storytelling traditions and production methodologies. The project also presents a collaborative production model in which independent studios pool talent, audiences, resources and promotional efforts while preserving each filmmaker’s artistic identity.
“Science fiction is not just about the future — it’s a mirror for who we are today,” BLISS executive producer Patrick Huang said. “Taiwan’s filmmakers have always told stories at the boundary of the visible and the invisible, where the ancestral and the futuristic coalesce into the same breath, reflecting the anxiety global audiences are experiencing right now. BLISS brings that sensibility into animated sci-fi: six directors, six I Ching hexagrams, six perspectives on what it means to be human beyond the edge of time.”
Sponsored by Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture, BLISS: Beyond the Edge of Time reflects the international ambitions of Taiwan’s animation sector. Following its Taipei Film Festival debut, the anthology will begin an international festival campaign and pursue worldwide distribution opportunities across streaming, broadcast, educational and specialty exhibition platforms.
“Our anthology brought together six companies and six directors, with six different approaches to animation and storytelling,” BLISS producer JoJo Hwang said. “Through a balanced management process, we created conditions for collaboration without constraining creativity — embracing our differences and encouraged each team to push their vision as far as possible. BLISS demonstrates that independent studios can achieve more together than they can alone, in creative partnerships that are artistically ambitious and operationally sustainable.”
The world premiere is scheduled for June 30, 2026, at 7 p.m. UTC+8 at Zhongshan Hall in Taipei. Tickets are available here. More information about the anthology can be found on the website; questions should be directed to Flash Forward Entertainment.
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
