What Is ‘Granite Waves’? The Viral Show Everyone’s Talking About (But You’ve Never Seen)
Of all the mediums that best represent the advancements of storytelling, animation is easily the most innovative. From new art styles to showcasing movies and films that carry heavier emotion than live-action, the sky truly is the limit. Now, a new vertical sci-fi animated series called Granite Waves (2026) represents the next step of that journey.
A show that pushes the boundaries of how we consume content without taking any shortcuts on the way, Granite Waves aims to tell a very human story in a world that is anything but normal. Streaming on the Ryuu app now, there's a lot to learn before diving into the strange world of Granite Waves.
What Is ‘Granite Waves’ About?
Granite Waves follows 25-year-old Elya who, after getting a second chance at life, lives it like a mad scientist, exploring various experiments all while malicious spirits watch her every move. The catch is that a lot of these spirits feast on living souls, making every day a risk for Elya. The inspiration is tied to Slavic Central-Eastern Europe and Central Asian roots with a diverse set of characters.
Aesthetically, the series lives in the grim and dour as it uses sci-fi to explore a spiritual story. The teasers alone paint a picture of a dark world where positivity isn't the easiest thing to find, but this also opens a door to some creative choices that make the show stand out.
In terms of animation, it also feels 100% human in a world where anything could be AI, and we don't even know it. It's one of Ryuu's main focuses in terms of the content they put out, and it can be felt in Granite Waves.
Many Familiar Faces Have Joined ‘Granite Waves’
Granite Waves is a series created by anonymous animator Tezeze and gained some traction for their teasers for the show on YouTube. The animator's style is heavily anime-influenced, but it works amazingly well for the story and gives us intriguing character and spirit designs.
The voice cast that brings the series to life also has many familiar faces, including Sarah Natochenny (Ash Ketchum on Pokémon (1997-2023), Jenny Yokobori (Yoimiya in Genshin Impact), Katie Wetch (Mio Tsuchiya in Wind Breaker (2024-2025), and Robbie Daymond (Megumi Fushiguro in Jujutsu Kaisen (2020-2023). The cast brings their A-game to the series as well, and it helps make the unique storytelling structure work for viewers.
Granite Waves streams on the Ryuu app, and it deserves its own segment as an innovative look at the medium that spotlights up-and-coming creators and their projects—promising no AI and that the creators will not only be paid but also get lifelong royalties. Though the episodes are often only a few minutes long, each premiere also gives the creators and audience a chance to chat.
What Other Projects Are Like ‘Granite Waves’?
Granite Waves is a wildly unique series that will spearhead an app focusing on fun shows from indie creators, but the inspirations and similarities to other movies and shows can also be felt. One example, in terms of movies, is Constantine (2005). While this film focuses more on the supernatural in a religious sense, the idea of one person in a world full of monsters no one else can see is a perfect parallel to what Granite Waves focuses on.
Blood Blockade Battlefront (2015-2017) is another interesting addition that could complement an aspect of Granite Waves. The series is set in a futuristic New York City run by a society that uses monsters to keep the peace. The idea of monsters as an evil force that must be stopped is simple, but here it feels similar to Granite Waves.
There's also Mononoke (2007), which follows a Medicine Seller who travels Feudal Japan and faces spirits known as Mononoke. While battles against spirits aren't the main focus of Granite Waves, Mononoke is another narrative where people must contend with an unseen force. Granite Waves is a powerful and ambitious story with great comparisons for inspiration, and now the hope is that the creators involved get the credit they deserve for such an ambitious idea.
