Interest
Studio Shaft Animates High-Flying Ikebukuro PR Anime
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
The city of Toshima began streaming the first commercial for the upcoming Ikebukuro promotional anime on Monday. The 30-second ad shows a girl with glasses wandering the bustling district before she's taken on magical flight by a boy who resembles the district's Ikefukurō-zō (owl statues). The ad was animated by studio Shaft, the same studio behind the Monogatari anime series, Nisekoi, and Madoka Magica.
The anime's story takes place in the year 2020, near the Hareza Tower building plaza. This is an area under development currently but is expected to be completed by 2020. A girl gives chase to an owl she sees in Ikebukuro. Over the course of the anime, the audience witnesses the girl grow and learns about the charm of Ikebukuro, a place where "everyone can be the lead player."
The main owl character was designed by Yuru Sōma, the winner of a pixiv contest. The winning design (pictured right) was adapted for the anime by Akio Watanabe (Monogatari anime series). Yukio Takatsu directed the anime and Reiko Yoshida (Liz and the Blue Bird) penned the script. Kenta Higashiōji composed the music.
Singer and voice actor Shōta Aoi (numerous idol anime, Pop Team Epic) voiced the owl character, Fukurō.
The full-length anime will premiere on January 17, 2019. The tourism anime is the result of a partnership between Toshima's local government and Animate, whose head office is located in Toshima. Both parties hope that in creating the anime, they can establish another pilgrimage site in Ikebukuro.
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