News
Kewpie Doll Gets First Anime This December on TV (Update 2)
posted on by Egan Loo
Kewpie, the babylike doll that the late American artist Rose O'Neill created for Ladies' Home Journal magazine in 1909, will celebrate its 100th anniversary this December with its first animated project. Masatsugu Arakawa (Medarot Damashii/Medabots, Nurse Witch Komugi special, Time Stranger Kyoko, Vampiyan Kids ) will direct the Rose O'Neill Kewpie television series of 26 5-minute episodes. The fashion models Anne and Nozomi Sasaki will narrate the series.
Kewpie became a household name in Japan, thanks to Q.P. Corporation's omnipresent use of the character on its mayonnaise squeeze bottles. The anime project was announced at a press conference in Tokyo on Thursday. The anime will retain the hand-drawn look of O'Neil's original illustrations.
Source: Sankei Sports, Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web, Sports Hochi
Image © Rose O'Neill Kewpie Anime Production Committee
Update: More background information added.
Update 2: According to the satellite and cable television channel WOWOW, Ryoko Hirosue will also narrate. Kazuo Kitagawa, the head of the Japanese Kewpie Club and one of the character's rights holders in Japan, is supervising the anime. Miyako Yatsu (Idaten Jump) is designing the characters, while Takashi Yamada (Ojamajo Doremi, Onegai My Melody Kirara) is supervising the scripts. Yamada worked with Arakawa on the Mach Girl television spinoff based on Mach Go Go Go, the classic Tatsunoko Production anime series better known outside Japan as Speed Racer. Source: Saishin Anime Jōhō
this article has been modified since it was originally posted; see change history