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A.I.C.O., Gargantia Director Kazuya Murata Directs Yakusoku no Nanaya Matsuri Original Net Anime (Updated)

XFLAG announced a new original one-hour anime on Friday titled Yakusoku no Nanaya Matsuri (The Promised Seventh Night Matsuri), which will premiere on July 7 (the Tanabata holiday in Japan) at 7:00 p.m. (6:00 a.m. EDT) on YouTube.

The tagline on the above visual reads, "Everyone has someone they want to meet."

The anime centers on Shoma Mihara, a first-year high school student. Shoma hasn't seen his good friend Atsushi in 3.5 years, ever since they lost contact with each other after elementary school. One day, Atsushi gets in contact with Shoma to invite him to a rare festival, so they can meet up and talk. Shoma goes to the "Tanabata Seven Night Festival" deep in the mountains, but Atsushi is not there. Instead, a girl named Shiori who also has a person she wants to meet is there. The festival's program manager Kanna suggests that he stay until the festival is over, and so Shoma and Shiori help Kanna prepare for the festival. Shoma and Shiori then get wrapped up in some strange events happening in the town.

The anime stars:

Sōma Saitō as Shoma Mihara, the protagonist. He had an argument with his best friend Atsushi during his elementary school graduation ceremony, and Atsushi moved soon afterward. After that, the two lost contact. Even now in his first year of high school, he still thinks of Atsushi in the corner of his mind.

Nozomi Yamamoto as Shiori Senozawa, a participant in the Tanabata festival who is a kind person who can't let things go when someone is troubled.

Tomomi Mineuchi as Kanna, a young woman who is the program manager for the Tanabata festival.

Daiki Yamashita as Atsushi Fujii, Shoma's childhood friend who moved to Tokyo after elementary school.

Sayaka Senbongi as Kaori Senozawa, Shiori's older sister. No matter where she is, she is always surrounded by people and is the center of attention.

Ayaka Fukuhara as Kogetsuhime, the princess of the area around where the festival is held.

Kazuya Murata (A.I.C.O. -Incarnation-, Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet, Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos, KADO - The Right Answer) is directing the anime, and XFLAG Studio is credited with both the script and the production, alongside animation studio Yokohama Animation Lab. Senbon Umishima (She and Her Cat -Everything Flows-, Recovery of an MMO Junkie) is adapting Majiro's (The Thousand Noble Musketeers, Kabukibu!, Barakamon) original character designs for animation, and Taro Iwashiro (The Heroic Legend of Arslan, Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet, A.I.C.O. -Incarnation-) is composing the music.

Other staff members include:

• Monster Design: Hiroya Iijima
• 3D Director: Ryūsei Nakajima (Tri-Slash)
• Director of Photography: Yuma Yamaguchi (Raretrick)
• Editing: Kumiko Sakamoto (Jay Film)
• Art Director: Hirotsugu Kakoi (Ramecahirim)
• Color Design: Makiko Kojima (Studio Road)
• Sound Director: Jin Aketagawa
• Planning Producer: Nao Hirasawa (ARCH)
• Producer: Jonathan Kazushi Maeno
• Animation Producers: Yuuma Oogami, Naomi Ishiyama

Anri Kumaki is performing the theme song "Awai."

Update: The anime will be one hour long. Source: Animation Business Journal (Tadashi Sudo)

Sources: Yakusoku no Nanaya Matsuri anime's official website, Comic Natalie