Netflix unveils five new anime projects
Netflix announced five new anime projects at ist online event Netflix Anime Festival 2020.
In the past year, over 100 million households around the world have chosen to watch at least one anime title on Netflix, growing by 50 per cent year-over-year. Seven Deadly Sins has become one of the 10 most popular titles among all series and films in over 70 countries since its launch, and Baki in almost 50 countries.
“In just four short years since launching our creative team in Tokyo, Netflix has expanded the reach and overall audience of anime – a category conventionally seen as niche,” said Taiki Sakurai, Chief Producer, Anime, Netflix. “Given the success of shows such as Seven Deadly Sins and Baki, we are excited now more than ever to challenge ourselves to expand our aspirational anime programming for fans around the world.”
The projects announced aim to do that be investing in new talent and promoting diversity, with five new anime titles given the green light: Rilakkuma’s Theme Park Adventure, Thermae Romae Novae, High-Rise Invasion, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan and The Way of the Househusband.
Here’s the rundown of each one:
Rilakkuma’s Theme Park Adventure
The production of the new series of Rilakkuma has been produced in stop-motion animation following the success of “Rilakkuma and Kaoru.” The series depicts an active day of incidents and meetings that take place when Rilakkuma, Korilakkuma, Kiiroitori, and Kaoru go play in an amusement park that is about to close.
Director: Masahito Kobayashi, dwarf. Written by Takashi Sumita & Makoto Ueda, Europe Kikaku. Animation Production: dwarf studios, TYO Inc. Production: San-X Co.,Ltd. Cast: Mikako Tabe (Kaoru)
Thermae Romae Novae
The very popular manga by Yamazaki Mari has been brought back to life in the present day in a new way (“Novae” means “new” in Latin). Based on the manga, new episodes created by Mari Yamazaki will also appear. Lucius, a bath designer in the Roman Empire, accidentally slips back in time to present day Japan and learns about Japanese bath culture in this comedy.
High-Rise Invasion
Based on the manga by Miura Tsuina (Ajin) and Takahiro Oba (Box!), this is an unpredictable and frightening survival story set in high-rise buildings that don’t reach the ground. The protagonist, Yuri, decides to survive in order to destroy this illogical world and kill the enemy wearing the “mask”, but what will she do? Original story: Tsuina Miura. Manga: Takahiro Oba. Director: Masahiro Takata. Series Composition: Toko Machida. Character Design, Animation Director: Yoichi Ueda. Music: tatsuo, Yoichi Sakai. Animation Production: ZERO-G. Cast: Haruka Shiraishi, Shiki Aoki, Akira Sekine, Junya Enoki, Yuichiro Umehara.
Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan
This series consists of four strange episodes that Kishibe Rohan, the manga artist from “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable,” saw and heard in a destination he visited to collect material for the manga.
Based on a story by Hirohiko Araki, Shueisha Jump Comics. Director: Toshiyuki Kato. Character Designer: Shunichi Ishimoto. Animation Production: david production. Cast: Takahiro Sakurai.
The Way of the Househusband
The most evil yakuza, Tatsu, is a legend in the underworld. He chose to walk away from the yakuza to become a full-time househusband!
Based on a story by Kosuke Oono. Director: Chiaki Kon (Nodame Cantabile, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal the Movie.) Series Composition: Susumu Yamakawa. Production Studio: J.C.STAFF. Cast: Kenjiro Tsuda.