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Shimajirō Kids' Anime Gets 3rd Theatrical Film
posted on by Karen Ressler
Shimajirō, the tiger cub character from Benesse's Kodomo Challenge educational line for preschoolers and its television anime spinoffs, will star in a third theatrical animated film, Shimajirō to Ōkiina Ki (Shimajirō and the Big Tree). The film will open in theaters on March 13.
The website is streaming a trailer that features the theme song "Hana no Nioi" (Flower's Scent) by Chara.
In the story, Shimajirō sets off on a journey to a large tree on a foggy island, where he has to save his little sister Hana from the mean spider brothers.
Similar to the format of the character's first two theatrical films, the new film will incorporate a live-action, interactive part to keep children's attention and create a better theater-going experience. The live-action first half of the 60-minute show, for which theaters will only dim their lights to half brightness, will include song, dance, and quiz. In addition, there will be a call and response component where children can respond to Shimajirō using a megaphone that will be distributed to theater-goers.
The character's first film Shimajirō to Fufu no Daibōken ~Sukue! Nanairo no Hana~(Shimajiro and Fufu's Great Adventure ~Rescue! Seven-colored Flower~) opened in 2013, and his second film Shimajirō to Kujira no Uta (Shimajirō and the Whale's Song) opened last March.
