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Yuyake Dandan Anime's New Trailers Show Range Murata's Designs

posted on by Sarah Nelkin
Kouichi Yamadera plays walking, talking cat in shorts produced for 109 Cinemas movie theaters

The official website for the Yuyake Dandan series of anime shorts unveiled a new trailer, as well as a celebration comment for the opening of the new Futako-Tamagawa 109 Cinemas complex, on Friday.

The trailer features designs by Range Murata and narration by Kouichi Yamadera as his character Kotobuki the cat, who explains the premise of the series. Once a month, episodes premiere in 109 Cinemas theaters, and Kotobuki comments on having to "film" every single month for a new episode.

Text: Congratulations on the opening of the 109 Cinemas Futako-Tamagawa
Nanami: Um... Congratulations on the opening of the 109 Cinemas...
Kotobuki: Hey, Nanami. What are you doing?
Nanami: Ah, Kotobuki.
Kotobuki: What the heck's all this? Are you recording something?
Nanami: A 109 Cinemas theater is going to open in Futako-Tamagawa soon. I'm recording my congratulatory comment for that.
Kotobuki: You were doing that kind of part-time job?
Nanami: You're gonna be in it too, Kotobuki.
Kotobuki: Me? What am I supposed to do?
Nanami: Just stand here.
Kotobuki: Well, I am the representative of cuteness in this thing.
Nanami: Um... Congratulations on the... opening... of the 10-screen movie theater...
Kotobuki: Nanami... You're reading the cue cards, aren't you?
Nanami: ...No, I'm not.
Kotobuki: You're looking at them like crazy! That woman over there is holding them up.
Nanami: Well, 'cause...
Kotobuki: Don't tell me... You can't remember "Congratulations on the opening of the 109 Cinemas Tamagawa 10-screen movie theater in Futako-Tamagawa"?
Nanami: I get nervous, OK!? You do it, Kotobuki.
Kotobuki: Huh? No way! And also, even if we say "congratulations" here, won't nobody know who we are? Our short anime's only just started screening. Nobody knows us, trust me.
Nanami: I'll buy you two meat buns.
Kotobuki: Congratulations on the opening of the 109 Cinemas Tamagawa 10-screen movie theater in Futako-Tamagawa! We at the Yuyake Dandan send our congraulatory message!
Nanami: Personality change much?
Kotobuki: I was playing a part (lit. I was pretending to be a cat.)
Nanami: Ba-dum.

109 Cinemas is producing the shorts to screen alongside trailers and other promotional videos at its theaters. The anime will run before feature film screenings in all 109 Cinemas theaters. A new anime short will screen every month.

The shorts are set on a stairway where the sunset can be enjoyed near Tokyo's JR Nippori Station. The story centers on the female high school student Nanami and the mysterious cat Kotobuki. In a nostalgic atmosphere, they have strange conversations and relax as the sun sets. Foul language and Kotobuki's peculiar, grandfatherly Edo dialect intersperse their conversations. Kotobuki has an extensive knowledge in certain fields and lives in his own world.

Nanami doesn't understand everything he says, but her varied interests and current curiosity with Kotobuki keep her lingering by his side.

New voice actress Akane Shiba was chosen in an audition for the role of Nanami. Veteran voice actor Kouichi Yamadera (Dragon Ball Z, Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell) will play Kotobuki.

Hideki Futamura (Limit Cycle, Halo Legends, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure) is directing the anime short at Victor Studio 501. Bunō Fujisawa is writing the script, and Akemi Imano (CLAMP in Wonderland 2) is serving as art director. Flying Dog's Shiro Sasaki (Space Dandy, Last Exile, Btooom!) is in charge of planning, and Takurō Iga is composing the music.

In addition to his artbooks and manga, Murata created the character designs for anime such as Blue Submarine No. 6 and Last Exile. Murata provided artwork for a new Attack on Titan novel Kakuzetsu Toshi no Jōō (The Queen of the Isolated City) in August. He released some of his dōjinshi (self-published) works on iOS devices, including his first art book as an iPad app in English. Murata was voted "Best Artist of the Year" in the 2006 Seiun Awards.


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