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Kimagure Concept Manga Gets Short Net Anime Collaboration With Kagome

Japanese food manufacturer and distributor Kagome launched a short anime collaboration project with Hoichoi Productions' Kimagure Concept (A Capricious Concept) manga on Friday. The short anime features an original script and is titled Zannen Chūkōnen no Kenkō Mie Kōza (Disappointing Middle-Aged Men's Health Course for Show). The anime stars Keiji Fujiwara and Wataru Takagi as the characters Zaizen and Kumada, respectively. Both originate from the manga.

Zaizen is knowledgeable about trends, and is concerned with appearing conscious about health. Kumada is in poor health, doesn't get enough exercise, and boasts about his ability to eat and drink. The anime has eight episodes available, with four episodes each for both main characters.

Rie Kugimiya, Kana Ueda, and Yumi Uchiyama also voice female office workers who appear in the shorts. Steve N' Steven and ODDJOB animated the shorts, with Production I.G credited for casting assistance.

The Hoichoi Productions duo, comprised of writer Yasuo Baba and artist Mitsunobu Matsuda, have been serializing the Kimagure Concept four-panel comedy manga since 1981 in Shogakukan's Big Comic Spirits magazine. The manga has been compiled into a book volume in 1984, 2007, and earlier this year on February 16. The manga focuses on the Japanese advertising industry, and focuses on different real-life advertising agencies, as well as the changing Japanese way of life over the manga's 35 years of serialization.

Source: Anime! Anime! (Katsunori Takahashi)