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Liden Films Animates Promotional Video for Bandai Namco's Sake Personification Project

posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins

In January, Bandai Namco Entertainment revealed it was entering the pretty-boy-personification business with the Miki no Mikoto (literally: Lords of Sacred Sake) franchise, which personifies various famous sake brands as ikemen.

The company has now teamed up with LIDEN FILMS and director Seiki Takuno (Love and Lies, Poco's Udon World) to create an animated promotional video featuring the sake boys. The companies released two short versions of the video on Saturday.

The boys of Miki no Mikoto will have their own video channel on Bandai Namco Entertainment's upcoming interactive livestream app "&CAST!!!" when it launches this spring. The full version of the above promotional videos will be available only through the app. The app will be free to download but some content inside the app will require payment.

The story of the franchise takes place in a large shopping area called "Yayoimachi" where gods and ayakashi (supernatural monsters) are rumored to appear. The Seishu no Miko (refined sake princes) work at the "Matsuyoian" drinking establishment there as shop-keeps, learning the way of Japan's famed omotenashi (hospitality).

The franchise features eight sake princes so far, with each character corresponding to a real sake variety available for purchase from a real brewery.


Kanbai Koshino, voiced by Kaito Ishikawa. Design by Suzuka Oda (Psychic Detective Yakumo). He's based on the sake Koshi no Kanbai, made in Niigata at Ishimoto Sake Brewery.



Hikari Tamano, voiced by Ryohei Arai. Design by Shiramine (Touken Ranbu). He's based on the 340-year-old sake Tamanohikari, made in Kyoto.



Sawanoi, voiced by Masaya Matsukaze. Design by Nitaka (Touken Ranbu). He's based on the sake produced by Ozawa Brewery in Ome City.



Kinkame, voiced by Eiji Takemoto. Design by Shiramine (Touken Ranbu). He's based on Kinkame sake, a small sake brewery based in Omi that uses methods from the Edo period.



Reizan, voiced by Yōhei Azakami. Design by Nitaka (Touken Ranbu). He's based on the iconic sake brand from Takamori, Kumamoto, near Mt. Aso. The brewery has been open since 1762.



Zakura Dewa, voiced by Hiroaki Miura. Design by Cocokanata. He's based on Dewazakura sake from Tendo, Yamagata founded in 1892.



Kunimare, voiced by Motoki Takagi. Design by Cocokanata. He's based the sake from the brewery of the same name, located in Mashike, Hokkaido.



Dassai, voiced by Satoshi Inomata. Design by Ruka Urumiya. He's based on the sake brewed by Asahi Shuzo in Yamaguchi.


Will Miki no Mikoto lead to a sake boom among women the same way a "sword boom" blossomed in Japan after Touken Ranbu launched? We'll have to wait and see.

[Via Ota-Suke]



Disclosure: Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings Inc., is a non-controlling, minority shareholder in Anime News Network Inc.

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