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Kobe City Posts Tourism Anime by Independent Animator
posted on by Egan Loo
Earlier this month, the city of Kobe began streaming a four-minute promotional tourism anime short that was created by independent animator Junichi Yamamoto. The "Kobe to Watashi" ("Kobe and I"/"Kobe and Ai") short is streaming with English subtitles on the Kobe City Channel on the YouTube website, as well as on the city's own site. The anime will also be shown on the giant Space Theater Harborvision screen in the Kobe Harborland shopping district and at Japan's pavilion at the Expo 2010 Shanghai China event.
The short follows a college student named Ai-chan as she wanders aimlessly around Kobe. An unusual figure appears to help guide her around the city. Yamamoto directed, wrote, and animated the short himself, and famed veteran voice actor Akira Kamiya makes a special guest appearance.
Yamato won the highest award in the 14th Animation Kobe Digital Creators' Contest last year. Yamamoto had created a "memory" short that was nominated for 2009's YouTube Video Awards.
Sources: Presepe News, animeanime.jp
