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Kickstarter-Funded Under the Dog Anime Shares Animated Scenes, Cast Additions
posted on by Karen Ressler
The official website for the Kickstarter-funded anime project Under the Dog began streaming a series of short animated scenes on Saturday. The video confirms that the staff is aiming to complete the episode and make it available for backers in May 2016.
In addition, the website announced two cast members for the show. The two cast members were chosen based on backer votes. Haruka Takahashi will play Sayuri and Naomi Ōzora will play Estella. They join Asami Seto as Anthea Kallenberg, Rumi Ookubo as Hana Togetsu, and Kōki Uchiyama as Shunichi Nanase.
The project aims to carry the tradition of older science-fiction anime titles such as Akira and Ghost in the Shell. The production team used Kickstarter in order to avoid the process of funding from production committees and therefore retain creative control of the anime. The project met its minimum US$580,000 goal on Kickstarter last September and eventually raised US$878,028 in Kickstarter pledges.
Masahiro Ando (Hana-Saku Iroha, Blast of Tempest) is directing the anime based on a story by Jirō Ishii (428: In a Blockaded Shibuya, producer on Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors). Yuusuke Kozaki (Fire Emblem: Awakening) is designing the characters, Kinema Citrus is in charge of animation, and Orange Co. (Ghost in the Shell Arise) is in charge of 3D CGI.
Kinema Citrus is now also managing the project after the departure of Creative Intelligent Arts (CIA) founder and CEO Hiroaki Yura, the original producer. Yura explained, "In order to comply with certain requests from members of the UTD creative team, and to deliver an unhindered product to our backers, CIA is hereby removing itself from the UTD project."
