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Tetsuya Chiba's Kaze no Yō ni Anime Film Reaches Crowdfunding Goal

Manga creator Tetsuya Chiba's (Ashita no Joe, Teppei) Fundiy crowdfunding campaign to create an anime film based on his "Kaze no Yō ni" (Like the Wind) one-shot manga met its goal of 2 million yen (about US$17,725). As of press time, the project has earned 2,070,000 yen (about US$18,306).

The project launched on February 22 and will run until April 22.

Chiba published the "Kaze no Yō ni" one-shot in Kodansha's Shoujo Friend magazine in 1969. The manga centers around Sanpei, a boy beekeeper and the sole survivor of an accident that killed his entire family. Sanpei meets Chiyo, a girl who gets stung by a bee, and starts a new life in her village. Eventually, Sanpei cultivates the land that the villagers had abandoned, and then disappears. In the land now filled with flowers, Chiyo waits, believing Sanpei will return.

The announced cast includes:

• Masako Nozawa as Sanpei
• Minami Fukuhara as Chiyo
• Hana Takeda as Kamekichi
• Asako as Sabu
• Aine Shiono as Kunio
• Megu Ashiro as Shige
• Yuri Noguchi as Sachi
• Junpei Asashina as Sensei
• Reiko Suzuki as Osen
• Hiroki Maeda as Tora
• Toshiya Chiba as Masakichi
• Takayuki Yoshi as Jisuke
• Masaaki Yano as Mosaku
• Megumi Miyatsu as Tsune
• Keisuke Hamaoka as Villager A
• Norio Takaku as Sanpei's Father
• Shiori Inoue as Otome
• Michiyo Yanagisawa as Narrator

Toshiyuki Honda will direct the film at Ekura Animal, and is also in charge of storyboards and planning. Chie Hidono is writing the script. Masatsune Noguchi will serve as the animation director. Kou Nakagawa is composing the music. Kana Matsumoto will perform the film's theme song.

Rewards for backers include setting materials for the anime, a DVD copy of the film, raw key frames, and replica key frames signed by Tetsuya Chiba.

Thanks to Rachel S. for the news tip.