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Tamagotchi Gets 1st Anime Film Short in 9 Years
posted on by Karen Ressler
Bandai's official Tamagotchi website announced on Tuesday that a new Tamagotchi short film will screen alongside the Kami-sama Minarai: Himitsu no Cocotama (God Apprentices: Secretive Cocotama) anime film. The short, Eiga Tamagotchi: Himitsu no Otodake Daisakusen (Tamagotchi the Movie: Great Secret Delivery Strategy), will be the first theatrical screening for Tamagotchi in nine years. Both films will open in theaters during Japan's Golden Week stretch of holidays in late April to early May.
The short celebrates the Tamagotchi franchise's 20th anniversary, and will include some nostalgic elements so parents and children can enjoy it.
Bandai launched the Tamagotchi franchise in 1996 and sold about 40 million virtual pets in that first batch. The company then revived the brand in 2004 and sold more than 38 million more Tamagotchis, 1.72 million of them in the Tamagotchi iD line that launched in 2009. As of the end of March 2016, the franchise has sold more than 81 million handheld games worldwide.
The first two Tamagotchi television anime series were the 1997-1998 Anime TV de Hakken! Tamagotchi television series and the 2007-2008 Saikō! Tamagotchi television series. A new Tamagotchi! television anime premiered in 2009, and the Tamagotchi! Yume Kira Dream television anime followed in 2012. Bandai then debuted the Tamagotchi! Miracle Friends television anime in 2013, the Go-Go Tamagotchi! anime series in April 2014, and the Tamagotchi! Tama Tomo Daishū GO! anime in April 2015.
Bandai also created the 1997 Tamagotchi Honto no Hanashi theatrical short, the 2007 Eiga de Tōjō! Tamagotchi Doki Doki! Uchū no Maigotchi!? feature film, and the 2008 Eiga! Tamagotchi Uchū Ichi Happy na Monogatari!? feature film.
The Kami-sama Minarai: Himitsu no Cocotama television anime premiered on October 1, 2015. The film, Eiga Kami-sama Minarai: Himitsu no Cocotama: Kiseki o Okose ♪ Teppuru to Dokidoki Cocotama Kai, features a new character named "Teppuru."
Source: Anime! Anime!
