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BONES' Hisone to Masotan TV Anime Premieres in April

The official website for the original television anime Hisone to Masotan revealed on Wednesday that the series will premiere in April on Tokyo MX and other networks. The website also began streaming an interview video with general director Shinji Higuchi and original character designer Toshinao Aoki. The video highlights Aoki's rough sketches.

In the video, Higuchi discusses making an original work (as opposed to adapting an existing one), Aoki's original character designs, the heroine Hisone herself, the dragon Misotan, and the highlights of the anime. Aoki then discusses his original character designs, the production process, the story, and the highlights of the anime.

The anime's Instagram account lists the English title as "Dragon Pilot - Hisone & Masotan." The tagline of the anime is, "I will fly the skies with you." The anime will tell "the heartwarming story of dragons tamed by [Japan's] Air Self-Defence Force and their rookie pilots filled with love, laughter, and tears."

Straightforward and innocent Hisone Amakasu is a Self-Defense Force rookie stationed at the Air Self-Defense Force's Gifu Base. She struggles with the fact that she sometimes hurts people unintentionally by her innocent words and decides to join the Air Self-Defence Force, hoping to maintain a certain distance from people. This decision leads her to a fateful encounter that profoundly changes her life. Hisone meets the "OTF" dragon hidden in the base, and it chooses Hisone as its pilot. When it soars into the sky with Hisone, her fate as a dragon pilot is decided. It is said that dragons have a key to the future of the world…

Gainax co-founder and Shin Godzilla co-director Shinji Higuchi is supervising the anime for Warner Brothers. Hiroshi Kobayashi (Kiznaiver) is directing the anime at BONES, and Mari Okada (The Anthem of the Heart, anohana) is writing the anime. Higuchi noted that he, BONES, and Okada created the original story concept together.

Yoshiyuki Ito (Space Dandy) is adapting the original character designs by Toshinao Aoki (Kimi no Koe o Todoketai) for animation. Shōji Kawamori (Macross) is credited with mechanic design. Shigeto Koyama (Star Driver) is responsible for the monster concept design, and okama is credited with concept design. Taisei Iwasaki (Blood Blockade Battlefront) is composing the music

Keigo Koyanagi is the military supervisor. Yūji Kaneko is directing the art with art designer Akihiro Hirasawa. Yuko Kobari is designing the color key. Kōta Sasaki is directing the photography, and Yōta Andō is directing the 3D CG. Hiroshi Okuda is editing. Haru Yamada is directing the sound, and Tōru Noguchi is in charge of sound effects.

Images © BONES, Shinji Higuchi, Mari Okada/Hisone to Masotan Flight Test Unit

Source: Animate Times