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ARP Backstage Pass TV Anime to Stream Epilogue Special Episode on July 13
posted on by Egan Loo
The official website for ARP Backstage Pass, the television anime of the ARP dance vocal group, announced on Monday that a special episode titled "Paradise" will stream on Japan's dAnime Store and dTV services on July 13 at 11:00 p.m. (10:00 a.m. EDT). The episode will then stream on other services in Japan starting on July 20.
The "Paradise" episode will continue the story from the final episode of the anime's television run and lead into the franchise's "Kick A'Live" storyline. The television anime ended its broadcast run after 10 episodes in March, but the anime's website had already reported that the anime's home video release will include 11 episodes.
In addition, the new song "Neo World" will start digital distribution on August 5. The "Anime ARP Backstage Pass Kōyasai Celebrate Good Time -Extend-" performance will stream online on August 15 and 16 via the FureFure app. The franchise will hold an "ARP Fan Meeting Aki no Shucchō Gakuen-sai SP!" event in two sessions on November 1 at Tokyo's Ikebukuro HUMAX Cinemas theater, and fans could apply for tickets via a form in the anime's first Blu-ray Disc volume.
The ARP (nominally an abbreviation for Artists Republic Production) group holds live performances — featuring singing, dancing, and interactive talking with the audience — in real-time using the latest augmented-reality technology. The ikemen (handsome) group members include their de facto leader Shinji, the talented dancer León, and the members of the Rebel Cross duo (designer Daiya and composer/writer Rage). ARP mainly hold concerts in the winter and summer under a talent contract with Avex.
Tetsuya Endō (Hikaru no Go, Saiyuki Reload) directed the anime at Dynamo Pictures. ARP performed the opening theme song "Burn it up" and the ending theme song "Celebrate Good Time." The anime premiered on Tokyo MX1 on January 13, and Crunchyroll streamed the anime as it aired in Japan.
ARP's executive producer Akari Uchida once produced Konami's LovePlus and Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side game franchises before leaving Konami in 2015.
Sources: ARP Backstage Pass anime's website, MoCa, Comic Natalie
