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Popin Q Project to Launch Crowdfunding for New Novel, Anime Promo Video
posted on by Alex Mateo
The official Twitter account for Toei Animation's Popin Q anime film announced on Thursday that the franchise will launch a new crowdfunding project for a new full-length novel and anime promotional video on December 7. The staff opened a Campfire crowdfunding page for the project, titled "project20," and it aims to raise 14.5 million yen (about US$140,000) by January 28.
If the project is funded, novelist Senya Mihagi, who is writing a novella of short stories set after the story of the film, will also write the new novel. The novel will contain a cover illustration by the film's original character designer Kouhaku Kuroboshi. Like the novella, the new novel will be set after the story of the film.
The film's original director Naoki Miyahara will again collaborate with Mihagi on the novel. Miyahara will also direct the anime promotional video that will depict part of the novel. Part of the promotional video will be available to the public, but the full video will only be distributed to project backers. Miyahara stated on the Campfire page that successful crowdfunding of the project would be a big step towards the goal of a fully animated sequel.
The franchise's previous crowdfunded project, "project19," successfully met its crowdfunding goal of 2.5 million yen (about US$24,000) to fund a novella of short stories set after the story of the film.
The film commemorated Toei Animation's 60th anniversary. The movie premiered in Japan in December 2016, and opened outside of the top 10 list at the Japanese box office in its first weekend.
The film's story begins the day before the graduation ceremony. Five middle school girls each are preoccupied with their real everyday lives. These girls meet each other in a fantasy world after being sent there through a sudden occurrence. There, they learn about the impending crisis that this world is facing. The way to avert this crisis is for the five to collaborate and bring their five hearts together as one through dance. However, the five cannot come to love the world, and cannot tell their true feelings to one another, so their hearts are unable to unite. The time limit is fast approaching. Can the dance of the five girls save the world? And will they be able to graduate?
Izumi Todo, the collective pseudonym for the Toei Animation staff, is credited with the film's original work. Naoki Miyahara (Dragon Ball Z, "Precure All-Star DX 3D Theater" short, Precure series dance sequences) directed the film, and Kouhaku Kuroboshi (Kino's Journey, World Conquest Zvezda Plot) drafted the original character designs. Shuko Arai (live-action Twin Spica series) wrote the script, and Takayuki Uragami served as character designer and chief animation director. Hiromi Mizutani (Tanaka-kun is Always Listless, Toriko, Non Non Biyori) and Shūji Katayama (Overlord, Yurumates3Dei) of Team-MAX composed the film's music, and the idol unit P.IDL performed the opening song "Teenage Blues" for the film. Questy performed the theme song "Fantasy" and contributed a background song for the anime. The performance marked the debut of the all-female dance and vocal unit.
Sega released a smartphone rhythm game based on the film titled Popin Q Dance for Quintet! in February 2017, and the game ended service in February 2018.
Sources: Popin Q's Twitter account, project20 Campfire page via Otakomu
