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Poupelle of Chimney Town Anime Film Posts 1st 3 Minutes

The official YouTube channel of Akihiro Nishino's Entertainment Laboratory online community began streaming the first three minutes from Studio 4°C's anime film of Nishino's Poupelle of Chimney Town (Entotsu-chō no Poupelle) picture book on Wednesday.

The story is set in a town surrounded by a wall that stands 4,000 meters (about 2.5 miles) tall. Because the town is full of chimneys, the air is always full of smoke. No one in the town knows what the sky looks like. On the night of the town's Halloween festival, a deliveryman accidentally drops the heart he is supposed to deliver. He cannot find the heart in the smoke and gives up. The heart continues to beat where it fell in the town of chimneys.

The film will open in Japan on December 25.

Actor Masataka Kubota (live-action Tokyo Ghoul, Death Note television series) stars in the film as Poupelle, a "trashman" that was born from garbage. Actress Mana Ashida (Children of the Sea, live-action Bunny Drop) stars as Lubicchi, a boy who believes in stars. Comic rakugo performer Tatekawa Shinosuke is playing Lubicchi's father Bruno — a character that creator Nishino had based on Tatekawa himself. Eiko Koike plays Lubicchi's mother Lola.

Shingo Fujimori of the comedy duo Oriental Radio plays the talkative ore thief Scopp. Tōru Nomaguchi plays Reta XV, the ruler of Chimney Town. Sairi Itō plays Antonio, who finds humor on Lubicchi's beliefs. Seiji Miyane plays Toshiaki, the shadow ruler of the town. Shōsei Ōhira plays Dennis, Antonio's friend. Kazuki Iio plays the chimney sweep Sue, while Takaya Yamauchi plays fellow chimney sweep Eyepatch, and Jun Kunimura plays chimney sweep boss Dan.

Nishino was previously listed as the film's director, but Yusuke Hirota (CGI director for Berserk films, Harmony) is now listed as the director. Nishino is still serving as production supervisor, original creator, and writer, while Atsuko Fukushima (Genius Party, Robot Carnival) is designing the characters. Aeon Entertainment and planning, production, and marketing company Yoshimoto Kōgyō Co., Ltd. is producing the film. TOHO and Yoshimoto Kōgyō Co., Ltd. are distributing the film. HYDE's "Halloween Party" song will be the film's opening theme song, while Lozareena will perform the film's ending song.

The film will feature new elements and characters that did not appear in the original picture book. Nishino said that because of this, people who have read the book, and people who have not, will both still enjoy the film.

The picture book's illustrations are available with English text on Nishino's official Line Blog. Gentosha published the picture book in Japan in October 2016 and has sold over 420,000 copies so far. A total of 33 illustrators and creators worked on the print book with Nishino after a successful crowdfunding effort.

Nishino is one half of the comedy duo King Kong. He decided to begin drawing as a way to convey his stories after a conversation with fellow comedian and television personality Tamori about ten years ago. Nishino published his first picture book, Dr. Ink no Hoshizora Kinema (Dr. Ink's Starry Sky Cinema), in 2009, and he has since published a total of five books.

Nishino starred in the live-action television series of Shuntarō Ōsawa's Gota Keshi: Jidan Kōshōnin Shirai Torajirō manga in 2011. He also voiced Freddy in the Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew anime film in 2005.

Sources: Akihiro Nishinos Entertainment Laboratory YouTube channel, Comic Natalie