News

Kurayukaba, Kuramerukagari Anime Films Reveal Main Visuals, Full Trailers

The staff for Shigeyoshi Tsukahara and Twiflo's original full-length anime film project Kurayukaba and brand-new spinoff full-length anime film titled Kuramerukagari revealed the main visuals and full trailers on Thursday. The trailers preview Kurayukaba's theme song "Naisho no Uta" by Charan-Po-Rantan and Kuramerukagari's theme song "Bokura no Hakoniwa" by Masayoshi Ōishi.

The staff describes Kurayukaba:

"Yes, Ootsuji Detective Agency" In the purple smoke lies a faint dream, and in the town, rumors swirl like smoke. Now, facing the strangeness of the "mass disappearance" bewildering society, detective Soutarou confronts it! With no witnesses and unclear intentions, the identity of the "ominous tracks" that always appear in its footsteps... In search of clues, the detective delves into the underground realm of the town called "Kuragari." There, the encounter with the black iron armored train and its commander, Tanne, will significantly shake the fate of the detective!

The film stars:

• Soutarou: Kanda Hakusan
• Tanne: Tomoyo Kurosawa
• Saki: Yū Serizawa
• Command Team Leader: Setsuji Satoh
• Matsui: Shō Karino
• Inarizaka: Raikō Sakamoto
• Yuki Sakakihara as Yūya
• Takeo Ōtsuka as Iseya
• Yoshimasa Hosoya as Eiwa-jima
• Nanako Mori as Shiina
• Aoi Yūki as Ameya

Tsukahara ("The Man Traveling with the Brocade Portrait," "Joseito," "Hashi no Mukou," SEKAI NO OWARI rock band's in-concert anime footage and set design) made his feature-length directorial debut with the anime at Makaria, and he is also credited for the original story and screenplay. Kazunori Minagawa (animation director on Macross Delta, Tokyo Ravens, Yuruyuri, Code Geass: Akito the Exiled) designed the characters.

maxcaffy was the digital cutout animation director, and Chōta Akatsuki was the animation supervisor. Pochi was in charge of art setting, and Kentarō Ōnuki was the art director. Eriko Kimura was the sound director, Katsuhiro Nakano was in charge of sound effects, and Tohokushinsha was in charge of sound production. Akatsuki also composed the music, and Team OneOne produced the animation.

The film won the Best Animated Feature in the Audience Awards category of the 27th annual Fantasia International Film Festival in August. The film is screening in competition at this year's Niigata International Animation Film Festival on March 15-20.

The staff describes Kuramerukagari:

This is a story that weaves together people and a town. A coal mining town crowded with small-scale excavators, commonly known as the "Hakoniwa." In this town that changes daily like a labyrinth, there's a girl named Kagari who runs a mapmaking business and a boy named Yuya who dreams of breaking free from the "Hakoniwa." Eventually, the two, along with the unique residents of the town, find themselves confronting a conspiracy that shakes the entire town. The fate of the” Hakoniwa" depends on Kagari's drawings on the map.

Tsukahara is credited for the original work, screenplay, and director of the film. Ryohgo Narita (Baccano!, Durarara!!) is credited with the original concept. Team OneOne is producing the animation. The film stars Ayane Sakura as Kagari. Kuramerukagari is the opening film for this year's Niigata International Animation Film Festival on March 15.

The Kurayukaba project's first crowdfunding campaign ran from December 2018 to February 2019 to fund the pilot film. The campaign raised 6,901,864 yen (about US$63,000) from 397 backers: 276% of its 2,500,000 yen (about US$22,100) goal. The campaign reached its 4,000,000 yen (about US$35,300) stretch goal to create a one-minute video (the original goal was for a 30-second video).

Kuramerukagari adapts Ryohgo Narita's novella that was made available for those who backed the project at the "Rental Shop" tier (12,000 yen, or about US$110).

Twin Engine's official Motion Gallery crowdfunding campaign for the film launched in April 2020, and it aimed to raise 20 million yen (about US$188,000) to fund a film at least 40 minutes long. The campaign ended in August 2020 with 8,798,500 yen (about US$79,513).

Source: Press release