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Gonzo, Trigger, Pierrot, Madhouse Make Anime Mirai 2013

On Thursday, the Anime Mirai project announced the four studios that will each receive 38 million yen (about US$480,000) from the "2012 Young Animator Training Project" to make half-hour anime. Just like the last two years, the Japan Animation Creators Association (JAniCA) received money from the Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs, and it will distribute most of those funds to studios who will train young animators on-the-job this year.

A record 18 production companies submitted proposal bids for the funds. The following projects were selected:

GONZO
Director: Koichi Chigira
Producer: Shinichirō Ishikawa
Title: "Ryo"

Trigger
Director: Yoh Yoshinari
Producer: Naoko Tsutsumi
Title: "Little Witch Academia"

Pierrot
Director: Kenji Mutō
Producer: Manyo Oshikiri
Title: "TV Kazoku Channel Jacker" (TV Family Channel Hijacker)

Madhouse
Director: Yuzuru Tachikawa
Producer: Takuya Tsunoki
Title: "Death Billiards"

One of the reasons that the Agency for Cultural Affairs is supporting this initiative is the concern that more of the Japanese animation process is being outsourced overseas — thus leading to a decline in opportunities to teach animation techniques within Japan.

The trailers for the previous years' projects are streaming online:

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[Via Masahiko Otsuka]