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Pikachin-Kit Children's Multimedia Project Unveiled With Anime, Manga
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
Shogakukan opened a website on Tuesday to reveal the launch of a new multimedia project titled Pochitto Hatsumei: Pikachin-Kit (Pochi and Invention: Pikachin-Kit). The franchise includes toys, planned anime and manga projects, a YouTube video series, and a variety program. The November issue of Shogakukan's Coro Coro Comics magazine is revealing more details about the franchise on Friday.
The concept of the franchise is "invention is 99% plastic models, 1% inspiration."
The plastic model toys will launch starting in January, and the manga will launch in the December issue of Coro Coro Comics, which will ship in mid-November. Another manga will run at the same time in Bessatsu Coro Coro Comics.
The television anime will premiere in Japan on January 6 at 9:30 a.m. on TV Tokyo and its affiliates. The anime will feature staff who have worked on the Pokémon and Yo-kai Watch franchises. Bandai is credited with the original plan, and Ryūichi Murata is directing the series at OLM and Shinei Animation. Amazon is credited with production cooperation. Yoichi Kato (Aikatsu! all four series, Duel Masters) is handling the series composition, and publisher Gakken is credited as the "inspiration adviser." Each anime episode will also have a live-action segment featuring the "stupid invention troupe Pikachins." Europa Planning is in charge of the variety part of the show.
The anime centers on a fifth-year elementary student named Eiji Tōmatsu, and his "inspiration" buddy, a dog named Pochirō. One day Eiji finds a mysterious book called the "Pikachin Research Book," and learns about the seven tools that make up the Pikachin Kit. Eiji presses a button inside the research book, and immediately a "Future Amazon" delivery arrives at his door with the kit. Eiji uses the blueprints included in the box to assemble the kit, but it seems as though 1% part of the kit is still missing.
In the franchise, the word "Pikachin" means the flash of inspiration or insight one gets about a new project, similar to the visual of a lightbulb turning on above one's head when someone has an idea.
The YouTube video series launched in July, and the videos feature "Pikachins" who explain the charm of inventing, and give detailed information from the conception to the completion of an invention.
The live-action variety program titled Pikatto Kaiketsu: PIkachin Hunter premiered on TV Tokyo and its affiliates on Saturday and the show airs weekly at 9:30 a.m.
Update: Added more details about franchise concept, anime/live-action program, and story. Source: PR Times
Disclosure: Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings Inc., is a non-controlling, minority shareholder in Anime News Network Inc.
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