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Manga Productions, Toei, NEOM Team Up for 2nd Season of Future's Folktales Animated Series
posted on by Adriana Hazra
Manga Productions announced on December 22 that it has entered a partnership agreement with NEOM for the production of the second season of its and Toei Animation's Future Folktales (Asatir: Mirai no Mukashibanashi or Asateer -- Future's Folktales) animated television series. The first season of the animated series streamed and aired on 19 regional and international platforms and has reached an international viewership of 70 million.
The company is also conducting an international competition for prop designs for the second season of the series. The new season of the series will take place in NEOM, which is a planned smart city in Saudi Arabia.
HIDIVE streamed the first season in North America. Sentai Filmworks licensed the series and plans to release it on home video.
The series premiered in Japan on J Tele on April 4, and had 13 episodes.
The series' story is set in Riyadh in the year 2050, and centers on a grandmother named Asmaa telling folktales from the Arabian Peninsula to her three grandchildren.
The cast includes:
- Masako Nozawa as Asmaa
- Naomi Ōzora as Maha
- Sachiko Kojima as Rayan
- Megumi Urawa as Sultan
Manga Productions streamed a teaser trailer in November 2017 for "The Woodcutter's Treasure," its first collaboration with Toei Animation. The project is a 25-minute animation based on Saudi Arabian folklore and aimed at children and families, and it served as a pilot for a television series. The company stated in November 2017 that it has two upcoming projects with Toei Animation: a 13-episode television series and a 90-minute film.
Manga Productions and Toei Animation announced in February 2020 that they have finished their animated collaboration film The Journey.
Manga Productions is a subsidiary of the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Foundation, also known as MiSK, and named for Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. The company aims to create animation, comic, and video game projects to "promote Saudi ideas and messages internationally." MiSK signed a memorandum with Japan's Digital Hollywood University in October 2017 to train Saudi designers and programmers in creating animation and games. The same company plans to purchase a majority stake in Japanese game developer SNK.
Source: Press release
