When the Asa Higuchi seinen baseball manga adapted Ookiku Furikabutte TV animation debuts on TBS April 12th, it will mark the debut project for newly established in-house Aniplex production unit A-1 Pictures.
First established in 2005, the studio’s goal is to produce high quality anime film properties. Known also as A1P, Aniplex will work with the company on various projects although it’s mentioned the new studio will be open to other companies to develop their works. Progress of further production technology centering on digitalization is expected.
The HQ office location is in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward. Representative director is Shigekazu Takeuchi and A-1’s startup capital was 100 million Yen wholly invested by Aniplex. Confirmed staff on Ookiku Furikabutte are Director Tsutomu Mizushima (xxx HOLiC), Script Writer Yousuke Kuroda (Honey And Clover) and Character Designer Takahiko Yoshida.
The original comic is serialized in Kodansha’s Afternoon, 8 collected volumes now exist on the Japanese market. The manga has sold over 2.15 million copies in Japan. One of the 1st stills from the anime was released to the media this week and can be seen right. Yonaga Tsubasa will voice hero Ren Mihashi, Nakamura Yuuichi voices Takaya Abe.
Main Characters
Ren Mihashi is the series’s protagonist. A pitcher. He is a left-hander. Uniform number is 1. He was born on May 17 and his blood type is AB. His height is 165cm and weight is 52kg (when he first entered high school). He is an only child, with both of his parents alive.
Abe Takaya is the teams catcher, and also one of their better batters. His skills as a catcher were developed during middle school, when he played in the Seniors league. Abe was paired with a talented pitcher named Haruna, whose pitches were so hard and lacking in control that he was constantly covered in bruises.
(おおきく振りかぶって)
