Tokyo Animation Business Accelerator:
Project Outline

Tokyo is home to a thriving animation industry, but much of its highly creative output is unknown outside of Japan. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government wants to change all that. And that's why support has been given to the efforts of these very creative teams and why the Tokyo animation industry has been promoted to join MIFA. It is possible to open the door to an entire colorful range of Tokyo talent that has not been represented in the global animation market. Unique and technically outstanding, they have so much to offer. Please take this chance to work with them!

Top Prize Winner

Cryptid Chaos

Synopsis

"Cryptid House" is a shared house where cryptids and mystery hunters live together in lively harmony. Witches, Yetis, and even a bear parasitized by an alien—the residents are as unique as they come, and their lives are anything but ordinary and always filled with vibrant energy. Living among them is Kitaru, a young boy raised by a Tengu (Mystical moutain spirit from Eastern Legends). In this shared house where the occult and the everyday blend, another day of unpredictable chaos and cheerful commotion unfolds...!?

Comment

The occult and cryptids have been beloved themes in anime, manga, and movies for many years. I myself have been fascinated by occult works since childhood, and they've been the foundation of my creative endeavors. Through this series, I hope to spark children's interest in the occult and inspire their creativity and curiosity. Through the story of a shared house where humans and unidentified creatures live together, I hope viewers can naturally grasp the importance of respecting diversity and individuality.

Credit

Planning, Design & Direction: Atsuhito Seki

Creator Profile

Atsuhito Seki

Concept Artist / Director
Atsuto Seki is a concept artist specializing in visual design for animation and games. From 2009 to 2024, he was affiliated with Kanaban Graphics, contributing to works such as "Usavich" and "Inazma Delivery." He also served as an art director, handling numerous character designs. Since 2024, he has been working as a freelance artist. While capable of adapting to a wide range of styles, his strength lies in pop and colorful designs.

Company Contact

Website: https://atsuhito-works.format.com/

Prize Winner

Kitten head

Synopsis

This is a story about the everyday adventures of a protagonist and his friends with a kitten atop their heads.

Welcome to Nekojara City, a town somewhere in Japan.
It's a place where cats live comfortably the same as humans.
The reason? The children of this town each have a kitten affectionately attached to their heads.
These "My own kitten" mysteriously disappear by the time the children reach adulthood.
Therefore, the children cherish their days, enjoying life to the fullest with their fleeting "My own kitten."

Our protagonist, Emil, is a boy filled with curiosity, though he can be a tad absentminded.
Perched on his head is Nya-ta, a whimsical and playfully mischievous kitten.
The children spend their days playing with their head-kittens, forging close friendships, and sometimes engaging in lighthearted squabbles.
Their lives weave together a heartwarming and playfully chaotic kitten-head comedy!"

Comment

Kitten Heads is a fantasy-filled work where children, through their interactions with the kitten ‘My own kitten’ atop their heads, come into contact with their own and others’ inner selves. ‘My own kitten’, while being a part of themselves, cannot be fully controlled by them. Recognizing and interacting with their ‘My own kitten’, even when they quarrel, leads to self-acceptance.

Through this work, we hope to provide children with an opportunity to realize that ‘loving oneself is a wonderful thing.

Credit

Director: Ryoji Masuyama
Character Design: Alex Nova
Series composition/Script: Takashi Masuyama
Producer: Koji Nishizawa
Production: S.o.K LLC

Creator Profile

S.o.K LLC

S.o.K is an animation production company with a unique perspective and technology that transcends conventional frameworks. We are passionate about creating intense energy through creative inspiration, bringing profound emotion and surprise to our viewers, and aim to become a world-renowned creative collective.

Company Contact

Address: 1F Kichijo Building, 2-31-28 Kichijoji Honcho, Musashino-shi, Tokyo, Japan
Website: https://sok-llc.com/

Prize Winner

REKKA

Synopsis

Arata, a young researcher of ancient civilizations who lost his family in a devastating earthquake, was pursuing the 'Oni Colossus: Susanoo' he witnessed amidst his despair.
Through his investigations, he learned the fact that Susanoo was resurrected by a certain organization and caused the massive earthquake.
He also discovered that there existed the sole entity capable of opposing Susanoo, the 'Dragon Colossus: Rekka.

Arata visits a shrine where the legend of Rekka remains and encounters Kei, a shrine maiden. Inside a cave at the inner shrine, he sees depictions of Rekka and Susanoo battling in the modern world. There, he also finds a ritual inscribed, detailing how to awaken Rekka by offering soul resonance.

Susanoo's full revival is imminent.
Can the two awaken Rekka?
And can they ignite a beacon of hope for humanity's future?

Comment

‘Susanoo vs. Yamata no Orochi’ from Japanese mythology.
What this story implies is a battle between a new power engaged in rice cultivation and an old power that reveres nature and engages in hunting and gathering, that is, a ‘battle in the chasm of civilizations.’
There, there is neither good nor evil. It is a battle between those who seek a light of hope.

If this ‘battle in the chasm of civilizations’ has been repeated since the distant past, and both the Mu and Atlantis continents perished as a result of the conclusion of the titanic gods’ battles…

I want to depict a light of hope for humanity, lit in the midst of despair in the modern age.

Credit

Original Story: Ichiro Itano
General Director: Kazuya Konaka
Director: Naoki Ao
Giant God Design: Shoma Muto
Produce: Konyoshi Co., Ltd.

Creator Profile

Konyoshi Co., Ltd.

Founded over 50 years ago in Tokamachi City, Niigata Prefecture, a town known for its textiles.
In 2021, the company began its operations as a CG video studio.
In 2023, the theatrical film "Sylvanian Families: Flare's Gift," which the company produced as the primary contractor, was released nationwide.
Working alongside video creation advisor Ichiro Itano, we are updating animation direction cultivated in Japan with the latest tools, producing a wide range of works, including theatrical films, game videos, commercials, and music videos.

Company Contact

Address: 3-40-2 Matsubara, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Website: https://www.kon-yoshi.co.jp/

Prize Winner

The Taste of Water

Synopsis

With the hope of finding the meaning behind the illusive phrase so often describing sake as “water,” young manga artist Ohkado sets off on a journey through the sake world in Japan.

From the basics of sake production through its history, cultural impact and current crises, Ohkado travels with his animated and snarky friend Kobo-kun as they learn.

As one might imagine from an idiom like “the taste of water,” sake too is multifaceted, fluid, and colorful in ways that bind both humanity and the soul.

This is a wholesome animated documentary targeting adults which blends entertainment and education to introduce an iconic piece of Japanese culture in the world of sake.

Comment

I was born in America and raised in numerous countries, finally having settled in Japan some 25 years ago. What I find unique about Japanese culture is how it cherishes and elevates the little things - daily occurrences that would otherwise be taken for granted are noted and given special status here in Japan.
For example, the micro-seasons, the weather, textures and flavors; these are all turned into something special simply by noting them and sharing them with others.
A single cup of sake, therefore, is more than just a drink. It symbolizes history, technique, a network of artisans, and gratitude towards the ever-flowing cycle of nature that is refined to create it.
Therin lies the meaning of the taste of water - simplicity elevated so that it becomes a source of camaraderie and appreciation.

Director - Ohkanda Riki

Credit

Director：Riki Ohkanda
Producer：Ryo Nakajima

Creator Profile

Supersub LLC

Supersub LLC, a video production company, was founded in 2020 by film director Ryo Nakajima. In 2024, their film "Who Said Death Was Beautiful?" received an official selection at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Equipped with a motion capture studio located in Nerima Ward, the company utilizes integrated production techniques that seamlessly blend live-action and animation to realize clients' creative visions.

Company Contact

5-33-10 Narita-Higashi, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 166-0015, Japan
Email: contact@mocap.co.jp
Website: https://supersub.mocap.co.jp

Prize Winner

Tao

Synopsis

In a paradise-like forest, a diminutive, agender teenager named Tao lived peacefully with the fluffy feline Luva creatures. However, one day, after pressing a mysterious button they discovered, Tao and their companions were thrown out into the outside world. It was there that Tao soon learned they were a resident of a tiny star encased in a glass marble-like object.

Spreading before They were a land ravaged by human conflicts, a desolate wasteland. The rulers, hoarding all resources, sought to destroy the villagers living in the forest. In this village, Tao encountered a young girl on the brink of death.

Traveling on, Tao, with their innocent heart, transformed the sorrow and weakness of the young girls. Using the forbidden power dwelling within their clan, they began to preserve and nurture the humans and the forests of the world.

And then, at the end of their journey, Tao would arrive at the secret of their own birth and the true nature of this world―

Comment

This is an adventure fantasy starring charming diminutive beings and animals.

We are pursuing a warm and innovative visual style by combining Japan's unique 2D animation techniques with cutting-edge 3D technology.

The story portrays Tao, who has lived a life of peace, confronting an irrational world created by humans.

Our aim is for viewers to become aware of the issues facing modern society through the narrative, empathize with Tao's relentlessly positive spirit, and find a sense of hope.

Credit

Original Story, Screenplay, Director: Mitsuhiro Taniguchi
Screenplay Cooperation: Jun Furuta, Oni Puccino
Producers: Aya Kohzumi, Hideaki Harada
Concept Artist: Sumire Abe
Modeling: Kou Kinno
Production Manager: Ryusei Shimamura
Production: TETRA Inc.

Creator Profile

TETRA Inc.

Established in August 2007, we are a CG content and animation studio. We engage in a diverse range of video production, including live-action compositing, full CG, game cinematics, and animation. With a collaborative approach between artists and engineers, we have developed a production system that leverages our unique technologies, and we are continually advancing our motion capture studio and technology development. In the autumn of 2024, we launched an original project development team, aiming to create unique and visually stunning experiences by fusing Japanese 2D animation with our in-house developed 3DCG.

Company Contact

3F Maruyasu Machinery Building
2-13-14 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-0013, Japan
contact@tetra-inc.com
https://tetra-inc.com/