A special animation was released by Japanese confectionery company Lotte on Monday (February 1) as a commercial for their Ghana chocolate. The video, entitled "Ghana Gift," features a collaboration with Japanese music artists Eve and suis from Yorushika.  

Eve x suis from Yorushika's New Song "Heikousen" Features in 'Gift' Animation

The animation was directed by Nobutaka Yoda and written by Genki Kawamura, with character design by Kiyotaka Oshiyama. With the pandemic, it has become difficult to see loved ones and friends and many of us are unable to express our feelings to these special people in our lives directly. Lotte created the animation to promote the gift of giving this Valentine's Day as a way of conveying ties to loved ones. The animation is 30 seconds long but a 4-minute version will be released in the near future.  

The Animation's Story

The story follows two children, a high schooler and middle schooler, who are neighbours. Both of them throw paper planes to each other with messages written on them to go shopping, make chocolate, and hang out. But the day before Valentine's Day, we find out the girl has to move away, but before she does, she gives the boy chocolate. The two of them were always together, but they never expressed their love for each other.   The 30-second version can be viewed on YouTube and the official website.  

Ghana Gift Twitter Campaign

Ghana launched a retweet campaign on Twitter on Monday where 130 lucky people can win a selection of prizes. Check out the details below.   Campaign - How to Join 1. Follow Ghana on Twitter @ghana-recipe 2. Retweet the daily campaign Tweet   Prizes A-Tier Prize: Heikousan Limited Edition CD + 5 Ghana Milk Chocolates (30 People) B-Tier Prize: 2 each of Ghana Milk, Ghana Black, Ghana White, Roast Milk, and Ghana Pink Chocolate (100 People)   Running: February 1, 2021 - February 14, 2021 *Winners will be DM'd on Twitter. Shipping in Japan only from mid March 2021.

A Whisker Away (Nakitai Watashi wa Neko wo Kaburu) is the second original anime feature film from Studio Colorido. The studio’s first feature film Penguin Highway released in August 2018 to critical acclaim (August 2018 release) and went on to win the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year as well as the Axis: The Satoshi Kon Award for Excellence in Animation award at Fantasia International Film Festival for the best-animated feature. The film is being co-directed by Junichi Sato (Sailor Moon; Princess Tutu) and Tomotaka Shibayama, the latter making his debut as the director of a feature length film. The screenplay is being written by screenwriter Mari Okada (AnoHana; Black Butler; O Maidens in Your Savage Season). A new promotional video has been released featuring the ending song Uso Tsuki by Yorushika who are also performing the main theme Hana ni Bourei (Flower for the Dead) and insert song Yakou (Walking in the Night).   Yorushika - "Uso Tsuki" x "A Whisker Away"

The video showcases scenes with Hinode and Taro, and even a scene with Muge holding Hinode's hand. The ending song by Yorushika adds another layer to the scenes with its melancholic lyrics and melody.  

Yorushika | Comment

n-buna (Guitarist/Composer)We are a band that creates music based off the concept of a work, so we were concerned on how far we should express the outlook of this film, but we had no reason to be worried. We felt reassured when the director said to us on our first meeting with him that we could do as we liked. One concept from our next album is the feeling between transitioning from spring to early summer, which we thought didn't stray from the film, so we continued writing in the way that we were at the time. All three of the songs we came up with is themed inside a town inside a memory.   'Hana ni Bourei'... a ghost is pretty much just a memory, so this song is about looking at a memory of flowers blooming in the summer.'Yakou'... the 'night' which we're talking about here is the night of life. Becoming an adult, forgetting things, heading towards death. These things have replaced nighttime [as we know it].'Uso Tsuki'... it means liar. The lyrics are laced with lines from [Japanese poet] Ozaki Hōsai.   suis (Vocals)I love animated movies, so I am overjoyed and excited that Yorushika will be heard during the credit roll of one! At the same time, I felt it my goal to make everyone at the end of the film cry, so I wanted to make sure I sang a good song.   *Comments translated from Japanese by MMN   © 2020 「泣きたい私は猫をかぶる」製作委員会

A Whisker Away (Nakitai Watashi wa Neko wo Kaburu) is the second original anime feature film from Studio Colorido. The studio’s first feature film Penguin Highway released in August 2018 to critical acclaim (August 2018 release) and went on to win the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year as well as the Axis: The Satoshi Kon Award for Excellence in Animation award at Fantasia International Film Festival for the best-animated feature.   The film is being co-directed by Junichi Sato (Sailor Moon; Princess Tutu) and Tomotaka Shibayama, the latter making his debut as the director of a feature length film. The screenplay is being written by screenwriter Mari Okada (AnoHana; Black Butler; O Maidens in Your Savage Season). A new illustration has been released in collaboration with Japanese illustrator mojacookie which features the artist's popular character Shikaru Neko and Tarou from A Whisker Away.   In A Whisker Away, Muge receives a mask which when worn turns her into a cat. She uses this to get close to Hinode, the boy she likes, and also finds herself swept into the feline world. While viewers wait in excited anticipation for the release of the film, mojacookie's character Shikaru Neko ("Scolding Cat"), which was first posted on Twitter, has been appointed as a "Support Member" for A Whisker Away. Shikaru Neko is known for his many facial expressions, which are both angry but loving. He only scolds you because he loves you and is looking out for you.   mojacookie, the illustrator, praised A Whisker Away. "I was spellbound straight away. I found myself completely immersed in the film's world," they said. "The way they did made the cats look and the gestures are realistic. In the scene when the cats appear, I just wanted to ruffle their fluff!"   More collaboration content from mojacookie is set to roll out over on the official website for A Whisker Away, so be sure to check it out in the run up to the film's release.   © 2020 「泣きたい私は猫をかぶる」製作委員会

Nakitai Watashi wa Neko wo Kaburu is the second original anime feature film from Studio Colorido. The studio’s first feature film Penguin Highway released in August 2018 to critical acclaim (August 2018 release) and went on to win the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year as well as the Axis: The Satoshi Kon Award for Excellence in Animation award at Fantasia International Film Festival for the best-animated feature.   The film is being co-directed by Junichi Sato (Sailor Moon; Princess Tutu) and Tomotaka Shibayama, the latter making his debut as the director of a feature length film. The screenplay is being written by screenwriter Mari Okada (AnoHana; Black Butler; O Maidens in Your Savage Season). A new batch of images have been officially released featuring new shots of Muge as a cat and the secret cat world she lives in. Miyo Sasaki (voiced by Mirai Shida) is a 2nd year middle schooler a little different from the rest, and whose classmates called her “Muge” which is short for Mugendai Nazo Ningen in Japanese which roughly translates to “Infinitely Puzzling Human.” She’s head-over-heels for her classmates Kento Hinode (Natsuki Hanae), who she boldly tries to attack every day, but he pays her no attention. But she’s not discouraged and continues to approach him. She also has a big secret she can’t tell anyone about. The reason for Muge not giving up on her situation with Hinode is thanks to a mysterious mask she received from a cat shop owner which allows the wearer to turn into a cat. Muge uses this power to turn into a cat every day to visit Hinode’s house. Muge tries to approach her classmate Hinode every single day, but he’s at that point in his youth where he doesn’t know what road he should take in life. He’s into ceramics, loves cooking, and has a cute side too as he nicknames the cat that Muge transforms into “Taro.” Will his heart change for better of for worse if he finds out Muge’s secret?   New details have been revealed for some of the other cats we will meet along the way. Eri Kitamura (Fairy Tail; Bakemonogatari; Toradora!) will voice Kinako, a female cat that lives in the same house as Muge and is owned by her father's fiance. Shinichiro Miki (Pokémon; Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood; My Hero Academia) will voice Kakinuma, a reliable cat that Muge meets on the island of cats. Rei Sakuma (Ranma ½) will voice Tamaki who warns Muge to return to the human world immediately. Oolongta Yoshida will voice Sugita who shows Muge around cat island when she arrives. Fukushi Ochiai will voice Hajime who worries about Muge to the point of tears.   ©2020 “Nakitai Watashi wa Neko wo Kaburu” Production Committee

Nakitai Watashi wa Neko wo Kaburu is the second original anime feature film from Studio Colorido. The studio’s first feature film Penguin Highway released in August 2018 to critical acclaim (August 2018 release) and went on to win the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year as well as the Axis: The Satoshi Kon Award for Excellence in Animation award at Fantasia International Film Festival for the best-animated feature.   The film is set to release worldwide on Netflix on June 18, 2020. Miyo Sasaki (voiced by Mirai Shida) is a 2nd year middle schooler a little different from the rest, and whose classmates called her “Muge” which is short for Mugendai Nazo Ningen in Japanese which roughly translates to “Infinitely Puzzling Human.” She’s head-over-heels for her classmates Kento Hinode (Natsuki Hanae), who she boldly tries to attack every day, but he pays her no attention. But she’s not discouraged and continues to approach him. She also has a big secret she can’t tell anyone about. The reason for Muge not giving up on her situation with Hinode is thanks to a mysterious mask she received from a cat shop owner which allows the wearer to turn into a cat. Muge uses this power to turn into a cat every day to visit Hinode’s house.   The film is being co-directed by Junichi Sato (Sailor Moon; Princess Tutu) and Tomotaka Shibayama, the latter making his debut as the director of a feature length film. The screenplay is being written by screenwriter Mari Okada (AnoHana; BlackButler; O Maidens in Your Savage Season).   A new selection of shots from the film have been released showcasing the film's characters. Mirai Shida, who voices Muge, said of her character: "She's a really great girl to watch since she expresses her feelings honestly, something which you don't see much of these days." Muge is the kind of character you'll root for without even realising it as she shows the gap between putting on a face when around friends at school and being who you really are at home in your bedroom. Muge tries to approach her classmate Hinode every single day, but he's at that point in his youth where he doesn't know what road he should take in life. He's into ceramics, loves cooking, and has a cute side too as he nicknames the cat that Muge transforms into "Taro." Will his heart change for better of for worse if he finds out Muge's secret?   Natsuki Hanae, who voices Hinode, spoke of a highlight of his character as: "...how his feelings change from that of a single boy into a young man." Muge receives her mysterious mask from the owner of a cat shop who visits her from time to time and shows her the ropes of living as a cat. Kōichi Yamadera, who voices the cat, said the role was a lot of fun to play. Minako Kotobuki will voice Yoriko Fukase, a close friend of Muge's who always shows concern for her. Kensho Ono will voice Masamichi Isami who does school activities with Hinode. Both Yoriko and Masamichi are important friends to the two main characters who always lend a hand when they find themselves in a pinch. Hiroaki Ogi will voice Muge and Hinode's homeroom teacher, Mr. Kusunoki (name reading not confirmed).   ©2020 “Nakitai Watashi wa Neko wo Kaburu” Production Committee

The upcoming anime film Nakitai Watashi wa Neko wo Kaburu was originally scheduled to be released on June 5, 2020, but it was revealed earlier this week that its release date had to be postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.   However, those who were looking forward to the film's release will be over the moon to hear that it is set to hit Netflix worldwide on June 18, 2020. Nakitai Watashi wa Neko wo Kaburu is the second original anime feature film from Studio Colorido. The studio’s first feature film Penguin Highway released in August 2018 to critical acclaim (August 2018 release) and went on to win the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year as well as the Axis: The Satoshi Kon Award for Excellence in Animation award at Fantasia International Film Festival for the best-animated feature.   The film's staff decided that in these current turbulent times, the power entertainment is something that we all need right now, and so made the decision to release it on Netflix.   Trailer

  The voice actors for the film's two main characters made the following comments with regards to the Netflix release. The comments have been translated from Japanese.  

Mirai Shida | Comment

"The decision has been made to move the film's release from the cinema to Netflix. Many different films and works are having their release dates postponed right now, so it was decided that the movie be safely delivered to everyone who had been looking forward to it. I'm relived and overjoyed. Right now, we can't go outside, and there's a lot of restrictions on our lives. I believe that entertainment is one way we can have fun."   She continues: "And with everyone here to watch it, I feel that the film is truly complete. This wasn't how we originally intended to release the film, but I want lots of people to watch it, even if it's just one. Finally, this film is full to the brim showing people's warmth and caring about one another, so I hope it makes you all all feel better, even just a little."  

Natsuki Hanae | Comment

"Nakitai Watashi wa Neko wo Kaburu is now releasing on Netflix instead of in the cinema. It's a shame you won't get to see it at the cinema, but with all of us at home a lot now, I think releasing it digitally for everyone is a good thing. Nakineko is a film about the importance of feelings between people, conveying feelings, and having the courage to step forward. It's a wonderful film that I want people of all generations to enjoy while they think of those who are precious to them. Look forward to watching it on Netflix!"   © 2020 "Nakitai Watashi wa Neko wo Kaburu" Production Committee