Production I.G Launches Kickstarter for Anime Short

Joseph Luster October 1, 2012

Some of the most interesting news to come out of anime in recent memory has been spreading around the Internet today, with the debut of a Kickstarter aiming to fund a 10-minute anime short. This isn’t just any anime short, though. Kick-Heart is a project from director Masaaki Yuasa (Tatami Galaxy, Mind Game) and Production I.G, and its success or failure will absolutely shape how similar efforts are handled.

Kick-Heart‘s Kickstarter page offers plenty of samples of what’s to come in the short, which tells the tale of love between a pro-wrestler named Romeo, and a nun named Juliet. The sample clip is energetic and exciting, and the page also includes a look at the color script, character designs, background designs, and info about the creative team.

Yuasa isn’t the only big name behind Kick-Heart. Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell, The Sky Crawlers) serves as project consultant, and his name should hopefully attract more attention to the Kickstarter, which has been doing nicely on its first day. The goal is to crowd-fund a total of $150,000, and at the time of this writing, it’s already sitting at nearly $35,000.

The fact that this funding is aimed at an English-speaking audience is just one of the intriguing facets of the Kickstarter. Dig the rewards while you’re at it. Some of the tier pricing may seem steep considering what you get—$30 gets you a digital download, $60 gets you a Blu-ray and extras, and so on—but this could pave an interesting path for the creation of anime without the interference of a production committee.

What do you think of Yuasa and Production I.G’s project? Anyone plan on putting some money toward it?