Shopping Guide
2013 and 2014 saw a sharp rise in the number of TV anime. With many series also already announced for this year, it seems this trend is still continuing. We are surely entering an era of great success for TV anime.
In the midst of this, an extraordinarily unique TV anime will broadcast in 2016. The series is titled 6HP Six Hearts Princess. This anime project has been progressing for some time between Takashi Murakami, an artist known worldwide, and company Kaikai Kiki which is managing the project.
Murakami is well known for his sculptures, paintings, and illustrations that make use of Japanese pop culture. Many have been drawn to the series for its unexpected themes. Interest in Murakami’s work has deepened in recent years, and he gained popularity with the release of his directorial debut, Jellyfish Eyes, in 2013.
The announcement regarding the TV anime broadcast was also done in an unorthodox way. The announcement came in the form of a full-page advertisement on the back cover of the February issue of Bijutsu Techo, a long-running periodical about modern art that hit shelves on Jan. 17. Countless anime appear in the unprecedented “Robot Design” special feature in the February issue. This includes 6HP Six Hearts Princess. The front cover features Gundam, while 6HP is on the back.
Written in small font in the background of the advertisement visual created by JNTHED is the phrase “6HP Six Hearts Princess An Anime TV series to be aired in 2016 by Takashi Murakami.” It also appears that Kaikai Kiki, Studio Poncotan, and Genshimon will be working on the anime, and their names are written side-by-side on the advertisement. Cooperating on the project is mebae, a creator well-known for Tailenders, and the ad also shows the following copyright: © Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All right reserved.
The listing may be complicated, but Kaikai Kiki, Studio Poncotan, and Genshimon are each companies related to Murakami. It may be safe to say that Murakami is spearheading this TV anime series. In addition to it being a rare anime by this contemporary artist, another interesting highlight will be how it’s produced, being that Murakami openly questions the production system of commercial Japanese anime.
Of course, fans are most interested in the anime itself. Up till now, Murakami had released the title Six Hearts Princess and its concept, both of which reference the conventions and culture of Japan’s magical girl anime and have gathered attention for looking like an anime for young girls. By the way, the advertisement visual released features a samurai that looks like an android or possibly a yokai. The visual brings together sci-fi, fantasy, and traditional Japanese samurai art. Because it looks so vastly different, a point of interest is how it is connected to the ongoing Six Hearts Princess project.
The illustration was created by JNTHED, an artist living in Tokyo who is well-known as the mechanical designer on Metal Gear Acid and Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. In addition to cooperating on Murakami’s Jellyfish Eyes and its sequel Jellyfish Eyes 2 as an art designer, JNTHED has also been confirmed as the mechanical designer on 6HP Six Hearts Princess. It has been revealed on his official site that he is in charge of world design and mechanical design on the 6HP project. It’s clear that JNTHED has a big role in the project.
Mysteries abound regarding the start of the 2016 broadcast of 6HP Six Hearts Princess. Now we’ll have to wait in anticipation for something more to happen.
6HP Six Hearts Princess
Character Design/Animation Director: mebae
CG Animation Director: Musashi Miura (Studio Poncotan)
Editing: Yumi Nonoichiya
Production: Studio Poncotan
Planning/Original Draft/Director: Takashi Murakami
Source: animeanime
