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It has been confirmed that the TV anime Eikoku Ikka, Nihon o Taberu will begin broadcasting on NHK General TV on April 16. Also, coming before the broadcast, on Sunday, April 12 the show will be distributed to overseas audiences on NHK World TV. The English title of the anime is Sushi and Beyond and it will be distributed on a worldwide scale.
The anime is based on the essay Sushi and Beyond by British travel and food journalist Michael Booth. Also making headlines is the fact that the director and character designer of the anime is Rareko who is well known for Yawaraka Sensha and other works. Handing animation production is Fanworks.
Director Rareko is known for his many short anime hits. It was recently announced that the DVD of his work Medamayaki no Kimi Itsu Tsubusu? will be released in March.
Fanworks, which is handling the animation production, has worked with director Rareko on many occasions. They are known for such popular works as Ganbare! Lulu Lolo and Cho-Bakuretsu I-Jigen Menko Battle Gigant Shooter Tsukasa.
Eikoku Ikka, Nihon o Taberu was published in April 2013 and gained popularity through word of mouth online. The sequel, Eikoku Ikka, Masumasu Nihon o Taberu, was published in May 2014, and currently more than 100,000 copies are in print. The book is about the author’s 100-day trip in Japan with his family to sample Japanese cuisine from north to south. It’s a unique essay.
In the TV anime adaptation, main character Michael becomes obsessed with Japanese cuisine after reading about it and travels to Japan with his wife Lissen and two kids, Ansger and Emil. They devour all kinds of Japanese cuisine to understand the flavors of Japan. The series features yakisoba (fried soba noodles), chanko (sumo stew), kani (crab) dashi broth from fine-dining restaurants, and other popular items. The story unfolds from the unique perspective of a foreigner and includes pictures and explanations of Japanese food.
Eikoku Ikka, Nihon o Taberu
Sunday, April 12 on NHK World TV
Rebroadcast: 21:10 - 21:30
Original Work: Sushi and Beyond by Michael Booth (Translated by Nobuko Teranishi)
Character Designer/Director: Rareko
Animation Production: Fanworks
Production: NHK Enterprises
Source: animeanime
