Shopping Guide
**Linking CHIKA*CHIKA IDOL with Symphonium**
— Nishikiori, you’ve been involved in so many anime productions, when you’re thinking about the schemes which already exist in Japan, as a creator have you ever felt any difficulties or limitations?
N: Anime has been created in various ways up until now. Toy companies made anime to promote their toys or manga publishers wanted the publicity to sell more manga. Many of these anime were produced through TV channels or agencies. Slowly, that began to change - manufacturers wanting to sell their videos started to make anime as promotional material. From now on, I think it will be more that you’ll be able to watch them through video sharing sites and streaming services on the internet. When this trend really gets going, you will have to conform to the demands of viewers watching on the internet including in terms of production numbers and broadcast times.
— In response to the change in viewing habits, anime is also changing.
N: It’s normal in the anime of today that it’s easy to see and easy to buy (merchandise and DVDs). However, I think we’re entering the phase of the next revolution. When talking about CHIKA*CHIKA IDOL, the aim of our company is “to optimize a method of delivery and the method of sharing tailored to modern viewers,” so that’s what we want to do with this project.
— What was the purpose for creating your company, and the reason you wanted to make CHIKA*CHIKA IDOL?
H: Of course, we want people to watch our work, but other than the currently running CHIKA*CHIKA IDOL four-panel manga, we might also have live shows and, including developments outside of the anime, I think it’ll all become one big entertainment franchise. However, if you apply this discussion focussed on anime to the modern era, it might be a contradiction. You broadcast the anime for free on TV, then a small number of the audience buy the Blu-ray disc supporting the anime production scene. This business model has reached its limit. However, people still want to watch anime. They still like anime.
— There is a demand, but supply is difficult.
H: We’re hoping it’ll get shared so more people can see it. Therefore we want people who’ve got the means to support us. We’ve set up various rewards corresponding to the investment amount on the crowdfunding sites, but as far as we go, just the sentiment is enough. In response to the money that we receive, we intend to go all out. As creators, that is no burden or excessive work, even from the point of view of the audience, I don’t think it’s burdensome. Maybe even just giving your support makes you happy so there’s the possibility that supporting in itself becomes a form of entertainment. By doing this, “we will send out all over the world an anime which has been supported by our audience” so that CHIKA*CHIKA IDOL and its “fan-supported idols” will start to grow.
— The project and the product have parallel lives, don’t they?
H: Strangely they overlap (laughs). Our sphere of activity, if you can call it that, is the same as the position of the Chika Idols. With everyone’s support we can give some money to the creators wavering because of the low wage problem and put out a product. Between creators and fans there’s no real middle ground. I think this model is the most appropriate.
— It’s almost like a shareholder and employee relationship.
N: It’s a system in which the supporters can feel happy when they invest money to support the creators. I think this pattern of exchanging goods and money will become the next business model. More than the monetary amount, as the supporters’ names are credited on the finished product, I want the supporters to feel proud and say, “This is something we got made with our own power.”
— The project’s production and the movie’s development are well on the way, right?
N: The CHIKA*CHIKA IDOL cast members are thinking about how they want to sing for so many people. With that and the singing in mind, we keep thinking about how we want people throughout the world to see our work. We want to show to the people in the anime industry that we can build this model of collecting money and sharing our work from scratch with our own hands.