NHK’s new live-action TV series, Natsuzora, will be taking a look at the early days of Japan’s animation industry. It is part of the network’s 100 years of anime celebrations.

Of course, to get some historical accuracy, they had to tap a few animation veterans who have worked on two prestigious animation studios. They are Hitomi Tateno and Youichi Kotabe. Tateno is a Studio Ghibli beteran, having performed animation checks on several Ghibli films, including My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away. Meanwhile, Kotabe has worked for Toei Animation since 1959. His most notable work is as character designer for the classic anime, Heidi, Girl of the Alps. Tateno will be working on the series as animation supervisor, while Kotabe will be the series’ history consultant.

Hitomi Kariya will be directing the series, as well as serve as character designer and key animator for its animated ED credits. Toei Animation and Sasayuri will be working with the show to produce its other animated sequences.

The series will star Chihayafuru’s Suzu Hirose, and it will air via NHK from April -September 2019, with a 156-episode run. This new TV series will take a look at how anime started out in Japan after World War II. The story will follow Hirose as a girl living in rural Hokkaido, where she becomes interested in animation. Because of this, she decides to move to Tokyo to find work in Japan’s budding animation industry.The TV series about the rise of anime follows a nine-year-old girl named Natsu Okuhara. After losing both parents and getting separated from her siblings during World War II, Takeo Shibata, a dairy farmer, takes her in. And while in elementary, she meets a boy named Tenyou Yamada, who is an excellent artist. He introduces her to cartoons, and this leaves an impression on the young Natsu. Tenyou then tells her that he dreams of moving to Tokyo to study art. Because of this, she also begins thinking about her own future as well. And after a few years, Natsu decides to go to Tokyo and pursue a career in Animation.

source: Comic Natalie