Interest

16th Paralympics Anime Short Adapts Kimi to Kogu Novel By Sound! Euphonium Author

The 16th installment of the NHK's "Anime x Para: Who is Your Hero?" (Ani × Para: Anata no Hero wa Dare Desu ka) animated project is an adaptation of Sound! Euphonium author Ayano Takeda's Kimi to Kogu - Nagatoro Kōkō Canoe-bu (Rowing With You - Nagatoro High School Canoeing Club) novel series.

The novel's story centers on a high school canoeing club with only four members but still aims for the inter-high competition. In the anime, the Nagatoro High School Canoeing Club visits a practice ground in Tokyo's Koto ward. As they paddle together, the four members learn about the differences between paracanoeing. They realize that they have a true passion for canoeing.

The voice cast includes:

• Ayane Sakura as Japanese paracanoe athlete Monika Seryu
• Former Hinatazaka46 member Miho Watanabe as beginner canoeing club member Maina Kurobe
• Ai Kakuma as canoeing club member Kie Tsurumi
• Marina Inoue as canoeing club member Erika Yūbetsu

-otoha- will perform the theme song "if no Mermaid" ("A What-if Mermaid").

The anime will air on the NHK BS1 channel on March 12 at 6:45 p.m. JST (4:45 a.m. EDT).

"Anime x Para: Who is Your Hero?" is an animated series aiming to increase interest in parasports ahead of the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Previous shorts in the series collaborated with Captain Tsubasa for blind soccer, Baby Steps for wheelchair tennis, renowned Ashita no Joe artist Tetsuya Chiba for wheelchair rugby, and Yowamushi Pedal for para-cycling, among others. The project started in 2017.

Sources: NHK, Comic Natalie