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Barnum Studio Develops Hoshi ni Negai o Anime (Update 2)

The anime production company Barnum Studio has revealed on its official blog that it is developing an anime called Hoshi ni Negai o ("Wish Upon a Star"). Barnum Studio was founded by Galaxy Angel producer Tetsuro Satomi, and it has worked on Kyōran Kazoku Nikki, Kemeko Deluxe!, sola, and the Devil May Cry television series. Miyuki Sawashiro (Di Gi Charat's Petit CHARAT, Galaxy Angel's Mint, Strike Witches' Perrine) will star as the lead character Hikari. Kyōko Hikami (Wedding Peach's title character, Di Gi Charat's Hikaru) will play Mari, and Tōru Ohkawa (Fullmetal Alchemist's Roy, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex's Saito) will play Romeo. Rokurō Naya (Zatch Bell's Nazonazo, Karas' Chief) and Kana Akutsu (Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino-'s Henrietta) round out the cast as Raven and the interviewer, respectively. Kazuya Ichikawa (Shadow Skill: Kuruda-ryu Kousatsu-hou no Himitsu director, Appleseed: Ex Machina CG layout and motion team leader) will direct the project.

The anime shares the same name as the Japanese version of "When You Wish Upon a Star," the song made famous by the Disney film Pinocchio. Barnum plans to provide more information on its new project in a month, when the next Comic Market convention takes place in Japan.

Update: According to various blog entries from Barnum, the project is an "experimental indie anime" produced with 3D computer graphics. One blog entry included the test image pictured at left. Unlike most of animated projects in Japan, the animation is being produced after the vocal dialogue has been recorded. The studio aimed to produce 100 Blu-ray Disc copies for sale at the Comic Market convention, but added more recently that more details will be provided later.

Update 2: One blog entry depicts the designs of the main characters. Hikari is a girl who enters a virtual space on the web with her own avatar. Mari is the main computer of the ship Armadillo who also has her own avatar in virtual space. Romeo is a ball-like device that Hikaru carries on her back. The Raven is a shark-shaped ship that dwarves the Armadillo.