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Mitsuwano Light Novel Gets Video Anime in March 2014

King Records revealed on Wednesday that Itsuki Matsumoto's Mitsuwano light novel series is getting a video anime adaptation. King Records is also streaming the show's first promotional video.

Takashi Igari (animation director for Flowers of Evil, Say, "I Love You"., Steins;Gate) is directing the 29-minute anime at ZEXCS. Emukee designed the original characters, and Takashi Habe (animation director for Blue Exorcist, Sword Art Online) is adapting those designs for animation. Natsuko Takahashi (Bleach, Fullmetal Alchemist, The Prince of Tennis is handling the script. Jun Ichikawa (Rental Magica, Mikakunin de Shinkōkei) is handling the music, while Toshiki Kameyama (Escaflowne: The Movie, Peacemaker) is serving as sound director, and Starchild Records is handling the music production.

The light novel's story follows a group of young girls in Kyoto who dream of becoming maiko, or apprentice geisha.

The cast is as follows:

Yui Horie as Mai Ichinose
Rina Satō as Midori Aikawa
Nozomi Sasaki as Riko Kikuzuki
Yumi Hara as Kazuha
Sayaka Ōhara as Shino

Horie will also perform the anime's theme song "Kono Basho de" (At This Place).

Kodansha and Starchild Records are publishing the light novel in their BOX-AiR e-magazine. The two companies launched the "Kodansha BOX-AiR Rookie of the Year Award" in 2011, and Mitsuwano won the 2012 award. The companies then announced the winner of the 2013 award on Wednesday, and also revealed that Mitsuwano would be getting an anime adaptation. Kodansha and Starchild will publish a print novel of Mitsuwano on March 3.

The anime will ship on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on March 12. The Blu-ray Disc will retail for 4,725 yen (about US$46) and the DVD will retail for 3,675 yen (US$36). The DVD and Blu-ray Discs will also include a CD and a 16-page booklet, and first copies will include a lottery ticket for a special event.