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Pollux Launches Kickstarter for Astérion Interactive Animation Project with Japanese Staff

French animation studio Pollux Animation launched a Kickstarter campaign on Friday to raise funds for the Astérion joint anime/game project. The campaign is looking to raise 135,000 euros (US$151,929) by July 28. As of press time, the campaign has raised US$1,733.

The full planned project for Astérion is as a 13-episode interactive anime series, with each episode being 26 minutes in length. Viewers would first download the episodes onto their tablet or smartphone, then watch the episodes. At three points during each episode, the animation will pause and viewers will have to "aid" the hero through an interactive game. The animation will then continue, and scenarios will differ depending on the choices viewers make.

The video on the campaign's website notes that Hiroshi Shimizu (character designer and chief animation director for Michiko and Hatchin, animation director for Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine) is serving as character designer and chief animator for the project. Additionally, Yasuhiro Irie (director of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Code:Breaker) and Shichirō Kobayashi (art director for Berserk, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, Nodame Cantabile, Revolutionary Girl Utena) are also involved in the project. The campaign teases that other anime industry members might also take part in the project such as Yoshihiko Umakoshi (character designer and animation director for Mushi-Shi, Ojamajo Doremi), Michi Himeno (character designer for Yu-Gi-Oh!, Seint Seiya), and Hiroshi Ohno (art director for A Letter to Momo, Kiki's Delivery Service, Wolf Children).

The campaign funding will be used help create the 26-minute pilot episode; to keep looking for new backgrounds, characters, and vehicles; and for new artists in the staff. The company plans to also use the funding to work with the video game studio Vertical (different from the North American publisher of the same name) that "specializes in interactive tools" to create the interactive parts of the show.

Pledge levels range from 5 euros (US$6) to 6,500 euros (US$7,814). Backer rewards include a wallpaper, the backer's name on the official website, digital pictures, backstage production images, access to the episode one month before the official release, the soundtrack, an artbook, access to interactive livestreams of production in Japan or France, the pilot on DVD and Blu-ray Disc, figures, original drawing boards, and more. The higher backer rewards include having the character designer turn the backer into a guest character on the show, a private Skype interview with a Japanese artist chosen from a list, and a three-day excursion in Japan that includes visiting Japanese studios, dinner with the production team, and an original drawing board.

Pollux Animation describes Astérion as follows:

The young Kaméo had never thought he would experience something like that. But destiny chose for him. When his parents disapeared, his sister, Mira and him swore to find them. Fortunately, Fishmann, an old boxballer and Horus, an old cop will help them. According to the legend, they have to find five magic objects and decode them but they will meet Barbozza, a dangerous pirate from space who swore to destroy both magic objects and Asterion. During 13 episodes, the show will take you from adventure to adventure until a surprising outcome.

Pollux Animation posted the first trailer for Astérion in February.

J.C. Staff previously collaborated with Pollux Animation to create an animated series titled Asterion. The studios launched a crowd-funding campaign in 2013 on the Ulule website to raise funds for a 90-second pilot for the series. The campaign looked to raise 16,000 euros or US$21,053, and it gathered 18,871 euros in funds.

At the time, the the two studios listed that the Japanese staff for the project included: Shimizu as character designer, Kobayashi, Hiromasa Ogura (art director for xxxHOLiC, Jin-Roh, Ghost in the Shell), and Kazuo Terada (Ulysses 31, Flag director).

Update: Pollux Animation's began streaming a separate HD teaser for the series in March 2014.