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Madhouse to Animate Otakon Video
posted on by Christopher Macdonald
Madhouse, one of Japan's preeminent studios that is famous for anime such as Ninja Scroll and Paprika, will be animating an opening animation for Otakon XV in Baltimore, Maryland this August.
The 90-second segment will be produced in such a way as to resemble the opening animation of an anime. It will feature Otakon's two mascots, Hiroko-chan and her brother Hiroshi-kun. The two characters, who are perpetual twenty-somethings (Hiroko-chan is 22, and Hiroshi-kun is 15 months younger), have been Otakon's mascots since 1997 and 2002, respectively.
The anime segment will be directed by Tsutomu Mizushima, director of the Genshiken opening, the Genshiken OAV, and the xxxHOLiC anime projects. The idea had been floated between Otakon and Madhouse producer Masao Maruyama for several years before becoming a reality this year. Concepts for the animation were brainstormed at a special Otakon meeting that Otakon's Jim Vowles refers to as "the most fun I've ever had at an Otakon meeting" and then discussed with Madhouse.
The segment is expected to be ready in time to be used to promote Otakon 2008 in the weeks leading up to the convention, which will be spending its 10th year at the Baltimore Convention Center.
