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Tatsunoko's Tachumaru Zukan SD Project Gets TV Anime (Updated)
posted on by Egan Loo
The official website of the anime studio Tatsunoko Production has announced that a television anime adaptation of its Tachumaru Zukan project has been green-lit for this October. Tachumaru Zukan re-imagines some of Tatsunoko's most popular anime franchises as a newly evolved species of super-deformed animals known as "Tachū-rui." These mysterious "Tachumaru" (Tachumals) are "small and cute," but have special fighting moves.
In particular, "Gatchapen" (center in image) combines the 1972 Science Ninja Team Gatchaman anime with a penguin, "Nyasshan" (left) combines the 1973 Shinzō Ningen Casshan/Casshern anime with a cat, and "Piyotan" (right) combines the 1981 Golden Warrior - The Gold Lightan anime with a chick. The website posted a sample Flash-animated movie earlier this year, and the website is slated for future updates with more movies.
Another anime studio with a long history, Toei Animation, launched Toei Robot Girls — super-deformed female personifications of Toei's Gaiking, Ga-Keen, and Baratack super robot anime — in 2009 with a weekly four-panel manga series. The 1992 original video anime (OVA) Scramble Wars ~Tsuhhashire! Genom Trophy Rally~ (released in the United States as part of the Super Deformed Double Feature) assembled the casts of ARTMIC/AIC's Gall Force, Bubblegum Crisis, and Genesis Survivor Gaiarth in super-deformed form. Similarly, the CLAMP in Wonderland OVA projects brought together the characters of several CLAMP manga and anime in regular and super-deformed forms.
Thanks to Liam for the news tip.
Image © Tatsunoko Pro/Tachumaruzu 2010
Update: The television station YTV has launched a web page for the anime, which premiere on October 4 under the name Tachumaru Gekijō.
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