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Santa Company Anime Film Fails to Meet Crowdfunding Goal
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
The Anipipo crowdfunding campaign for Kenji Itoso's original anime film Santa Company failed to meet its 1,000,000 yen (about US$10,000) goal by its deadline on Sunday. The project's official Twitter account stated "We could not meet our goal this time, but our project won't stop here!" The project raised 914,001 yen (US$9,120) by the deadline.
Itoso, the unit director on the late Satoshi Kon's dormant Yume-Miru Kikai film, first revealed the plans for Santa Company last fall. He planned to release the anime this winter.
The story follows Noel, an 11-year-old girl who despises Christmas. She lives with her divorced father who ends up working every Christmas. On a lonely Christmas Eve, Noel takes her usual apartment complex elevator ride to her home, but when the doors open, she finds a factory owned by Santa Claus. Santa Claus has gone corporate as Santa Company with the motto "Swiftly, surely, secretly." The outfit takes orders and delivers top-notch presents to children in the utmost secrecy. Noel meets some new friends, and together, they take off in a sled to deliver presents.
The beta for the animation crowdfunding service Anipipo launched on May 23 with Santa Company, "ABC of Akari," and other titles. Anipipo hosted a crowdfunding campaign to turn the Tohoku post-quake support character Tohoku Zunko into a Vocaloid. The project met its goal last week.
The ten-minute short "ABC of Akari" by Spanish studio Anigo Animation also expired without meeting its Anipopo goal. The project raised 81,000 yen (US$808) of the 3,660,000 yen (US$36,519) goal.
