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Funabashi's Pear-Shaped Mascot Funassyi Gets TV Anime Shorts
posted on by Egan Loo
Funassyi, the popular pear-shaped mascot character of the Tokyo suburb Funabashi, will premiere its own series of television anime shorts on March 30. The Funassyi no Funafunafuna Hiyori (Funassyi's Aimless Days) shorts will run every weekyday within the morning variety program Sukkiri!! Besides Funassyi, the anime will feature the brand-new character Guressyi (voiced by Lynn, pictured below with Funassyi) and Nashigami-sama (Naoki Tatsuta).
Tomio Yamauchi is directing the anime at Asahi Production, and Higashi Shimizu (Doraemon, Precure) and Korie Tomonaga (D.C.III ~Da Capo III~, Pururun! Shizuku-chan) are writing the scripts. Hiroshi Shimizu (Michiko & Hatchin) is designing the characters. Kisuke Koizumi (Wooser's Hand-to-Mouth Life) is directing the sound, and Takatsugu Wakabayashi (Dragonar Academy, Majin Bone) is scoring the music.
Funassyi already inspired its own manga series Shogakukan's Bessatsu CoroCoro Comic Special magazine, among many other tie-ins such as meat buns. The "pear fairy" is inspired by Funabashi's major fruit export.
The character has its own theme song released by Universal Music Japan, and its album ranked #4 on the weekly album charts. The character was also voted the top mascot in the Regional Mascot General Election in 2013 despite its lack of official endorsement by the city of Funabashi or any tourism organization.
It already made its movie debut in last fall's Eiga HappinessCharge PreCure! Ningyō no Kuni no Ballerina (HappinessCharge PreCure! the Movie: The Ballerina of the Land of Dolls) anime. It also promotes anime and manga franchises from Gundam to Parasyte and Kinnikuman.
Source: Web Newtype via Hachima Kikō
