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TV Asahi's Sanrio Mascot Character 'Gō-chan' Gets Anime Film

TV Asahi announced on Tuesday that its mascot character "Gō-chan." will get an anime film titled Gō-chan. ~Moco to Chinjū no Mori no Nakama-tachi~ (Gō-chan. ~Moco and Friends From Peculiar Animal Forest) in commemoration of his fifth birthday. The network's YouTube channel began streaming a trailer:

The one-hour film is aimed at both children and adults. In the story, Gō-chan arrives on earth in search of the "heart plasma" that will restore peace to his home planet EX Panda. He meets a human girl named Moko, who lives on a farm with her grandfather, and several strange animals called "Chinjūmin." They pass their days enjoyably, but trouble begins when humans invade the forest home of the Chinjūmin looking to capture them. Meanwhile, Moko's family life gets complicated when her grandmother arrives from the city.

The main cast includes:

• Ai Kayano as Moko
• Tomokazu Sugita as Tamarin
• Yūki Kaji as Kin-chan
• Nobunaga Shimazaki as Kamo-chan
• Koyatsu Time as Moffun
• Masaharu Satō as Moco's Grandfather
• Ikuko Tani as Moko's Grandmother
• Yumi Kakazumi as Grandmother's secretary
• Katsumi Chou as the King of EX Panda
• Yuki Matsuoka as Computer

The cast will also feature several TV Asahi announcers. Naoki Tsuboi and Shihoko Hagino will play Moko's mother and father, Chie Honma will play Chibe-san, and Naoko Kubota will play the announcer that appears in the film.

Tetsuo Yasumi (ATASHIn'CHI, Doraemon: Shin Nobita no Uchū Kaitakushi, Fighting Foodons) is directing the film at Shinei Animation and Yūichi Shinpo (Doraemon: Shin Nobita no Uchū Kaitakushi, Ashita Tenki ni Naare) is writing the script. Sanrio is collaborating on the production.

Singer/songwriter Marie Ueda wrote the ending theme song "Niji wa Kakaru kara" (After the Rainbow Comes Out)

The film's cast will appear at a premium screening at United Cinemas Toyosu in Tokyo on January 29. The staff will choose attendees via lottery.

Gō-chan debuted in 2011. Yuko Yamaguchi, the designer of the original Hello Kitty, personally designed the character a collaboration between TV Asahi and Sanrio to raise awareness about TV Asahi's Digital 5 channel. His name ("Gō" sounds similar to the Japanese word for "5"), "V" shirt design, and May 5 birthday all represent the number 5.

Source: Animate Times