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Okamoto Kitchen Food Truck Launches Kickstarter Campaign for Webtoon Series

Los Angeles based food truck Okamoto Kitchen launched a Kickstarter campaign on Monday to fund a 10-episode English-dubbed comic "webtoon" series. The project seeks to raise US$48,000. Okamoto Kitchen also streamed an "episode 0" for the project. The campaign will run until March 7.

Takuya Saitō, Azusa "ASA" Saito, and PN 'Kotobukisuzu' are drawing the character designs. Takuya Saitō previously designed the food truck's mascot character Haru-chan, who is the lead character in the proposed series. Cristina Vee voices Haru-chan. Musical duo Layla Lane are in charge of the music and also performed the theme song featured in episode 0. Mykal Williams and Rafael Hernán are penning the story.

Each episode of the planned series will be three to five minutes in length, and will have limited animation. The campaign's stretch goals include extending the series to 24 episodes at US$98,000, extended episode length to eight to 10 minutes at US$149,000, and a 22-minute fully animated OVA at US$340,000.

Shown below are the character designs for Haru-chan. The project page shows designs for other characters in the story.

Okamoto Kitchen is operated by Chef Chizuru Okamoto Abraham, her husband Gerald Abraham, and Shidosha Hodges. Chef Chizuru Okamoto Abraham graduated from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Los Angeles and has studied under celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa. According to Gerald Abraham, the staff "consists of hardcore anime fans and pro gamers." Gerald Abraham and Hodges met in the professional gaming community.

Okamoto Kitchen frequently attends anime conventions and events in the Los Angeles area, including the Anime Expo convention.

Source: Okamoto Kitchen Kickstarter page