Pony Canyon announced on Wednesday that it is producing two short anime. Both shorts will be set in Saga prefecture, and will highlight the prefecture's culture. The shorts are titled "Yakusoku no Utsuwa - Arita no Hatsukoi" (The Pot of Promise - First Love in Arita), and "Fuyu no Chikai, Natsu no Matsuri - Takeoshi no Dai-Kusunoki," (The Oath of Winter, The Festival of Summer - The Great Camphor Tree of Takeoshi). Seven Arcs Pictures is animating both shorts.

"Yakusoku no Utsuwa - Arita no Hatsukoi" will be set in the town of Arita, and will be a youth story highlighting the scenery of Arita. It will star Hiro Shimono in the role of Jun Uchiyama, and Saori Hayami in the role of Nao Akiyama.

"Fuyu no Chikai, Natsu no Matsuri - Takeoshi no Dai-Kusunoki" is set in the city of Takeoshi, and will center on two characters, a boy and a girl, who grow up watched over by a large camphor tree that endures the time and seasons. It will star Nao Tōyama as Rinko Yamaguchi, and Nobunaga Shimazaki as Sōta.

The shorts will debut on March 12 in different locations. "Yakusoku no Utsuwa - Arita no Hatsukoi" will screen in the Kyushu Ceramic Museum, while "Fuyu no Chikai, Natsu no Matsuri - Takeoshi no Dai-Kusunoki" will screen in the Saga Prefectural Space and Science Museum. Saga-born anime director Junji Nishimura will give a talk on the first day screening at the latter location. Both shorts will be shown for free.

Source: MoCa News