Campaign raises 30 million yen in 3 days

Visual Art's' Campire crowdfunding campaign for an anime adaptation of the Little Busters! spinoff visual novel Kud Wafter reached its main goal of 30 million yen (about US$268,000) on Friday. The campaign launched on Wednesday.

The campaign was originally seeking to raise 30 million yen to fund a 20-minute original video anime (OVA). If the project raises more than it's initial goal it will allow the staff to raise the quality and run-time of the anime, and the final goal for the project is a theatrical anime. The anime is slated for fall 2019. As of press time the project has raised 31,342,344 yen. The campaign will end in 70 days.

While the project cannot be backed from outside Japan, the staff revealed that it will announce a separate project for overseas backers. Campfire backer rewards include crowdfunding-exclusive Blu-ray Disc packaging, an invitation to a preview screening and secret party, a script signed by the staff and cast, and a signed illustration by Na-Ga.

The anime will be the first part of a celebration to mark the 10th anniversary of the release of Visual Art's' Little Busters! PC software. J.C. Staff will animate the project and Key will have complete supervision over the anime. Visual Art's' English Twitter account previously said that "Overseas plans will be announced later."

Kud Wafter was Key's eighth adult visual novel and Key originally released the game in Japan in 2010 for Windows PC. The visual novel received a PlayStation Portable port in May 2013 and a PS Vita port in December 2013. The visual novel's story revolves around high school students Riki Naoe and Kudryavka Noumi ("Kud" for short) as their friendship evolves into a romantic relationship.

The 2007 PC software Little Busters! inspired a television anime that aired in Japan in 2012, followed by the Little Busters! Refrain television anime in 2013 and the Little Busters! EX original video anime project in 2014. Crunchyroll streamed the two television anime, and Sentai Filmworks released both and the OVA on home video in North America.

Visual Art's also plans to release Little Busters! on Steam in English.

[Via Yaraon!]