4 different courses with cash prizes seeks proposals for original anime

Toei Animation announced its "100-Year Anime Project" contest for original anime on Thursday. The project's name originates from its goal: to create an anime that will "continue for the next 100 years." The project allows participants to submit proposals for an anime project in one of four different "courses," one of which (the "C Course") seeks proposals for a remake of the Ikkyū-san television anime.

Other courses in the project include the "A Course" for those who have no experience working on anime or manga, and a "B Course" for those who have experience working in the industry, and can submit detailed proposals that can enter into production quickly. The "D Course" will be for experienced animators, background artists, and prop designers who will support anime projects.

Each course will have a grand prize, runner-up, and honorable mention awards for proposals. Winners will have respective cash prizes of 1 million yen (about US$9,200), 500,000 yen (about US$4,600), and 300,000 yen (about US$2,700).

Toei Animation representative director Katsuhiro Takagi stated that the project hopes to create anime that people will not find familiar or similar to other works.

Toei Animation 's original 1975-1982 Ikkyū-san television anime series is loosely inspired by Ikkyū Sōjun, a real-life Buddhist monk who lived in 15th-century Japan. The story imagines Ikkyū's childhood as a mischievous but clever monk-in-training at Ankokuji Temple.