Fumika Shimizu, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Kouichi Yamadera, Megumi Hayashibara cast in 2-episode special

The official website of The Dragon Dentist, the feature-length version of the first short from the Japan Anima(tor)'s Exhibition (Japan Animator Expo) project, announced the anime's cast and premiere dates on Friday.

Fumika Shimizu (live-action HK/Hentai Kamen , My Neighbor Seki ) will play protagonist Nonoko Kishii in her first role as the main character in an anime.

Other cast members include:



Nobuhiko Okamoto as Bell Kouichi Yamadera as Godo

Megumi Hayashibara as Shibana



The staff have not yet announced a role for the character Arisugawa (seen below):

The anime's first 45-minute episode will premiere on the NHK BS Premium channel on February 18 at 8:00 p.m. The second 45-minute episode will premiere at the same time on February 25.

The site previously posted the anime's first promotional video and visual in October.

The website describes the story:



Nonoko is a newly appointed dentist and her mission is to protect the dragon, the guardian of the country, from tooth-cavity bacteria.

The story takes place in Dragon Country.Nonoko is a newly appointed dentist and her mission is to protect the dragon, the guardian of the country, from tooth-cavity bacteria. One day, amid increasingly fierce battles with the neighboring country, Nonoko finds on the dragon's tooth an unconscious boy soldier from the enemy country.

His name is Bell, and he has been resurrected from inside the tooth by the dragon—a supernatural phenomenon that legend says occurs before a major disaster.

As Nonoko and Bell go through a series of fierce battles, they eventually learn to accept their fate. This fantasy adventure, created on an unprecedentedly epic scale,

will keep viewers thrilled and enraptured.

Hideaki Anno ( Shin Godzilla , new Evangelion films) is serving as executive producer and sound director, and Kazuya Tsurumaki (FLCL, Aim for the Top 2!, new Evangelion films) is returning from the short as the director. Otaro Maijo is credited with the original work and the script, and Yoji Enokido is also writing the script. Shuichi Iseki is the character designer. Nobuo Kawakami (Ronja the Robber's Daughter) is also an executive producer.

Japan Anima(tor)'s Exhibition was the project of weekly anime shorts from Hideaki Anno's Studio Khara and the media company Dwango. The new version of The Dragon Dentist will mark the first time Khara, the studio behind the new Evangelion films, is producing an anime for television.

The original short is also available again for streaming until March 31, 2017.

Source: Oricon Style