CATDOLL: The director of "Shirobako" is raising funds from fans. Is the production team short of money again?

There is still a month left before the new April series starts airing, and various animation production teams have released more and more news. Among them, the new work "Lost House" by "Shirobako" director Mizushima Tsutomu not only did not release any new animation information, but instead publicly raised funds from fans... This is still rare for the current seasonal animation. Is there a problem with the production team's budget again?

Promotional image of the new April show "Lost House"

According to the official website of "Lost House", the funds will be used for the production of this original animation. In name, this is a fan club. As long as you propose a sponsorship, you can get different prizes or experiences according to the sponsorship amount. Members who participate in the sponsorship can become villagers of "Nanming Village" set in the plot of "Lost House", and the rank of the villagers will be different according to the difference in the sponsorship amount.

Fundraising announcement on the official website of "Mijia"

In terms of the sponsorship plan, the government has given different levels of villager titles and investment amounts - bronze villagers (3,000 yen), silver villagers (8,000 yen), gold villagers (40,000 yen), platinum villagers (80,000 yen), and a 30-member team of elite village council members (400,000 yen)...

Different levels of "villagers" titles

From a fundraising perspective, except for the highest amount of 400,000 yen, the other amounts do not seem to be too expensive, and fans who participate in the sponsorship can also get quite good benefits, such as priority participation in official events, and the ability to visit the on-site work of "Diomedéa", the production company of "Lost House", etc. High-paying sponsors can also attend the celebration banquet of the production team, where they can drink and chat with the voice actors and staff. In addition, sponsors of 400,000 yen will also receive a pilgrimage to the holy land provided by the production party. If the travel is also included, it is actually not too expensive?

The animation production site of "Lost Home"

For Japanese animation, this kind of fundraising from the public is probably the first time. Although the official "Lost" has promised to provide fans with a fundraising plan, there is only a month left before the animation is broadcast. The emergence of such an incredible plan at this point in time can't help but remind people of a similar plot in Mizushima Tsutomu's "Shirobako". Is the production team now in a state of panic? Of course, for the declining Japanese animation industry, fundraising may also be a good solution and a brand new attempt.

The new April animation "Lost House" is an original animation directed by Mizushima Tsutomu and Okada Mari. The atmosphere is similar to "ANOTHER". It tells the story of 30 men and women who went to the closed village "Nanaki Village". The overall story is a group drama, focusing on human nature and the protagonist's spiritual entanglement.