(CR) Hanayamata [Anticipation]

[Tanukki]

The girls are so cuute ! <3 Kyah ! I'm going to wait for this anime; I have high expectations !
And Feels? FEELS?! Of course, I'm in !

[Flower]

Going to the official website I see what look like twitter posts about Anime Japan. Any other bits of info about this series hinted at there?

[winhlp32]

Yay! Summer 2014!

Anime character designs are out.

Director: Atsuko Ishizuka
Writer: Reiko Yoshida
Character design: Atsuko Watanabe
Music: MONICA
Music Production: DIVEⅡentertainment
Animation: MADHOUSE

Cast / Seiyuu:

Naru: Reina Ueda
Hana: Minami Tanaka
Yaya: Kaya Okuno
Tami: Yuka Ootsubo
Machi: Manami Numakura

[Nachtwandler]

Director: Atsuko Ishizuka

Hell yeah. They gave her two works this year.

[Flower]

Thread title updated.

This is really good news - have been looking forward to this adaptation for some time now! Please, please let it be a good one....

Interesting that Madhouse picked it up, though.

[tsunade666]

The art is beautiful. Spectacularly amazing. Though there is only 1 chapter translated but its a good introduction.

I will watch out for this one when it airs.

[Marina2]

Character's art style is like a copy-paste from manga. I like it!

BTW, look like All VAs are quite new with their jobs , but that's fine for me.

I guess this is really the golden time of Kirara magazine.

[Flower]

Here is a pic of the main charas in school uniforms:

[ZodiacBeast]

Originally Posted by Flower

Here is a pic of the main charas in school uniforms:

Sigh...I'd better start preparing for another heart attack induced by cuteness overload.

The girl on the far right is especially cute, while the mid right has that "regal lady" air about her. The girl in the middle (Naru) is generi-cute, which is still fine by me.
The megane girl is nice as well, with that stern look behind her frames.

Meh, I'm not much into the "bubbly blonde" type, but hopefully she'll turn out to be an endearing character

[Marcus H.]

not!Deko-chan!

[Flower]

Here is some more detail regarding the characters, taken mainly from: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news...st-this-summer

Atsuko Ishizuka (The Pet Girl of Sakurasou, No Game, No Life) is directing the anime at the studio Mad House. Reiko Yoshida (K-ON!, Girls und Panzer, Tamako Market) is writing and supervising the scripts, and Atsuko Watanabe (GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class, Juden Chan, The Everyday Tales of a Cat God) is designing the characters. The creator group MONACA is composing the music, and DIVE II Entertainment is producing the music.

Hamayumiba has been running the manga in Houbunsha's Manga Time Kirara Forward since 2011, and Houbunsha published the fourth volume in January. Sou also created the Sorairo Square. (Sky-Blue Square) manga.

Yosakoi dance in and of itself is actually a contemporary thing, it turns out.

Yosakoi (よさこい) is a unique style of dance that originated in Japan. Yosakoi started in the city of Kōchi in 1954, as a modern rendition of Awa Odori, a traditional summer dance. Yosakoi-style dancing has spread throughout much of Japan. The style of dance is highly energetic, combining traditional Japanese dance movements with modern music. The choreographed dances are often performed by large teams. Along with a number of professional yosakoi schools and town dance teams, yosakoi is also a popular event during the sports festivals held by Japanese elementary, junior, and senior high schools. Yosakoi participants include men and women of almost all ages – sometimes within a single team.

The costumes used by yosakoi teams vary widely. Happi coats and yukata are the most predominant costumes and can be seen in a wide variety of colors. However, some groups choose costumes that are based on historical attire, popular fashions, or ethnic fashions. Typically, all members of a team wear similar costumes.

One of the defining aspects of yosakoi dance is the use of naruko: small wooden clappers that are held in the hands of each dancer. Naruko were originally used in Kōchi Prefecture to scare birds away from rice fields. The traditional naruko has black and yellow beaters on a wooden body, but most modern yosakoi groups create their own naruko, choosing colors and materials that match their costumes. The use of naruko is required in yosakoi dance, but many groups also use other hand-held instruments or props, such as drums, other percussion instruments, flags, batons, and floats.

For those curious, here is a YT vid of a Yosakoi dance:

Here is more info about the cast.

Spoiler for tags used for size of info dump:

Reina Ueda as Naru Sekiya, a completely normal, second year middle school student. Although she admires heroines that show up in stories, she does not have the courage to escape her normal everyday life. After she meets foreigner Hannah dancing on a moonlit night, she says that she wants to shine as well, and joins the world of Yosakoi dance.

****

Minami Tanaka as Hannah N. Fontanstand, a girl from America who is a second-year in middle school. After taking a trip to Japan when she was young, she fell in love with Yosakoi dance, and it became her dream to dance Yosakoi in Japan. She makes the Yosakoi club at school along with Naru, and struggles to find more members to join. She's extremely energetic, but worries about her height.

****

Kaya Okuno as Yaya Sasame, Naru's best friend since elementary school and her current schoolmate. She enjoys being in her youth, playing the drums for a band. Through various events, she joins the Yosakoi club in name only. Her home is a soba shop.

****

Yuka Ōtsubo as Tami Nishigomon, a middle school third-year who is Naru's childhood friend and the vice-president of the student council. She has admired Naru since she was young, and although she is a beautiful high-class lady, she is quite the daddy's girl. She joins the Yosakoi club after she is invited by Naru.

****

Manami Numakura as Machi Tokiwaza, the president of the student council. She forbids Hana and the Yosakoi club to use the school's roof for practice. Although she is very harsh to others and herself, she is also gentle and warm towards her best friend Tami. It appears that her loneliness may have to do something with the bad relationship with her elder sister.

[Myssa Rei]

Given how this serialized in Manga Time Kirara Forward (the same magazine as both Dream Eater Merry and Kazumi Magica), I'm assuming that it's a monthly serialization. That should give it more than enough material for a single season, if it paces itself.

[kyuudere]

Ishizuka Atsuko + Madhouse

It means insta watchlist!

I love her works on NGNGL

[Marina2]

Offical website updated background and some info


Characters profile
http://hanayamata.com/profile/


OP/ED

OP： [Hanaha Odori Reya Iroha ni Ho] by Team Hanayamata

ED： [Hanayuki] by smileY inc.

http://hanayamata.com/goods/


PR video release

[ninryu]

If it contains actual drama it may be one of the few CGDCT anime I actually decide to watch.

[Miraluka]

By actual drama you mean, misunderstandings that gets skyrocketed by more misunderstandings? I don't want to spoil it, but isn't what you hope for.

[Myssa Rei]

A much more detailed and newer PV:

YouTube

https://youtu.be/w2uF35VwMEo

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

[Flower]

Argh... they made Hannah's voice squeekier than I imagined her, but otherwise it looks interesting. The visuals look incredibly lush at times too... still one of the most looked forward to series next season for me. I can't wait to see how they will animate the Yosakoi dancing in the kimonos!

[Marina2]

So cute. Look like everything from Kirara will never disappoint me.

[Nerroth]

A PS Vita game based on this series is also in the works.