One of the things that’s engaging to watch with overseas license pickups is seeing the rare and intriguing title that gets picked up that doesn’t have North American distribution. That’s happened now with Anime Limited picking up the UK rights for the Production I.G. two-episode OVA series Tokyo Marble Chocolate. The company intends to bring it out on DVD and Blu-ray in 2016.
“One of my all-time favourite Christmas anime!” said Anime Limited’s Andrew Partridge. “Rates about the same as Tokyo Godfathers for me, and that really is saying something. Interesting fact that a lot of the team behind Attack On Titan, before they joined WIT Studio, worked on this title. We have a soft spot for WIT Studio titles, but at the same time we’re very happy we’re able to help expand and showcase the legacy of their work to a wider audience.”
The two episodes originally came out in 2007 from Production I.G. with Naoyoshi Shiotani directing based on the screenplay by Masaya Ozaki while Kyoji Asano served as the animation director and character designer. The show featured Nana Mizuki and Takahiro Sakurai as the lead actors.
Plot concept: Serious and generous, but a bit shy, Yuudai has been unsuccessful with the opposite gender.
Chizuru is an energetic and cheerful girl, but when it comes to boyfriends, she’s been unlucky and clumsy, and never had a steady relationship. This is the first Christmas the couple spends together. Chizuru loves animals and Yuudai plans to give her a rabbit in a box, but it turns out to be… a mini donkey?! As the funny creature escapes, Chizuru goes after it, and Yuudai loses sight of them both!
The time that should have been spent together…
The important feeling that should have been revealed…
Small, but precious things that tend to be buried in every day life.
What answer will the two youngsters find while separated from each other?
Yuudai and Chizuru – their feelings and the time they spent far from each other are delicately unfolded in this double-sided pure love story told from two different perspectives!
