The Kickstarter-funded anime project Under the Dog has announced that it will be digitally available for its Kickstarter campaign backers starting August 1.
Creators of the anime made the announcement via a promotional footage from its official website.
Originally, the Under the Dog anime was slated for a May release, but the studio, Kinema Citrus pushed back the date for more time to create an episode that all their backers had hoped to see.
Details regarding the schedule for rewards shipments will be revealed by the staff at a later date.
Under the Dog is set in 2025, five years after deadly terrorist attacks called off the Tokyo Olympic Games. Seven teenagers with special abilities known as “Flowers” are employed by the United Nations to assassinate other teenagers with the same abilities. With their family taken as hostages, the Flowers have no choice but to complete their mission without fail. Under the Dog is the story of their struggle against this cruel fate.
The anime’s objective is to carry the torch of the old science fiction titles such as Akira and Ghost in the Shell. Their crowdfunding approach was to avoid conventional funding process and production committees as well as retaining creative control over the anime.
Under the Dog met its minimum goal of US$580,000 goal on Kickstarter, and the project eventually raised US$878,028 from 12,157 backers.
The anime was directed by Masahiro Ando of Hana-Saku Iroha and Blast of Tempest fame while Jiro Ishii wrote the story. Yuusuke Kozaki handled character design while animation was handled by Kinema Citrus, and Orange Co of Ghost in the Shell: Arise handled the 3D CGI.
Kinema Citrus also managed the project after the departure of Creative Intelligent Arts founder and CEO Hiroaki Yura, the original producer.
Currently, there has yet to be any announcement for a wider release, but stay tuned and check the trailer for Under the Dog.
