Sparky Animation signs deal with three Japanese partners for CGI TV series

Sparky Animation in conjunction with Japan's Duckbill Entertainment, Baku Enterprise Inc. and Bandai Visual Inc. is producing a new CGI animated television program based on the best-selling Japanese book series, One Stormy Night. The deal represents Singapore's first animation co-production with three Japanese partners and falls on the heels of Sparky Animation's recent co-production successes including Dinosaur Train, with US-based The Jim Henson Company, and Mr. Moon with Skaramoosh (UK) and Title Entertainment (Canada).

Through an unlikely friendship between a goat and a wolf, One Stormy Night is a heartwarming children's story that explores themes about acceptance, loyalty despite differences, and highlights the important message that those from different backgrounds or cultures can be accepting and develop into the very best of friends.

One Stormy Night (52 x 11) is slated to premiere on Tokyo TV in April 2012 and will be directed by the popular anime veteran, Amino Tetsurou (Gundam Wing, Macross 7).

Written by award-winning author Yuichi Kimura, One Stormy Night has sold over 3.5 million books in Japan and has been adapted into numerous formats including musicals and video games. The 2005 animated film version was on the country’s Top 10 box office list for one month and attracted over 1.2 million movie-goers. Today's news marks the first time the popular literary series will be made into a CG-animated television program.

Additionally, Sparky Animation is teaming up with Drawiz Singapore, an award-winning animation and visual effects studio headquartered in Tokyo, to develop an original (50 x 5) CG-animated series, tentatively titled Tocori the Ghost. The story explores a boy’s growing friendship with a ghost named Tocori as they embark on different adventures together.

Drawiz Japan has chosen to set up its first overseas studio in Singapore with the aim of growing its stereoscopic 3D business and developing its own original properties. Through business matching activities and product/concept showcases at MIPCOM, these companies hope to seek more co-production, investment and distribution partners to further develop these properties.