TV animation "Nameko - Friends in the World" to start on NHK in April!　The main character Funghi will be played by "Ai! Mai! Mayin! Haruka Fukuhara of

The TV anime "Nameko: Friends in the World" has been announced.

This is a TV anime adaptation of the character "Nameko," which first appeared as the main character's assistant in the Nintendo DS "Touch Detective Rina Ozawa," and later became very popular with the smartphone application "Touch Detective Nameko Cultivation Kit," which has been downloaded over 41 million times. Funghi" has been adapted into a web animation and OVA, but this work is slightly different from the original, with a world and story centered on the original "Funghi no Mori" animation. It is a heartwarming comedy in which the unique Funghi characters cause commotion. It also features 3D animation with a warm, cel-animated touch.

The film is directed by Hiroshi Watanabe, with series composition by Natsuko Takahashi, scenario advisor Tomohito Osaki, character design by Shingo Kawai (Bee Works), and animation production by Studio Deen. The cast includes Haruka Fukuhara as Funghi, Atsumi Tanesaki as Love Funghi, Masayumi Iizuka as Pero, Kunihiro Kawamoto as Funghi Senpai, and Yuki Miyata as Robo Funghi.

The program will be broadcast every Sunday from April 10 from 5:00 to 5:25 p.m. on NHK E-television's "Nyanchu World Broadcasting Station" corner. Incidentally, Haruka Fukuhara, who plays the lead role, was in the 2009 "Cookin' Idol Ai! Mai! Main! (NHK E-television) in 2009, and she will be back again to voice the main character, Main Hiiragi. Here is what she had to say.

--What did you think when you heard about the role?
I was asked to play the role in "Cookin' Idol Ai! Main! Mayin! I had not done any postrecording for an anime since Main-chan in "Cookin' Idol I'm My! I had some idea of what I wanted to do, but in order to think about how I should play the role of Funghi, I referred to anime featuring hamsters and various other anime, and tried my best to make a cute and charming voice, and I was really surprised when I was accepted. I was so happy because I love Funghi so much that I even sang her official song "Funghi no uta" (Funghi's song).
--Please tell us about the character.
Funghi in the anime is an honest, active, and cute boy with a bit of girlishness. When I was singing "Funghi no Uta" (Funghi's song), I wasn't sure if he was a boy or a girl, but after watching the anime, I came to understand (laughs).
--What are some of the highlights and attractions of your work?
There have been a lot of characters in the past with this application, but none of them had voices, and all they could say was "nnhnhnh" (laughs), but I think the big attraction is that they have voices. I couldn't imagine what kind of voices they would have at first. I think that if you like the character of Funghi, you will enjoy the work.
--How did you feel about playing the role of Funghi?
I have already got a good grasp of what I think Funghi's voice should sound like, but when I play Funghi when she is happy or angry, her voice gradually becomes her own voice, so it was difficult to maintain the role of Funghi. When I played the role of Maïn, I was playing a human (laugh), but this time, as a nameko boy, it was difficult for me to say "nnhmmph" and to express joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure with "nnhmmph" (laugh). (Laughs.) The "nnhmmph" was completely different depending on the character, so I thought that alone gave the character a unique personality.
--What was the most memorable line?
I read it at the audition, but there was a line, "I'm Nameko" (laugh). I practiced it many times to show Nameko's personality, so it left a strong impression on me. I remember "mmmmmmmm" because I practiced those two lines a lot because it was hard for me to catch my breath.
--I practiced those two lines a lot, so they left a deep impression on me.
It's not a nameko, but it's the dog character Pero. He is a cute little dog that makes a lot of noise and says "WATHWATH," but he also has a mushroom growing out of his head (laughs). He sometimes spits poison, but even listening to him during postrecording, I am soothed by how cute he is.
--Please tell us about your enthusiasm for the postrecording.
I hope that everyone will watch the anime and know that Funghi has this kind of voice. I hope I can show my personality so that everyone will get to know Funghi by watching the anime.
--Please give a message to those who are looking forward to the animation.
It is a short animation of only 3 minutes, but I think you will be healed and be happy in those 3 minutes, not to mention the cuteness of the nameko mushrooms. And since each Funghi character has its own voice, it is a lot of fun to listen to them in the recording studio, so I hope you can enjoy the world of Funghi.

<Story
Funghi Forest" is a place where Funghi from all over the world gather. Funghi" who live there formed "NUR", the universal ranger of Funghi Forest, and started to guide the forest in order to tell everyone about the charm of the forest. The Funghi from all over the world who come to the forest are all unique and individualistic. What kind of commotion will happen in the forest today...?