New "Carol & Tuesday" Production Announcement Report! The 2nd KV, new PV, main cast, and OP&ED singing artists have been released!

On February 21, 2019, a production presentation was held for "Carol & Tuesday," a musical work for the whole world that will rewrite anime history and be broadcast on Fuji TV's "+Ultra" and other channels starting in April 2019.

The latest work by Shinichiro Watanabe, director of "Cowboy Bebop," "Samurai Champloo," and many other masterpieces, will be directed by Eisaku Kubonouchi, known for his character designs for the Nissin Foods Cup Noodle commercials "HUNGRY DAYS The Witch's Delivery Service" and "HUNGRY DAYS Heidi the Alps Girl" and other works. The screenplay is by Aya Watanabe, who has worked on NHK's television series "Carnation" and the film "Josee, the Tiger and the Fish". The music, which will be the mainstay of the story, will be composed by Flying Dog, who has composed music for many hit anime such as the "Macross" series.
⇒ "Carol & Tuesday" by Shinichiro Watanabe and Bones, the first key KV, staff and trailer commercial have been released! Interview with the director is also available!
⇒2019 Spring Anime

"Carol & Tuesday" will air on Fuji TV "+Ultra" and other channels from April 2019, and a production announcement was held where the 2nd Key KV, new PV, main cast, and OP & ED singing artists selected from worldwide auditions were unveiled.

The second key visual, a new promotional video, and the main cast and theme song artists were announced.
The main characters Carol and Tuesday will be played by two fresh female cast members, Miyuri Shimabukuro (Carol) and Kana Ichinose (Tuesday).
Akio Otsuka (Gus), Miyu Irino (Roddy), Sumire Uesaka (Angela), Hiroshi Kamiya (Tao), and Mamoru Miyano (Artigan) round out the cast.

The film also has a strong focus on music, with many songs provided by overseas artists, and all songs in the film and the theme song will be sung in foreign languages. The theme song will be sung by two artists, Nai Br.XX and Celeina Ann, who were chosen through a worldwide audition, as a double cast of Carol Tuesday. The official report from the production presentation has arrived and will be introduced below.

On February 21, a production announcement for the TV anime "Carol & Tuesday" by Shinichiro Watanabe, general director, and Hidesaku Kubonouchi, character designer, was held in Tokyo. The work commemorates the 20th anniversary of Bonds and the 10th anniversary of Flying Dog, and in addition to general director Watanabe, Bonds president Masahiko Minami and Flying Dog president Shiro Sasaki also attended the press conference. In addition, the main cast, including Miyuri Shimabukuro (Carol) and Kana Ichinose (Tuesday), who will be unveiled at the press conference, took the stage to perform the opening theme song "Kiss Me.

The presentation was moderated by Fuji Television announcer Shoji Miyake, and President Minami, President Sasaki, and General Director Watanabe first answered questions about the birth of the project and its contents.
The birth of "Carols & Tuesday" dates back to four or five years ago, when President Sasaki approached Bonds' President Minami with the idea of doing an original music animation. Later, after "Space☆Dandy" was completed, General Director Watanabe and President Minami were discussing their next project, and the prototype for "Carols & Tuesday" was born. Upon receiving the project, President Sasaki felt that "it was good because it was foolish and martial, yet gorgeous, and suited both our Flying Dog and Bonds' colors.

On the other hand, General Director Watanabe said, "As a music fanatic, I knew I had to do a music thing someday as my life's work. But I liked it too much, and the hurdle was quite high: I had to make something that I, as an enthusiast, would be satisfied with. As I was planning this project, the content became something that even my "music maniac self" would be OK with (laughs), and finally I, as an "animation director," was able to create a work of my own. I was finally able to make a work as an "animation director" as well," he said.

According to Watanabe, the film is set in the future on Mars. The first part of the two girls' story is about their first encounter and their debut, and the second part is about what happens after their debut.

When asked why the two girls are the main characters, Watanabe replied, "It is not a story about a lone genius artist, but rather a work about two people who could not create what they wanted on their own, but through cooperation, they are able to create something they never thought possible. The reason for this is that it is a work that depicts the fun of "co-production. I wanted to depict the moment when one plus one becomes more than two, as if the work of two people working together can create something that they never thought possible.

Incidentally, this is the first film in which Watanabe has ever had a girl as the main character. When asked about this point, he joked, "I felt I had to get with the times (laugh)," and then added, "It is certainly a challenge for me, but I wanted to do it because it is a challenge. I wouldn't be motivated to do it if I had to repeat the work I had done in the past. I decided to make a girl the main character because I wanted to try something new, even if only a little bit at a time," he said.

As for the use of Hidesaku Kubonouchi as the character designer, he said, "There are many different manga artists and illustrators who have worked on this project, but I wanted to create something new.
Mr. Kubonouchi was chosen from among the various manga artists and illustrators that were suggested by Mr. Minami because I thought he was the right person for the job. I chose Mr. Kubonouchi not only because he is a good artist, but also because I could see his background and feel that the characters were alive, so I asked him to do the job.
Mr. Kubonouchi's drawings have a universal appeal and are popular overseas as well. I thought that the character would be a character that could be used around the world.
(President Minami) "Kubonouchi's drawings have universal appeal and are popular overseas as well.

During the Q&A session, a question was asked about the specific process of character creation.
Kubonouchi-san's rough sketch contained a lot of information that we had explained to him, as well as notes from his own imagination, such as, "This is the background of this character. In addition to the information we had explained, Kubonouchi-san's rough sketch contained many notes in which he had imagined, "This is the background. Even when a character is posed in a certain pose, there is a note that says, "This character strikes this pose when he is in this kind of mood. In that sense, the characters were created through the communication with Mr. Kubonouchi," said Watanabe, explaining the influence that Kubonouchi's design had on the work.

Once the overall picture of the work had been revealed, the latest promotional video was shown. This promotional video was the first video with character voices. The main cast members then appeared on stage and commented on the roles they play.

Miyuri Shimabukuro as Carol
I think Carol is a very straightforward girl. She doesn't like to be bent. I have the impression that she has a lot of things that I don't have, and I hope I can play her in a natural way, not trying to be cool or cute.

Kana Ichinose as Chuseday
As the character is a young lady, I had the impression that she was very elegant at first. But when we started recording, I got the impression that she was cheerful and energetic for her age, and that her passion for music was genuine. She is the kind of girl who would never do something she would normally do on a Tuesday, but when music is involved, she goes straight ahead and does it. I want to be a true Tuesday, while putting my own personality on top.

Akio Otsuka as Gus
Gus is a natural and sloppy person (laughs). I thought about wearing a tank top today to match the character (laughs). I want to play the part of how a sloppy person gets into Carol and Tuesday and runs with them.

Miyu Irino as Roddy
He is an introverted character with a bit of a nerdy streak. I am not an outdoorsy type of person, but since I get involved with Carol, Tuesday, Gus, and Artigan, I think of myself as a character who gets caught up in the group.

Sumire Uesaka as Angela
She is a successful child actress and model, but she is about to become a singer and is at a turning point in her career. I thought she might be arrogant, but she is surprisingly gutsy and has a strong sense of self. I want to play her in a way that she is not just a mean-spirited girl, and I want to emphasize her humanity and her girlish side.

Hiroshi Kamiya as Tao
He is a cool and logical person, so there are certain things that are required of him, and I hope I can make those things sound delicate.

Mamoru Miyano as Artigan
When I told the producers that Artigan is actually in his 40s, they were surprised that I didn't know that (laughs). (Laughs.) It is rare for me to play a character who is older than his actual age, so I will do my best to play the role. He is a clippy old man with a high level of tension, but I was told by the director Watanabe to "keep the worldview," so I am doing my best to keep it serious and high-spirited.

Following the cast's comments, the topic turned to the music.
Director Watanabe said, "I wanted to make music that could be understood anywhere in the world. That's why we naturally used English more and had more musicians from overseas produce the music. Flying Dog did a great job on this point." He explained the process that led to the participation of eminent overseas musicians.

During the Q&A session, the relationship between the role and music was also a topic of discussion.
Shimabukuro said, "I listen to the songs of Adele and Aretha Franklin, who are Carol's favorites, before recording and at other times to get to know more about what she likes. I also observed the recording of Carol and Tuesday's songs, and I listen to Nye Blix, who plays Carol, and try to get as close to the sound as possible. I also listen to Cindy Lauper's music, which I also like. Carol also likes tapioca milk tea, so I drink it and try to be close to the character. I also observed the recording, but I left Tuesday's song to Serena Ann, and I had to do my part properly," she said.

Nai Blix and Serena Ann then appeared on stage to perform the opening theme, "Kiss Me.

Nai commented on her participation in the film, "I am honored to be involved in this work. It was an exciting experience to sing in sync with the animation, and I had a lot of fun while doing it," she said, looking back on the recording. As a singer-songwriter myself, I can relate to this theme. As a viewer, I'm looking forward to watching it, and I'm happy to be a part of it," she said.
After singing "Kiss Me," the two "goofed off" with each other. They showed their chemistry just like Carol and Tuesday in the film.

During the press conference, he said of the film, "I felt like I wanted to go straight to the point. With the increase in the number of productions, there are many "ball and chain" productions, but I wanted to make this a film that throws straight what I want to convey." said Watanabe. In his closing remarks, he said, "This film is about Carol and Tuesday creating a whirlwind. I hope that this work itself can create such a whirlwind. I rarely say this, but I am very proud of this work! He concluded the production announcement by asserting, "I rarely say this, but I am very confident in this work!

Film information
Carol & Tuesday

＜Broadcast Information

Scheduled to air on Fuji Television Network's "+Ultra" from April 2019.
Exclusive worldwide distribution on NETFLIX
Scheduled to be broadcast on other TV stations
Kansai Television / Tokai Television / TV Nishinippon / Hokkaido Bunka Broadcasting / BS Fuji

＜Synopsis

It has been 50 years since humans moved to the new frontier, Mars.
Many cultures have been created by AI, and people have become the ones who enjoy them.
There was a girl.
She was a tough survivor in the capital, Aruba City, working and trying to become a musician. She always felt something was missing.
Her name was Carol.
There was a girl.
Born into a wealthy family in the provincial city of Herschel City, she wanted to be a musician, but no one understood her. She thought she was the loneliest person in the world.
Her name was Tuesday.
They met by chance.
She couldn't help but sing.
They couldn't help but make sounds.
I felt they could do it together.
The two of them would make a small stir in these times.
And then, one day, it will turn into a big wave...

<Staff> <Staff> <Staff> <Staff> <Staff> <Staff

Main Staff
Original Story : BONES, Shinichiro Watanabe
General Director : Shinichiro Watanabe
Director : Motonobu Hori
Character Planning：Heisaku Kubonouchi
Character Design：Tsunenori Saito
Main Animators: Yoshiyuki Ito, Naoyuki Konno
World Design: Roman Toma, Brune Stanislas
Art Director: Seru Kono
Color Design: Yukiko Kakita
Director of Photography: Masataka Ikegami
3DCG Director: Takuma Miyake
Editing: Kumiko Sakamoto
Music: Mocky
Sound Effects: Shizuo Kurahashi
Mix Engineer: Masashi Yabuhara
Music Production: Flying Dog
Animation Production: Bonds

Cooperation: YAMAHA MUSIC JAPAN INC. (importer and distributor of Nord brand products in Japan)

Opening theme "Kiss Me
Lyrics/Composition/Arrangement: Nulbarich
Sung by Carol & Tuesday (Vo. Nai Br. XX & Celeina Ann)

■Ending theme "Hold Me Now
Lyrics/Composition/Arrangement: Benny Sings
Sung by Carol & Tuesday (Vo. Nai Br.XX & Celeina Ann)

<Cast

Carol: Miyuri Shimabukuro
Tuesday: Kana Ichinose
Gus: Akio Otsuka
Roddy: Miyu Irino
Angela: Uesaka Sumire
Tao: Hiroshi Kamiya
Artigan: Mamoru Miyano

*2nd key visual Staff Credits
Original Drawing:Tsunenori Saito Finishing:Yukiko Kakita 3DCG:Takuma Miyake Cinematography:Masataka Ikegami

(C) BONDS, Shinichiro Watanabe / Carol & Tuesday Production Committee