Nickelodeon has clinched deals for its first-ever Japanese development projects with the Domo Production Committee, an affiliate of Japan’s largest broadcaster NHK, and the Japanese 3D toon top dog Polygon Pictures.
Nickelodeon and the Domo Production Committee will develop and produce a 26X2 series inspired by NHK’s popular Domo-kun character. As part of the agreement, Nicktoons has already acquired the series, marking the first time a Japanese produced property will air on a Nickelodeon network in the U.S. A premiere date for the series has not been announced. Nickelodeon and Polygon Pictures have plans to co-develop a new action-packed animated series based on Ira Ishida’s Japanese graphic novel, Akihabara@Deep.
The announcement of the landmark deal was made at the Tokyo Anime Fair today in Japan by Nickelodeon International’s SVP Steve Grieder, NHK senior corporate officer Tetso Kamemura and Polygon Pictures’ CEO/president Shuzo Shiota.
Greider points to the deals as part of Nickelodeon’s goal to establish itself as a global platform for Japanese animation. He explains, “We have a long-term commitment to invest in new creative content from Japan like Domo-kun and Akihabara, two stunningly original projects and we look forward to helping expand the influence Japan has in the kids’ entertainment arena even further around the world.”
The widely popular Domo-kun centers on Domo, the fuzzy brown cave-dweller who became an icon for Japanese kids and families when he made his first appearance as NHK’s mascot nearly a decade ago. Domo enjoys kicking back with tea, watching TV and sinking his sharp teeth into seasoned beef with potatoes He shares his underground habitat with a wise, elderly rabbit called Usajii, who has to put up with Domo’s antics, including his tendency to break wind when he gets nervous or upset.
Polygon Pictures’ Akihabars@Deep delivers a fast-paced cyber-detective thriller set in Tokyo. The prod shop’s Polygon Family is currently featured on MTV’s mobile download service Flux.
