It has been announced that two anime works related to Ishikawa Prefecture will be broadcast on NHK Educational TV in January 2025, approximately one year after the Noto Peninsula earthquake that occurred in January this year. "ONI: Onari of the Mountain of the Gods," which was produced by Tonko House, which has studios in Berkeley, California, and Kanazawa, Ishikawa, to support the recovery from the earthquake disaster and won two categories at the 50th Annie Awards, will be broadcast from 10:00 am on January 2nd and 3rd, 2025. "Skip and Loafer," which features a town modeled after Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, will be broadcast every Sunday from January 5th at 5:00 pm.
"ONI: Oni of the Mountain of the Gods" is an original animation directed by Daisuke Tsutsumi, who served as an art director at Pixar Animation Studios and was nominated for an Academy Award in 2015 for his short animation "The Dam Keeper." The CG animation was made by staff from Japan and the United States, and the script was written by Mari Okada, who also worked on "Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day"
The story takes place in the mountain of the gods, where eight million gods and monsters live. Onari, a tomboy, admires the legendary hero "Great Hero" and aims to become a new hero. With the threat of "ONI", feared by the mountain gods since ancient times, approaching in a few months, the gods hone their skills to protect the mountain, but Onari's special powers do not appear. A new truth stands in the way of Onari, who is torn between her ideals and reality.
"Skip and Loafer" is based on a manga by Misaki Takamatsu, which is currently being serialized in "Monthly Afternoon" (Kodansha). It depicts the high school life of Mitsumi Iwakura, a "country prodigy" who graduated from a small junior high school in the countryside and entered a high-ranking high school in Tokyo with top grades. The anime is directed by Kotomi Deai, who has worked on "Rolling☆Girls" and other series, and is also in charge of series composition. It was produced by PAWORKS, who has worked on "Ya Boy Kongming!," "SHIROBAKO," and "Aquatope of White Sand." It aired from April to June 2023.
