It has been announced that a short spin-off anime, "Heidi, Girl of the Alps," called "Heidi's Grandfather," will be produced and distributed on YouTube and other platforms every Wednesday at 7 a.m. starting December 18. The main character is an old man who constantly pokes fun at Heidi and Peter, who make silly faces. The short comedy anime is entirely in the Kansai dialect.
"Heidi's Grandfather" will be produced as the second installment of the second season of the short anime distribution project "Sukimano Anime" by KDDI and DLE. Soroya, known for "Soroya's Animetchi," which became a hot topic on YouTube and TikTok, will be the director and scriptwriter. Comedians Naoki Fujiwara and Naoki Fujiwara will play all the characters.
"Heidi, Girl of the Alps" is based on a novel by Swiss author Johanna Spyri. It was first animated in Japan in 1974, directed by the late Isao Takahata and with scene settings and screen composition by Hayao Miyazaki. Set in the vast wilderness of the Swiss Alps, it depicts the growth of the young girl Heidi and her interactions with the people and animals that surround her.
