Tabihani: Kyoto Arc (Tabihani Kyoto Edition) is the first anime movie from studio hb (yes, they use all under case letters), and it proved a stunning success on the crowdfunding platform Camp Fire, reaching well above the ¥500,000 ($3,674.40 USD) studio hb was asking for.
The movie is relatively simple at first glance, it’s two girls traveling around Japan and seeing interesting sights. The first screening event will be held in Kyoto on April 8th, so people interested in the movie will have to content themselves with the newest trailer until then.
For those just learning about Tabihani: Kyoto Arc, studio hb previously released the first 90 seconds of the movie some months back.
Further information and updates about Tabihani: Kyoto Arc can be found on studio hb’s home page, a promotional home page for Tabihani: Kyoto Arc, and an official Twitter account, where extra content like the visual key below can be found.
The character designer Hajime Mitsuda, who previously worked on Kiratto Pri☆chan, posted a special illustration to celebrate the wildly successful crowdfunding effort.
【ご報告】キャラクターデザインの満田一さんからクラファン御礼＆応援イラストが到着しました！ by 旅するアニメプロジェクト「#旅はに ～京都編～」応援企画 https://t.co/fvDenhMU33 @tabihani_PRより pic.twitter.com/bIw2Zu41a0
— 旅はに公式 (@tabihani_PR) February 25, 2023
Akari Yasima and Nagi Kitayama Explore Japan & Find Onee-san
Tabihani: Kyoto Arc follows two school girls, Akari Yasima and Nagi Kitayama. Akari is prompted into this exploration by her travel-loving Onee-san, though whether she is related to this person or not is unclear, since Onee-san can refer to any older woman. Akari and her friend Nagi set out to see every spot Akari’s Onee-san used to visit. Why this woman stopped her travels is unclear. It’s likely more will be explained closer to the premiere date.
Studio hb’s Efforts to Make Tabihani: Kyoto Arc
Studio hb first began work on its first big project back in 2020. However, they didn’t have a production committee or sponsorship, and they were short on staff, so they turned to crowdfunding. By employing crowdfunding efforts, not only could they make their dreams a reality, but they also hoped to generate interest in their work. They launched their crowdfunding page on December 29th, 2022, and to put it simply: it worked incredibly well.
As previously stated, studio hb set a funding goal of ¥500,000 ($3,674.40). By the end of it, they had earned ¥1,391,500 ($10,227.04) from 153 people, an estimated 278% of their goal. All of this can be seen on their Camp Fire page, along with character sketches.
Only a couple of production staff members have been revealed thus far, but they are stellar names. The director Kazuya Sakamoto began his tenure in animation at the famed Kyoto Animation, and currently works at Laiden Film Kyoto Studio. As previously stated, Hajime Mitsuda of Kiratto Pri☆chan fame is the character designer. Miyu Tomita, Akari Yasima’s voice actress, also provided the voice of Otako from Please Tell Me! Galko-chan. Kaori Maeda, who voiced Sabine in Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World and Lexia Von Arcelia from Cheat Skill in Another World is also attached to the project.
Despite the incredible talent at the helm, even the best of animation studios have shut their doors for good, so it is hoped that the incredible response to their crowdfunding efforts carry through and anime fans can see incredible works from them in the future.
Are you looking forward to Tabihani: Kyoto Arc? Did you donate to their crowdfunding efforts? Let us know in the comments below.
