The Art Moving Company has its own anime adaptation that is appropriately titled Move to the Future. Remember, this is a moving company, and they had enough money and brilliance to hire studios Signal.MD and Studio Bind to create an anime OVA based on a fictional version of their company. This is essentially a commercial, but it’s done quite well.
For those interested in seeing the world envisioned by two talented studios and a moving company that may or may not have advanced technology beyond what the world currently possesses, there is a Move to the Future promotional home page, as well as an official Twitter page, and a home page for the Art Moving Company itself, in case you happen to be in Japan and need a moving company, that may or may not have a sentient robot on staff.
We Want to Talk About the Designer
Move to the Future primarily follows Izumi-chan (voiced by Kana Hanazawa), an ordinary girl who is moving. She hires Art Company to help, and Arbot (voiced by Akira Ishida), an Art Moving Company robot from the future, arrives to help her. He also takes her to his time, in the far future when flying cars and robots are more commonplace.
The episodes cover different aspects of moving, while exploring who Izumi-chan and Arbot are, and what sort of bond they have. In later episodes, the two discuss the company’s brilliant scientist and designer, who seems to be in a creative slump with no way forward. That is until Izumi-chan arrives from the present day.
Move to the Future Origins
It’s an OVA based on a real-world moving company. As previously stated, it’s a high-quality commercial that has enough plot for people to ignore that it’s a commercial for the Art Moving Company. The series is directed by Aiura Kazuya and Hori Motonobu, and the characters were designed by Hori Motonobu.
Thus far, Move to the Future has seven episodes out, all of which are freely available on the Art Moving Company YouTube page. The most recent episode is titled Arbot no Omoi (Arbot’s Wishes), and it’s best to watch them in order. Western fans with no knowledge of the Japanese language might have to rely on context clues, since there are no English subtitles.
For those who saw Arbot and thought “but what if there was a waifu bot?,” the J-List shop has you covered. The Polynian FMM Clover Black Flesh/Tripholy Action Figure has a great mix of cute girl and a robot aesthetic to suit your needs.
What do you make of this futuristic moving anime OVA? Can you name other companies that have used anime to push their products in such a pointed fashion? Are you moving soon, and in need of a company to assist? Let us know in the comments below.
