KickStart This: Chika Chika Idol

Thanks to the success of shows like Love Live Idol anime- anime that centres around fictional and (more often than not female) J-pop stars and groups- is very much in vogue right now. It's popular with those behind the scenes too, because thanks to tie-ins with music and real life idols, it can be pretty lucrative. Chika Chika Idol is a new anime project launching a crowdfunding campaign that hopes to ride the crest of this particular wave.

Chika Chika Idol follows a group of 'Underground Idols', three girls who long to become idols, but don't belong to a talent agency, and have never released a single album. It will show their efforts to overcome the odds and reach their dreams and will feature "the high energy performances of an idol concert." The project will be made using CG but employ cel-shading technique to make it look like more traditional anime.




The short is being made by a brand new animation studio Symphonium, and will be directed by Hiroshi Nishikiori- director of Azumanga Daioh and A Certain Magical Index. $25 will bag you a download and $55 a Blu-ray copy. The finished film will run for "15 minutes (at minimum!)" with the running time increasing if the project exceeds the minimum $130,000 goal.

This is the culmination of a multi-media project that includes a 4-minute promotional video and a manga- the English version of which can be read for free here. This is actually the second part of the campaign, with the other half currently live on the Japanese crowdfunding site Makuake.

 The asking price seems a little steep considering the short run-time, but if idol anime is your thing you might think it's worth it. Idol anime is definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but if you're one of its many fans, this might be for you. You can get a taste of the finished project via the promo below, and if it seems like something you'd like to help make a reality, head over to the Kickstarter page and lend the project your support. The campaign runs until March 24th.