Fuji TV has launched a new late-night time slot in its program schedule for animation titled "+ Ultra." The first show being aired in the slot is "Ingress," an anime based on a smartphone game of the same name that has gained worldwide popularity.
The most notable aspect of this ambitious Japan-U.S. joint production is that most of the episodes will be available to watch online before airing on TV, in an effort to "spread anime around the world," the producers said.
"It's the right time to take on the challenge of making an anime aimed at a global audience. There's no point being hesitant," + Ultra producer Akitoshi Mori said.
His words are by no means an exaggeration. In recent years, quality animations are being viewed worldwide via streaming services such as Netflix, which also streams "Ingress." The first episode premiered on Fuji TV, but subsequent episodes have all been released online ahead of TV airings.
For the TV industry, which places a high importance on viewer ratings, this is an unusual move, but it reflects the production team's strong awareness of what is happening worldwide.
"Streaming services are thriving overseas, where there's a strong demand among viewers to watch all their favorite programs in one place," said Mori. "If people watch episodes [ahead of broadcast] on Netflix and talk about it on social media, we're hopeful that it will attract new viewers to the TV show. This is a new time slot, so I want to experiment by testing out various methods."
"Ingress" already appears to be a force that extends beyond national borders. The game, which has been downloaded more than 20 million times, was developed in 2012 by U.S.-based Niantic Inc., the company which produced the global hit game Pokemon GO.
Like Pokemon GO, "Ingress" is a location-based game that makes use of the global positioning system. Gameplay sometimes requires players to visit places of historical interest and scenic beauty.
Players are divided into two groups -- the Enlightened and the Resistance -- that battle on smartphones to control locations across the globe.
The anime version is based on the game, but the story starts in Japan. The Enlightened are depicted as a force trying to make use of "exotic matter" (XM), a material that has an effect on the evolution of mankind. The Resistance comprises those who see XM as a threat.
The protagonists are a young man and woman, both with special powers, who become involved in the conflict between the opposing forces.
The animation is produced by Craftar, which worked on "Kemushi no Boro" (Boro the Caterpillar), a short animated film directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Together with staff from Niantic, the creative team discussed the script and the characters.
"A lot of our staff members are really into Japanese anime," said Niantic's Asia-Pacific Director of Operations Masashi Kawashima. "The best of the realism-oriented U.S. influence and the easy-to-understand Japanese elements are alive in this project."
"Ingress," which airs through December, will be followed in the same + Ultra slot by the works of anime directors acclaimed at home and abroad, including "revisions" by Goro Taniguchi and "Carole & Tuesday" by Shinichiro Watanabe.
"I'd like to continue aiming to produce 'borderless' anime that appeals to foreign audiences," Mori said.
In 2005, Fuji TV started broadcasting animation in a late-night time slot -- from 0:55 a.m. on Fridays -- and earned support from domestic anime fans for such popular works as "Anohi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai" (Anohana: The Flowers We Saw That Day) and "Psycho-Pass."
As the broadcaster steers toward a worldwide audience, the focus now shifts to the growth potential of Japanese animation.
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