Japanese Studio Begins Crowdfunding for VR Anime Series

As anime continues to grow in popularity, fans and creators are looking forward to the medium's future. Studios like Trigger are exploring new ways to make anime through crowdfunding, and other companies are following in those same footsteps. Now, a new report is out about a new crowdfunded anime, but it has a twist which fans are honing in on.

After all, virtual reality anime is on the horizon, and Makuake is hoping to be on the technology's forefront.

As reported by Anime News Network, the site for Makuake is looking to produce a VR anime series through a newly debuted crowdfunding campaign. The show, which will be called Teasing Master Takagi-san, is based on a manga penned by Soichiro Yamamoto. Makuake needs to earn just under $15,000 USD to fund the film, and the studio hopes to put the show on the Oculus Rift.

Now, this will not be the first adaptation of Teasing Master Takagi-san. An anime adapted the manga title over a year ago and its second season is currently airing following a July 2019 debut. Crunchyroll and Funimation stream the anime for fans in the U.S., but this VR project will add a new layer to the show. The Oculus Rift will "allow players to join Takagi in going home from school or going to the beach."

Over on social media, fans are sharing their reactions to the VR pitch, and they seem curious about how anime might embrace the tech moving forward.

"The idea of VR anime in general is quite exciting. They don't even have to be interactive like they were a game," a fan known as MinusMentality said on Reddit.

"For an example of the possibilities.. just imagine being able to go to different areas of Ikebukuro in DRRR and witness it in first person. With a series like that, where multiple scenes often happen simultaneously, it'd be interesting to move over from area to area as multiple events play out in real time."

Currently, donations are still be accepted for the VR anime pitch, and fans are eager to see whether or not the title will reach its goal. In the past, other VR projects have been offered up for shows like Spice & Wolf which did get completely funded. The question is whether Takagi can beat the odds and convince fans to donate once more.