At the last minute, the Under the Dog anime project appears to have found some very generous Kickstarter backers and has shot past its funding goal of $580,000. The project now sits comfortably at $671,000 and will ensure that the first 24-minute film (in a planned trilogy) is released.
Under the Dog is a science fiction thriller that takes place in a future where students with gifted abilities are coerced and trained into serving an elite unit that is tasked with exterminating potential terrorist threats—including others with powers like their own. Character designs for the show are being handled by Fire Emblem’s Yusuke Kozaki, while Jiro Ishii is penning the story.
In a recent AMA on Reddit, Under the Dog producer Hiroaki Yura addressed the fact that producing anime today can be creatively restricting due to the politics involved when depending on anime production committees, which have developed a reputation of being risk-averse. Yura has said that he hopes Under the Dog will help inspire other creators to turn to their fans for production support and funding as well.
