'Tamagotchi' Gets 1st Anime Film Short in 9 Years

By R. A. Jayme - 02 Nov '16 09:34AM

Bandai's official Tamagotchi website announced on Tuesday that a new short film will screen alongside the "Kami-sama Minarai: Himitsu no Cocotama" (God Apprentices: Secretive Cocotama) anime film.

The short, "Eiga Tamagotchi: Himitsu no Otodake Daisakusen" (Tamagotchi the Movie: Great Secret Delivery Strategy), will be the first theatrical screening for Tamagotchi in nine years. Both films will open in theaters during Japan's Golden Week stretch of holidays in late April to early May.

OLM's Jouji Shimura, who previously worked on the "Tamagotchi" TV anime series from 2009 to 2015, is attached direct on a screenplay by Hiroshi Yamaguchi (World Break: Aria of Curse for a Holy Swordsman, Sky Wizards Academy). Popular anime voice actress Rie Kugimiya (Kagura in Gintama, Iori Minase in The Idolm@ster), who has voiced the protagonist character Mametchi in the TV anime series, is confirmed to reprise the role, according to Crunchy Roll.

The short will include some nostalgic elements so parents and children can enjoy it as a celebration for Tamagotchi franchise's 20th anniversary. Bandai launched the "Tamagotchi" franchise in 1996 and sold about 40 million virtual pets in that first batch.

The company then revived the brand in 2004 and sold more than 38 million more Tamagotchis, 1.72 million of them in the Tamagotchi ID line that launched in 2009. As of the end of March 2016, the franchise has sold more than 81 million handheld games worldwide, according to Anime News Network.

The first two "Tamagotchi" television anime series were the 1997-1998 Anime TV de "Hakken!Tamagotchi" television series and the 2007-2008 "Saikō! Tamagotchi." A new "Tamagotchi!" television anime premiered in 2009, and the "Tamagotchi! Yume Kira Dream" television anime followed in 2012.

Bandai then debuted the "Tamagotchi! Miracle Friends" television anime in 2013, the "Go-Go Tamagotchi!" anime series in April 2014, and the "Tamagotchi! Tama Tomo Daishū GO!" anime in April 2015.

This new Anime movie short comes with a new character named "Teppuru." The last Tamagotchi feature film was released back in 2008 "Eiga! Tamagotchi Uchū Ichi Happy na Monogatari!?."according to MStar News. Watch a Bandai's video uploaded via YouTube titled "Perfect in the Morning! Tamagotchi School" below.