The official website of P.A. Works’ (Shirobako, Angel Beats!) Sakura Quest anime has revealed the first details for the Blu-ray and DVD releases of the anime. The volume listings have revealed that the original TV anime series will be a 2 cour series, running for a total of 25 episodes.
There will be a total of 7 Blu-ray and DVD volumes. Volumes 1, 4 and 7 will each contain 3 episodes whilst volumes 2, 3, 5 and 6 will feature 4 episodes each.
The first Blu-ray and DVD volume will release on July 19th, with the Blu-ray retailing for ¥7,300 (~ US$66.90) without tax and the DVD retailing for ¥6,300 (~ US$57.75) without tax. First print editions of the volumes will contain:
- Episodes 1, 2 and 3
- A special box drawn by BUNBUN (above)
- An episode of the web radio
- Special footage with the main cast
- Audio commentary
Here is the commercial for the first Blu-ray and DVD volume:
The release date of the other volumes are:
- Volume 2: Episodes 4, 5, 6, 7 – August 9th
- Volume 3: Episodes 8, 9, 10, 11 – September 13th
- Volume 4: Episodes 12, 13, 14 – October 18th
- Volume 5: Episodes 15, 16, 17, 18 – November 15th
- Volume 6: Episodes 19, 20, 21, 22 – December 13th
- Volume 7: Episodes 23, 24, 25 – January 17th, 2017
There will also be bonus items if fans pre-order the volumes at certain retailers. Some of the pre-order bonuses include:
Toho online store:
- A still image of Shiori Shinomiya signed by her voice actress Reina Ueda
- A fabric poster drawn by BUNBUN
Animate:
- A still image of Yoshino Koharu signed by her voice actress Ayaka Nanase
- A passport style folder with a photo of the main characters
Amazon Japan:
- A still image of Ririko Oribe signed by her voice actress Chiemi Tanaka
- An A3 sized tapestry of the main characters
sofmap:
- A still image of Sanae Kouzuki signed by her voice actress Mikako Komatsu
- A B2 sized poster of the main characters
Episodes of Sakura Quest premiere every Wednesday on Tokyo MX and ATX at Midnight (effectively Thursday), on ABC Asahi on Thursdays at 2:44am JST and on BS11 at Thursday midnight (effectively Fridays).
The main cast are as follows:
- Ayaka Nanase (Osamu in Boku dake ga Inai Machi) will lead as Yoshino Koharu
- Reina Ueda (Naru Sekiya in Hanayamata) voicing as Shiori Shinomiya
- Chika Anzai (Reina Kousaka from Hibike! Euphonium) as Maki Midorikawa
- Chiemi Tanaka (Sasame Tsuji in Sansha Sanyou) will voice Ririko Oribe
- Mikako Komatsu (Neko in K) voices Sanae Kouzuki
The currently revealed production staff includes:
- Director: Soichi Masui (Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV, Hitsugi no Chaika)
- Series Composer: Masahiro Yokotani (Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu, Free!)
- Original Character Designer: BUNBUN (Shuumatsu no Izetta, Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru)
- Anime Character Designer: Kanami Sekiguchi (Shirobako, Charlotte)
- P.A. Works (Shirobako, Angel Beats!)
The Japanese band (K)NoW_NAME performs the anime’s Opening song Morning Glory and the Ending theme Freesia.
Here is the anime’s latest promotional video:
The anime itself is the third instalment in the P.A. Works’ series about people working at their jobs, following the 2011 anime Hanasaku Iroha and the 2014 anime Shirobako.
Sakura Quest is set in a small Japanese town following 5 girls who have just been hired to work at the local tourism bureau. The town hopes that the bureau will be able to revive the town’s popularity and to put it back on the map.
Here is the series synopsis from MAL:
In the wake of a nationwide movement during the Bubble economy period, a small town in the countryside has revived its “mini-nation” tourism program; hiring five girls as travel ambassadors. The series will follow a year’s time of the five girls as they work in the tourism agency of a small failing town in an effort to reinvigorate it.
The Sakura Quest anime, an original series about a failing tourism bureau in a small town, airs on Tokyo MX every Wednesday at midnight (effectively Thursday). The anime will run for a total of 25 episodes over 2 cours.
You can visit the anime’s website here: http://sakura-quest.com/
And you can follow their Twitter: @manoyama_PR
“Sakura Quest”, images, videos, and all associated brands and titles © 2017 P.A. Works and the Sakura Quest Production Committee