TOHO began streaming a teaser video on Saturday for Pui Pui Molcar the Movie: MOLMAX, the all-new 3D CG anime film (as opposed to the stop-motion animation of the previous series) for Shinei Animation‘s Pui Pui Molcar stop-motion anime series.
The film’s website also revealed the characters for the previously revealed cast members. Masaki Aiba voices the CEO of the “Many Many Eyes Company,” while Akio Ōtsuka voices Dodge’s driver. While the series has shown human characters before, these will be the first with any voiced lines. This will also be Aiba’ first time voice acting in an anime film.
©見里朝希／PUI PUI モルカー製作委員会
The film will open in Japan on November 29.
The film’s story begins with the emergence of the first high-tech molcar in Molcity, with drivers beginning to ride state-of-the-art AI-driven Molcars. Potato and friends get involved in a chase between a mysterious organization and a Molcar AI named Kanon, and are saved by a talented driver. Potato finds out that the driver is in search of his missing Molcar Dodge, and gets the idea to use Kanon’s AI functionality to help with the search.
Mankyū (Sumikkogurashi – Good to be in the corner, Migi & Dali, The IDOLM@STER Shiny Colors) is directing the film, with original Pui Pui Molcar stop-motion series director Tomoki Misato credited as chief supervisor. Yuuko Kakihara (Chihayafuru season 2 and 3, Cells at Work!, Buddy Daddies) is penning the script.
The stop-motion series premiered in January 2021 within TV Tokyo‘s Kinder TV children’s variety program. The series centers on guinea pigs who have become cars (the title word “Molcar” combines “car” with “morumotto,” the Japanese word for “guinea pig” and a variant of the English word “marmot”). Netflix began streaming the series worldwide outside of some Asian territories in March 2021. Tobidase! Narase! Pui Pui Molcar, the series’ compilation film, opened in Japan in July 2021.
The series utilizes stop-motion animated puppets made of wool felt.
This series marked Tomoki Misato‘s directorial debut on an animated television series. Misato also wrote the script, and he worked on the storyboards along with Hana Ono and Kei Sato. The series’ animators included Misato, Ikuko Iwatsuki, Kei Sato, and Makoto Takano. The artists included Misato, Ikuko Iwatsuki, Kei Sato, Harune Satō, and Michiko Kaihatsu. Shōta Kowashi composed the music.
The franchise also inspired the Pui Pui Molcar Mogu Mogu Parking smartphone game, which launched in July 2021.
Shinei Animation produces Crayon Shin-chan and Doraemon, among other titles. Wit Studio established a stop-motion studio with Misato in December 2020.
Sources: Pui Pui Molcar anime’s website, Comic Natalie
