Prima Doll Anime Gets 4-Part 'Kinetic Novel' in 2023

The official website of Visual Arts/Key's mixed media project Prima Doll announced on Saturday that the anime will get a four-part kinetic novel. The first three parts will debut in 2023, and the fourth part will launch in 2024. The kinetic novel will feature new scenarios, visuals, and music.

The first part will be a novel version of a prequel that features Haizakura and Karasuba. The second part will be a prequel about Hо̄kiboshi. The third part will be a sequel to the anime. The fourth part will also be a sequel that shows the aftermath of the Kuronekotei coffee shop.

Tōya Okano, who handles screenplay and series composition for the anime, is in charge of the main composition for the kinetic novels. Bibury Animation Studio is handling the illustrations.

The anime premiered on Tokyo MX and MBS on July 8. Sentai Filmworks licensed the anime and is streaming it exclusively on HIDIVE worldwide excluding Asia as it airs in Japan. The company will also release the anime on home video.

The anime's cast includes Azumi Waki as Haizakura, Tomori Kusunoki as Karasuba, Miyu Tomita as Gekka, Yuki Nakashima as Hо̄kiboshi, Akari Kitō as Retzel, Ayumu Murase as Nagi Tōma, Misaki Kuno as Chiyo, Ayaka Suwa as Otome Okunomiya, and Mikako Komatsu as Yūgiri.

Tensho (Azur Lane, Rewrite) is directing the anime at Bibury Animation Studio. Tōya Okano and KAI are in charge of the screenplay and series composition. Akane Yano is designing the characters and is also the chief animation director. Na-Ga, Fuzichoco, Yui Hara, En Morikura, and lack are credited as the original character designers.

Chat Noir, a group comprised of the anime's five main voice actresses as their characters, are performing the opening theme song "Tin Toy Melody," as well as a song from the franchise titled "Yumesaki Hare Butai."

The project centers on autonomous mechanical dolls, or automata. They work at Kuronekotei, a coffee shop that sits at the corner of the fifth district of the imperial capital. However, they were originally made as weapons for a great war that ended a few years ago. Now, they have been restored and dressed in shiny kimonos.

The franchise will have two different manga adaptations. The first is Prima Doll New Order, which will run under Kadokawa's Dengeki G's Comic manga label on the ComicWalker and Nico Nico Seiga websites. Yuriko Asami, who previously drew the Angel Beats!: Heaven's Door and Angel Beats! -The Last Operation for Visual Arts/Key's Angel Beats! project, will draw the manga.

The second manga, Prima Doll ~Yōkoso Kuronekotei e~, will run on the Comic Bushiroad web manga site. Daiko Toda will draw the manga.

Visual Arts/Key announced the project in October 2020. The project also includes figures by Kotobukiya, a short story serialization, and web novels.

Sources: Prima Doll franchise's website, Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web