Sōta Sugahara's '5-Oku-Nen Button' Story from Minna no Tonio-chan Series Gets Anime

The short story "5-Oku-Nen Button" from Sōta Sugahara's Minna no Tonio-chan manga series is getting an anime adaptation titled 5-Oku-Nen Button: Sugahara Sōta no Short Short (500 Million Year Button - Sōta Sugahara's Short Shorts) on July 14 at 12:30 a.m. JST (effectively, July 15) on Tokyo MX and other stations. An official website opened on Tuesday and unveiled a trailer:

The anime centers on a button that grants a million yen (about US$7,415) to whomever pushes it, with the condition that they must spend 500 million years alone in an empty space. However, at the end of the 500 million years, the person's loses that memory and returns to the point in time when they pushed the button. A person with this button appears in front of 5-year-old Tonio, 14-year-old Jaibi, and 17-year-old Suneko - three siblings who need money to pay for their father's hospital treatment.

The cast includes:

• Masako Nozawa as Tonio
• Suzuko Mimori as Jaibi
• Naomi Ōzora as Suneko
• Marika Kōno as Inoue-hakase
• Shiori Mikami as Unko-chan
• Hina Yomiya as Hana-chan
• Volcano Ōta as Dragon
• Banjou Ginga as Narrator

Original creator Sugahara is directing, writing, designing characters, and acting as one of the only staff members on the project. Virtual YouTuber Koko is performing the opening theme song "TIME," and virtual YouTuber RIM is performing the ending theme song "Tick-Tock Boy."

Sugahara debuted the Minna no Tonio-chan manga series in 1999. The series inspired an animated special in 2004. The thought experiment revolving around the 500 Million Year Button has been a philosophical discussion topic in Japan ever since Sugahara's story launched.

Sources: 5-Oku-Nen Button anime's website, Comic Natalie