Fishing For a Tasty Hit (Animation Magazine)

Inspidea and SIP show appetite for sushi with Kobushi.

So you think you've heard and seen it all when it comes to concepts for animated shows for kids this fall? How about a 3 minute format about a shogun, two samurai, three ninjas and a dog made out of tofu, who are trying to outsmart each other to become the mascot of a sushi bar? That's right - bet you don't hear that very often.

The series is called Ko-bushi, a co-production between Malaysian animation studio Inspidea and French toon house SIP. As it turns out, the origins of the idea go back to 2005, when Inspidea entered it in the Singapore Super Pitch event. "The concept and the name of the project were quite different - it was more Zen, mystical and - pardon the pun - raw," says Inspidea's managing director Andrew Ooi. "After Combo Ninos, we thought it might be a good idea to work together with SIP Animation again. So we went looking for a project that is suitable for collaboration."

The team at SIP Animation, under the direction of Stephanie Kirchmeyer, liked the original concept for the show and decided to work together with Inspidea. "The project really felt right to both sides, so we went ahead and divided our duties," says Ooi. "SIP Animation refined the concept and the storytelling while we tweaked the design of the characters and the show. The end result is something we can proudly say was co-created."

Ooi points out that the design of the show is "drenched in a heavy dose of kawaii." He says everything has that special Japanese "cute flavor", which is universally admired. Another selling point is the fact that it doesn't have any spoken words, so it appeals to viewers all around the world. The 3 minute length of the show also makes it suitable for various formats - from standard broadcast to specialty channels to mobile media downloads. The producers are hoping to warp the financing in the near future and begin production by early next year and have the show debut in 2010.

Inspidea's managing director confirms that the animation scene in Malaysia is going through a renaissance of late. "There are more companies that are getting their feet wet than before," he says. "This is good because we are getting some competition, we think. The government is supportive of local entertainment industry, with friendly policies coupled with several incentives packages and tax breaks."

The team at Inspidea is also working on X3, a new spinoff of their popular series Mustang Mama. The 26 x 2 minute package follows the extreme sports themed adventures of the spirited grandma, her tough grandson Toby and Sally, her naughty pet cow!

"The challenge for Inspidea is outperforming ourselves," observes ooi. "We want to come out with new shows that are better than what we already have in terms of concept, design and storytelling. We also want to improve our animation skills so that the bar is set higher with each new show...Malaysia is exposed to both Eastern and Westren style animation. We have been this way for years! Hopefully the future kids will be influenced by Malaysian animation."