BUTA

About BUTA

Meet BUTA, an action, adventure and comedy anime by Telecom Animation Film (2012). Here is the premise in a nutshell. The setup: Buta the sword for hire is recruited by the Tufugu Pirates on their voyage to seek a stockpile of treasure. On board he discovers the child Kitsune locked away below deck.

Soon after, after some misunderstandings and with the promise of more money, the two of them go on their own adventure. (Source: BakaBT) Note: Buta is one of the four anime works that each received 38 million yen (about US$470,000) from the "2011 Young Animator Training Project. Just like in 2010, the animation labor group received 214.5 million yen (US$2.65 million) from the Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs.

In an action series like this, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. Buta (Masaki Terasoma) and Fox (Miyuki Sawashiro) are two of the characters you will meet early. If you count yourself among viewers who like fast, high-impact fights, put it on your list. At 1 episodes in total, it is easy to plan a viewing schedule.

Production & Appeal

Telecom Animation Film is the studio behind BUTA, and its direction shapes everything from character design to motion. The action focus matters here: fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. With a 6.1/10 score, it is more of a niche pick than a universal crowd-pleaser. On the casting side, Masaki Terasoma voicing Buta gives the lead role a recognizable voice. It aired in 2012, which makes it easy to place in the wider anime calendar.