Business Fish (ビジネスフィッシュ, Bijinesu Fisshu) is a fictional character created by Yuichiro Ohno and produced by the Japanese company Quan, Inc. Featuring a salaryman with the head of a fish, the character has been featured in a web comic series by Quan, Inc., as well as being known for its stickers on Facebook and Line.[1][2] A 3D motion-capture anime series aired on Tokyo MX from July 7 to August 11, 2019.[3]
| Business Fish | |
| ビジネスフィッシュ | |
|---|---|
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Takashi Sumida |
| Written by | Ohkura |
| Studio | IANDA |
| Original network | Tokyo MX, BS11, Hulu |
| Original run | July 7, 2019 – August 11, 2019 |
| Episodes | 12 |
Background and creation
editBusiness Fish was created by Yuichiro Ohno and published by Quan, Inc.[4] Ohno posted several web comics with Quan, Inc. featuring Business Fish. A sticker sets featuring the character were released in 2015 on Facebook and Line.[2] The Facebook sticker set was downloaded 250,000,000 times worldwide.[5]
Characters
editThe original creation concept and web comic focused on Business Fish, a white-collared salaryman who often skips work but uses his abilities to help people in need. Other characters who appeared in the web comic include Craig,[a] Business Fish's colleague; Chairman, Business Fish's best friend; Octopus CEO, the CEO of the company; Dog, Business Fish's pet dog; Manager, Business Fish's manager; Amuro, a colleague from the R&D section of the company; and Lady Fish, Business Fish's older sister.[7]
Anime adaptation
edit- Tai Uowaki (魚脇 タイ, Uowaki Tai)
- Voiced by: Takuya Nagaoka[3]
- Tai is a salaryman with the head of a fish, working at Sea Vision. He feels inadequate about his life.
- Mai Otohime (乙姫 舞, Otohime Mai)
- Voiced by: Rena Takeda[3]
- Otohime is Tai's high school classmate who was popular when they were students. She and Tai begin dating.
- Fudō Umino (海野 ぶどう, Umino Fudō)
- Voiced by: Motoki Ochiai[3]
- Fudō is Tai's junior colleague, who Tai feels is irresponsible.
- Hachio Takoyama (蛸山 八男, Takoyama Hachio)
- Voiced by: Ryosuke Takei[3]
- Hachio is Tai's colleague and confidant.
- Ebika Ise (伊勢 えびか, Ise Ebika)
- Voiced by: Takemi Fujii[3]
- Ebika is Tai's colleague with the head of a shrimp.
- Asase (浅瀬課長, Asase-kachō)
- Voiced by: Hiroki Ōtsu[3]
- Asase is the chief of Tai's department.
- Mosugu Isono (磯野 もずく, Isono Mosugu)
- Voiced by: Yua Shiraishi[3]
- Mosugu is Tai's colleague.
- Ika (IKAちゃん, Ika-chan)
- Voiced by: Kenshō Ono[3]
- Ika is a fashionable employee of a café with the head of a squid.
Media
editAnime
editIn June 2019, Quan, Inc. announced that a joint partnership had been formed with Toho to create and distribute a 3D CG anime adaptation based on the original Business Fish character.[8] The series began airing on Tokyo MX, BS11, and Hulu from July 7 to August 11, 2019.[b] The series is directed by Takashi Sumida, who created the drama Kakū OL Nikki, with animation provided by IANDA. The voice cast features a variety of Japanese actors, television personalities, and voice actors, who were selected out of 100 applicants and provided the motion capture for their characters.[2][9] The ending theme song is "Don't Stop Moving" by Sarah Kelly, and the animation featured in the ending sequence was motion captured by dance group Shit Kingz.[3][10]
Episode list
edit| No. | Title | Writer | Original release date | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Supporting Character Elite" Transliteration: "Wakiyaku no Toppu" (Japanese: 脇役のトップ) | Unknown | July 7, 2019 | |||||
| 2 | "Tai-me to Break Up" Transliteration: "Wakaretai" (Japanese: 別れタイ) | |||||||
|
Tai, who desperately wants to be seen as the main character instead of a supporting character, runs into Otohime, a popular classmate from his high school, and decides to ask her out as he consults Hachio for advice. However, his feelings of inadequacy get in the way of their relationship. | ||||||||
| 3 | "Uowaki's Harassment" Transliteration: "Uowaki no Harasumento" (Japanese: 魚脇のハラスメント) | Unknown | July 14, 2019 | |||||
| 4 | "Ika's Concerns" Transliteration: "Ika-chan no Nayami" (Japanese: IKAちゃんの悩み) | |||||||
| 5 | "Nobody Compliments Me, So I'm Not Complimenting Anyone" Transliteration: "Ore ga Hito Kara Homerarenai no wa Dare no Koto mo Homenai Kara da" (Japanese: 俺が人から褒められないのは誰のことも褒めないからだ) | Unknown | July 21, 2019 | |||||
| 6 | "Tai-me To Call Me By My First Name!" Transliteration: "Tai tte Yobaretai!" (Japanese: タイって呼ばれタイ！) | |||||||
| 7 | "Chief Asase's Challenge" Transliteration: "Asase-kachō no Chōsen" (Japanese: 浅瀬課長の挑戦) | Unknown | July 28, 2019 | |||||
| 8 | "What's Otohime's First Name?" Transliteration: "Otohime-san no Na wa?" (Japanese: 乙姫さんの名は？) | |||||||
| 9 | Transliteration: "Uowaki, Oyogase Oyogasare" (Japanese: 魚脇、泳がせ泳がされ) | Unknown | August 4, 2019 | |||||
| 10 | "Otohime and Tai's Relationship" Transliteration: "Otohime-san to Tai na Kankei" (Japanese: 乙姫さんとタイな関係) | |||||||
| 11 | "Tai Uowaki, Viral on Social Media!" Transliteration: "Uowaki Tai, SNS de Dai Bazuri!" (Japanese: 魚脇タイ、SNSで大バズリ！) | Unknown | August 11, 2019 | |||||
| 12 | "Responsibility of the Lead Actor" Transliteration: "Shuyaku no Sekinin" (Japanese: 主役の責任) | |||||||
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ Dredge, Stuart (February 19, 2015). "What is Business Fish and why is he in your Facebook comments?". The Guardian. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
- ^ a b c Dennison, Kara (June 21, 2019). "Business Fish Makes the Jump from LINE Stamp to Anime Star". Crunchyroll. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Hodgkins, Crystalyn (June 21, 2019). "Business Fish 'Motion Capture Anime' Announced With July 7 Premiere". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
- ^ "PROFILE - ビジネスフィッシュ / おどるモワイくん / Mr.Egg / キャラクターデザイナー、イラストレーター、クリエーター". Yuichiro Ohno (in Japanese). Retrieved August 12, 2019.
- ^ "新時代のサラリーマンキャラ「ビジネスフィッシュ」東宝が開発・発信へ 頭は魚、体は人間". Oricon (in Japanese). June 5, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
- ^ "ビジネスフィッシュ - Quan Inc". Quan, Inc. (in Japanese). Retrieved August 15, 2019.
- ^ a b "Business Fish - Quan Inc". Quan, Inc. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
- ^ "スタンプ発、世界２.５億ダウンロード超のキャラクター「ビジネスフィッシュ」を"全編モーション・キャプチャー"で東宝がTVアニメシリーズ化！". PR Times (in Japanese). June 21, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
- ^ "声優×俳優×タレント... "体は人間、頭は魚"なサラリーマン描くTVアニメ「ビジネスフィッシュ」7月放送". Anime! Anime! (in Japanese). June 21, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
- ^ "アニメ「ビジネスフィッシュ」頭は魚、体は人間の会社員がキレキレダンス披露". Natalie (in Japanese). July 8, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
External links
edit- Official website
- Official anime television series website
- Business Fish (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia