Toji no Miko Franchise Gets Mini Toji TV Anime in January

A Saturday Niconico Live cast special for the Toji no Miko franchise announced Mini Toji, a television anime featuring mini versions of the characters from the previous Katana Maidens: Toji no Miko television anime and Toji no Miko: Kizamishi Issen no Tomoshibi smartphone game. The anime will premiere in January.

Yuu Nobuta (High School Fleet) is directing the new anime at project No.9 (Angel's 3Piece, Pastel Memories, Momo Kyun Sword), and Meme Meme's Aoi Akashiro (Classroom of the Elite, Fuuka, Killing Bites) is in charge of the series scripts. Hiromi Ogata (Magic Kaito 1412) is serving as character designer and chief animation director.

The cast members reprising their roles from the previous Toji no Miko television anime include:

·         Kaede Hondo as Kanami Etō

·         Saori Ōnishi as Hiyori Jūjō

·         Azumi Waki as Mai Yanase

·         Hina Kino as Sayaka Itomi

·         Risae Matsuda as Kaoru Mashiko

·         Eri Suzuki as Erin Kohagura

The cast members from the Toji no Miko: Kizamishi Issen no Tomoshibi game include:

·         Himika Akaneya as Mihono Asakura

·         Kaori Ishihara as Chie Setouchi

·         Hiromi Igarashi as Kofuki Shichinosato

·         Akane Fujita as Kiyoka Musumi

Manami Numakura as Miruya Kitora

Studio Gokumi's original 24-episode television anime project Katana Maidens: Toji no Miko (The Shrine Maiden Swordwielders) premiered on January 5. Crunchyroll streamed the series as it aired in Japan, and Funimation debuted its English dub on January 21.

In the television anime's story, since ancient times, shrine maidens who wield swords have been exorcising "aratama," strange existences that threaten the human world. These young women who wear school uniforms and a sword are called "Toji," and they serve as an official unit within the police force as a "special religious service police squad." The government authorizes the Toji to wear swords and serve as government officials, and the government has set up five schools throughout the country for the girls to attend.

The girls live ordinary school lives, while occasionally performing their duties, wielding their swords and using various powers to fight and protect the people. In the spring, the five schools send their best Toji to compete in a tournament. As the tournament comes closer, all of the representatives rigorously train themselves in order to get stronger and improve their skills.

The Toji no Miko: Kizamishi Issen no Tomoshibi smartphone game launched for iOS and Android devices in Japan on March 19. Sakae Saito (Kantai Collection -KanColle- - Itsuka Shizuka na Umi de, Heavy Object S, Buddy Complex: Senjō no Coupling) launched a manga adaptation of the anime in Kadokawa's Monthly Shōnen Ace magazine on October 26.

A stage play featuring members of the idol group SKE48 just started its five-day run on Saturday. Tokyo's Asakusabashi Hulic Hall will host two sessions of a public recording event for Hondo Kaede no Toji-Raji!, the net radio program hosted by Hondo, with guest Ōnishi on December 29.

Sources: Mini Toji anime's official website, MoCa News, Comic Natalie