Aniplex Announces 2021 Release of Hula Fulla Dance

Shinya Watada’s Hula Fulla Dance is an upcoming original anime film about Hiwa Natsunagi who takes up the job of a hula dancer at a Spa Resort though she is not any good at it.


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Set in Miyagi prefecture, it joins two other anime that will be produced by Zutto Ouen. Project 2011 + 10 namely, Bakuten!!

And Misaki no Mayoiga for a large initiative to promote Fukushima, Miyagi, and Iwate, the three prefectures which were most affected by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

The main character, #Natsunagi Hiwa, will be the first starring in the original anime movie #Haruka Fukuhara Sunflower

Sparkles is a new member of society, a new dancer, and a charming performer of Hiwa, who is struggling to make her stage debut, following her sister who was a hula girl.

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Aniplex announced that it will be producing the original anime film, Hula Fulla Dance which is set to premiere in Japan by early summer 2021. The teaser visual, promotional video and staff and cast information were also released.

Aniplex Announces 2021 Release Of Hula Fulla Dance
Hula Fulla Dance | Source: Crunchyroll

The teaser visual features Hiwa Natsunagi surrounded by yellow flowers looking straight ahead. A visual featuring Haraku Fukuhara who is set to voice Hiwa was revealed along with this.

The 45-second PV is composed of live-action footage of the iconic places featured in the anime.

The Fukushima Prefecture, the Spa Resort Hawaiians where Hiwa eventually starts working and, lastly the beautiful scenery of Iwaki City were brilliantly captured.

The staff and cast of the movie include:

PositionStaffOther works
StudioBandai Namco PicturesGintama
DirectorShinya WatadaAikatsu Stars!
ScreenplayReiko YoshidaViolet Evergarden
MusicMichiru OshimaSnow White with the Red Hair
Character designHiroko YaguchiAikatsu!
CharacterCastOther works
Hiwa NatsunagiHaruka FukuharaYui Nishida (After the Rain)
Aniplex Announces 2021 Release Of Hula Fulla Dance
Hula Fulla Dance | Source: Crunchyroll

The team has come up with a Twitter account for the protagonist, Hiwa Natsunagi to post details about her daily struggle as rookie hula girl and some trivia about the art of hula dancing from her perspective.

There are posts with reference to Iwaki City and the prefecture.

Hiwa Natsunagi aspires to be a hula dancer though being a novice at it. She takes up the job as a hula dancer at the real-life Spa Resort Hawaiians hotel.

The film showcases the relationship between Hiwa and her colleagues. The 2006 film, Hula Girls was also set in the same hotel in Iwaki city. Hulaing Babies anime which is set in Iwaki was also about hula dancing.

About Hula Fulla Dance

“Hula Hula Dance” is one of “Zutto Ouen. Project 2011 + 10 …”, which produces three anime works set in the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

It is about a Hiwa Natsunagi, a 19 year old rookie member of the Hawaiians Dancing Team at Spa Resort Hawaiians.

Set in Fukushima Prefecture, the character was created by BN Pictures in September 2020 to support the tourism of Iwaki-city.

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