Rita et Machin Anime Announced

My illusion of a Michiko to Hatchin spin-off was shattered in the first second of reading ANN's report about a newly announced anime, vaguely similarly titled Rita et Machin. The part that blew it was "French books" - which are the source of inspiration for said anime, currently in the works at Nippon Animation.



By no small coincidence, Nippon Animation is also adapting another francophone book as Konnichiwa Anne for an April 5 debut on Japanese television. Not to mention the anime version of Les Miserables that aired in 2007, and several other foreign-inspired works. Which begs the question: why would they call themselves "Nippon Animation"?!

But anyway, getting back on topic, Rita et Machin (Rita and Machin) is a picture book series by French authors Jean-Philippe Arrou-Vignod and Olivier Tallec, about a 5-year-old girl Rita and an her lazy dog Machin. A perfect fit for a slice-of-life anime, apparently set for release in 2009 from what I gather on its official website.