The 2007 supernatural anime Mononoke has launched a project to commemorate its 15th anniversary.
Part of the project is a spin-off light novel titled Mononoke: Shu, which is written by Hideyuki Niki with cover art by Oku. The story will see the Medicine Seller dealing with various spirits, including a princess who appears at night at a castle tower near Lake Inawashiro, a fox spirit, and a ferocious yokai that appears on old battlefields. The light novel will be released on June 10 and will be published under the Kadokawa Bunko label..
Meanwhile, a commemoration event will be held on June 18 with appearances from director Kenji Nakamura (Gatachman Crowds: Insight), Medicine Seller voice actor Takahiro Sakurai, and producer Kouji Yamamoto. It will be held at the Fuji TV Multi Theater and will be streamed via YouTube Live.
Additionally, there is a Twitter campaign where fans can post about their favorite “famous scene” from the show (based on the options provided on the campaign’s webpage) and stand a chance to win an exclusive 15th anniversary calendar. 30 winners will be selected. The campaign will run until August 14.
Comments from Nakamura and Sakurai were also released.
Mononoke was produced by Toei Animation, with the main staff including Takashi Hashimoto (Gekijoban Revue Starlight co-main animator) as character designer and chief animation director and Michiko Yokote (The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody), Chiaki J. Konaka (Ghost Hound), Ikuko Takahashi (Healin’ Good Precure), and Manabu Ishikawa (Your Voice -Kimiko-) as scriptwriters. The anime is a spin-off of 2006’s Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales.
Crunchyroll describes the anime as:
In feudal Japan, evil spirits known as mononoke plague the countryside, leaving a trail of fear in their wake. One mysterious person has the power to slay the mononoke where they stand; he is known as the Medicine Seller, and he vanquishes the spirits using the power of his Exorcism Sword. In order to draw his sword he must understand the Form, Truth and Reason of the mononoke. Armed with a sharp wit, the Medicine Seller wanders from place to place, striking down the evil spirits in his wake.