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Hachigatsu no Cinderella Nine Smartphone Game Inspires Net Anime Shorts

The official website of Akatsuki and Kadokawa's Hachigatsu no Cinderella Nine smartphone game began streaming two episodes of the Katato THE Animation animated shorts this week. The shorts adapt the four-panel Hachi Nai Gaiden: Senryoku Gai! Katato-chan spinoff manga that is serialized on the website. Pop Team Epic manga creator Bkub Ōkawa draws the manga.

The first episode introduces first-year high school student Katato Ikusa, when a young woman named Tsubasa shows up asking if she loves baseball. When Katato answers yes, Tsubasa hugs her, excited to meet a baseball club member.

The second episode features Tsubasa asking Katato what her strong point is, and she demonstrates by doing backflips. Tsubasa asks her in which baseball position did use those moves, and she answers instead that she used them as a mascot.

Mako Morino stars in the shorts.

A-1 Pictures previously produced an animated promotional video for the game.

The smartphone game is slated to release on iOS and Android devices in late June. The game will be free to play, but in-game items will be available for purchase.

In the game, the player takes the role of an unnamed former little senior league baseball ace who lost his or her baseball career after suffering an unspecified injury. The character moves to his or her grandmother's hometown and enrolls in the local high school, resolved never to enter the world of baseball again. When the character meets Tsubasa Arihara, he or she is persuaded to be the manager of the school's baseball team, and to take the team to the high school nationals at Koshien.

In the game, players gather team members (there are over 50 characters in the game) and experience the team members' stories. Players also train the members to improve their skills, and take members to games to compete. Players then have to decide on the batting order.

The game's official site is also serializing a novel.

Source: Animate Times