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Aardman Animations Japan is the Japanese animation division of Aardman Animations Limited.

Founded in 1999, it was initially set up in Tokyo as a subsidiary of London-based Aardman to develop and distribute its own original productions in Japan and to take advantage of Aardman's European presence.

The Japanese division of Aardman Animations Limited was first established in September 1999.

The head office of the company was established in Tokyo, Japan.

During its early years, the Japanese division was mostly involved with developing of original Japanese anime and has also done animation and toy adaptations.

Aardman launched its first original anime, "Mr. Pumpkin" in 2001.

The anime was nominated for a prizes and was published in DVD.

This anime was later dubbed into Chinese and premiered on Cartoon Network in China in 2004.

Aardman Animations' first original anime was an original work and not an adaptation or a co-production with another studio, and firstly commissioned in 2001.

It was a comedy animated short series that aired on NHK's children's show "Tani Yori Tsubasa" on 21 April 2002.

It follows the lives of siblings Shinobu and Akira and the hot-headed Yuki-chan, who lives next door to them.

Four episodes were made and aired in Japan on NHK's"Tani Yori Tsubasa".

Although written by the Aardman team, it is designed to be a work that was created by 3D computer graphics.

The four episodes aired every Saturday between April 21, 2002 and June 30, 2002.

The series was sponsored by the Japanese toy company Taito who had taken out one half of the show's budget and the rest was provided by Aardman Animations.

Although it was released in six DVD compilations, the episodes that were released had different voices cast, as well as the release covers.

In Japan, the series was known as ""Suna ni to Mayonnaise"" ("Under the Mayonnaise Tree").

It was released as part of a boxset with "Lazy Town" in 2004.

However, the animation sequences used in the original show were not retained in the anime.

A short original anime series from 2001 made by Aardman Animations and later produced in-house by its own studio (re-using footage from Mr. Pumpkin, originally drawn by Alan Martin).

The series aired on NHK's "Blue-Vision" on 22 September 2002.

The series ran for 25 episodes with no second season.

The series focuses on the adventures of the alien Mr. S, his family, and his pet pheasant, Bessie, in their home in "the Moon".

Mr. S is the first resident of a quiet and happy moon where his "home planet" can never reach.

Socially inept and often misguided, he is the very definition of a no-nonsense person.

Bessie the pheasant is the "star of the show", as Mr. S' pet.

She has fun discovering and chasing her tail while she also learns what it means to be loved.

Although it aired for only 25 episodes, this anime has generated a cult following.

The character's likenesses, particularly of Mr. S's head were used for a man in a "Hello Kitty" animation.

(Note: in Japan, the word "Hello Kitty" is the name of a cat.

Since Mr. S is a pheasant, it was made into the Japanese word for "pheasant" so as to avoid any confusion.

The fact that the word is printed in English in bold letters throughout the show itself does not necessarily make this distinction clearer.)

This anime is also notable for having the last sentence of every episode begin with "And this is pheasant", implying that Mr. S is an egg-laying fowl.

This is one of the only instances of an anime series that has a recurring image from one episode to another, as well as being the only time this happens in a Japanese cartoon series.

(Note: Japanese sometimes have rhyming words or phrases for this.

For example, the last sentence of every episode of "Majin Boo", says "and this is Boo-kie."

However, these are often changed in episodes because of the linguistic difference between Japanese and English.)

The theme song "The Pheasant Song" was also composed and performed by British musician and producer Brian Eno.