Takayuki Hirao Teases New Anime Project "Wasted Chef"

Anime director Takayuki Hirao (best known for Magical Sisters Yoyo & Nene) has teased his newest anime project, currently codenamed Wasted Chef. The news broke during the fourth anniversary screening of the film Pompo: The Cinéphile in Tokyo on Wednesday.

First Look: Concept Art Revealed

Hirao previewed a new imageboard concept art for the project, showcasing scenes set in modern-day Tokyo.

Image courtesy of Kadokawa

Additionally, Hirao previously shared a piece of art featuring a hamburger—a possible hint at the show's culinary focus:

Image courtesy of Kadokawa

Familiar Team Reunites

For Wasted Chef, Hirao is bringing back much of his creative team from Pompo: The Cinéphile. The project is already in production with the following staff:

• Director: Takayuki Hirao, at Studio CLAP
• Character Design: Shingo Adachi (Lycoris Recoil, Sword Art Online), also worked on Pompo
• Music Composer: Kenta Matsukuma (Kamen Rider BLACK SUN), another Pompo veteran

About Pompo: The Cinéphile

Pompo: The Cinéphile experienced multiple delays before its release:

• Originally slated for a 2020 Japanese release (link)
• Delayed to March 2021 (link)
• Delayed again to June 2021 due to COVID-19 (link)

The film premiered in North America at Montreal's 25th Fantasia International Film Festival in August 2021. Later, distributor GKIDS began screening the film in U.S. theaters in April 2022, followed by home video and digital releases in the summer.

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Source: Email correspondence