BUTA

Buta the sword for hire is recruited by the Tufugu Pirates on their voyage to seek a stockpile of treasure. On board he discovers the child Kitsune locked away below deck. After some misunderstandings and with the promise of more money, the two of them go on their own adventure.

Note: Buta is one of the four anime works that each received 38 million yen (about US$470,000) from the "2011 Young Animator Training Project." Just like in 2010, the animation labor group received 214.5 million yen (US$2.65 million) from the Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs, and it distributed most of those funds to studios who train young animators on-the-job.