ANN has announced on this week's ANNCast podcast on Friday that it licensed the Animation Runner Kuromi (Animation Seisaku Shinkō Kuromi-chan) anime for streaming online. With the first Animation Runner Kuromi anime video and the Animation Runner Kuromi 2 sequel, director Akitaro Daichi (Fruits Basket, Kodocha) offers a fast-paced peek into the lives of Japanese animators. The license includes both video volumes with English subtitles, as well as the English dubs that Central Park Media produced for its home video release. However, the streaming videos will be remastered from Japanese video sources. The streaming is slated to launch in a few weeks.

The story centers around Mikiko Oguro, a spirited young woman who graduates from animation school and lands a job at the fictional "Studio Petit." Unfortunately, right after Oguro arrives at the studio, the animation runner (seisaku shinkō) for the Time Journeys anime lands in the hospital, and Oguro inherits his job. Oguro must now corral the studio's eccentric artists (who promptly nickname her "Kuromi") into finishing the anime on time without losing her sanity.