In food and in life, one must taste what is bitter to appreciate what is sweet… Troubled that memories of the past continue to invade his dreams of the present, Keiichiro Tachibana stuns all who know him by abruptly quitting his ordinary office job to open a bakery. He envisions a predominantly feminine clientele and a wait staff of cute girls. Instead, his employees include a playboy pâtissier who's been fired from every job he's ever had, an ex-boxer with an insatiable sweet tooth, and an absent-minded childhood friend and family servant. Can this unlikely quartet overcome personal tragedies, learn to work together, and discover a recipe for culinary success?

Contains the complete 12-episode series.

Special Features: U.S. Trailer, Clean Opening, Clean Closing, Interview with Tomomi Kasai, Live Event Coverage, Scene Access and Nozomi Entertainment trailers. Also includes a special booklet featuring Character Bios, Quick Facts, Featured Desserts, and two interviews featuring all four main voice actors as well as Fumi Yoshinaga, the author of the manga!

Spoken Languages: Japanese, English subtitles.

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About Antique

Based on the manga by Fumi Yoshinaga, the series aired as part of Fuji TV's popular noitaminA animation block – home to series including Honey and Clover, Paradise Kiss, Moyashimon (Tales of Agriculture) and Nodame Cantabile. It features animation by Nippon Animation (The Wallflower, Fantastic Children, Library War) and Shirogumi, Inc. (Moyashimon) and opening and closing music by the band Chemistry.

The original manga received the Kodansha Manga Award for shoujo manga in 2002 and also served as the inspiration for a live-action Japanese television drama and a recent live-action Korean film adaptation that drew approximately 1 million moviegoers during the first 15 days of its release in 2008. The Antique Bakery manga is published in North America by Digital Manga Publishing and was nominated for an Eisner Award in 2007.

Keiichiro Tachibana

Keiichiro Tachibana is the owner of Antique as well as the head garçon. Despite the fact that he personally does not like sweets, he's able to regale customers with exquisite details regarding the various types of pastries and cakes available. As owner, Tachibana provides a general sense of direction for Antique, but he's ultimately at the mercy of his pâtissier's final decisions.

  • Keuchiro Tachibana screenshot 1
  • Keuchiro Tachibana screenshot 2
  • Keuchiro Tachibana screenshot 3
  • Keuchiro Tachibana screenshot 4

Yusuke Ono

Yusuke Ono is Antique's pâtissier. He was hired by Tachibana despite his checkered past and notoriety as the "Gay of Demonic Charm," a title he gave himself after unavoidably seducing straight men at every place he's ever worked. Ono is a master of his craft and has studied in France, so his word is often final when it comes to decision making at Antique.

  • Yusuke Ono screenshot 1
  • Yusuke Ono screenshot 2
  • Yusuke Ono screenshot 3
  • Yusuke Ono screenshot 4

Eiji Kanda

A former World Flyweight Boxing Champion, Eiji Kanda had to retire early due to detached retinas. Seeking a new path in life, his love of sweets leads him to Antique's door and puts him under Ono's tutelage. Though Kanda's only an apprentice, his enthusiasm for the work helps him to quickly learn and adapt to his new lifestyle. He and Tachibana butt heads from time to time, but despite that, Tachibana soon realizes how valuable an asset Kanda is.

  • Eiji Kanda screenshot 1
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  • Eiji Kanda screenshot 3
  • Eiji Kanda screenshot 4

Chikage Kobayakawa

Chikage is Tachibana's childhood friend and servant. Owing a great debt to Tachibana's family, Chikage has chosen to continue assisting Tachibana even into adulthood, but due to his inability to perform tasks of even moderate depth or complexity, Tachibana actually spends more time assisting Chikage instead. At Antique, Chikage works as a garçon and is charged with simple tasks such as taking orders and running errands.

  • Chikage Kobayakawa screenshot 1
  • Chikage Kobayakawa screenshot 2
  • Chikage Kobayakawa screenshot 3
  • Chikage Kobayakawa screenshot 4

JAPAN

  • Director
  • Yoshiaki Okumura
  • Exective Producers
  • Yukihiro Ito
    (Fuji Television Network, Inc.)
  •  
  • Hironori Terashima
  •  
  • Kazuro Miura
  •  
  • Naoki Kitagawa
  •  
  • Yoshio Takada
  •  
  • Juichi Motohashi
  • Producers
  • Masato Seino
    (Fuji Television Network, Inc.)
  •  
  • Kenichiro Hayafune
  •  
  • Hiroyuki Saito
  •  
  • Kosuke Hosokai
    (Fuji Television Network, Inc.)
  • Screenplay
  • Natsuko Takahashi
  • Art Director
  • Tatsuo Shimamura
  • Director of Photography
  • Jin Nishiyama
  • Editor
  • Keiko Onodera
  • Animation Production
  • NIPPON ANIMATION CO., LTD.
  •  
  • SHIROGUMI INC.
  • Original Comic
  • Fumi Yoshinaga
  • Presented By
  • Antique Committee

USA

  • Executive Producer
  • Shawne Kleckner
  • Producer
  • Kris Kleckner
  • Assistant Producer
  • David Olsen
  • Translator
  • Mayumi Kobayashi
  • Graphic Designer
  • Phillip Grothus
  • Production
  • Nozomi Entertainment