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Freedom Project
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<p><i>Freedom Project</i> is a Japanese promotional project by <a href="/facts/Nissin_Foods/AKlqpdL0">Nissin</a> <a href="/facts/Cup_Noodles/lTBv6YVW">Cup Noodles</a> for their 35th anniversary in 2006. As part of the project, the 7-part <a href="/facts/Original_video_animation/jmhQv2Qk">OVA</a> series, titled <i>Freedom</i>, was commissioned with and designed by <a href="/facts/Katsuhiro_Otomo/epsUW0u7">Katsuhiro Otomo</a> (of the anime film <i><a href="/facts/Steamboy/7wrCJf2N">Steamboy</a></i> and the manga <i><a href="/facts/Akira_(manga)/7DTPq0Mm">Akira</a></i> and its <a href="/facts/Akira_(1988_film)/yNFk0oxl">film adaptation</a>) serving as the character and <a href="/facts/Mecha/1uX6xzT8">mecha</a> designer. The series is directed by <a href="/facts/Shuhei_Morita/TXWBgpRT">Shuhei Morita</a>, creator of the award-winning animation short <i><a href="/facts/Kakurenbo/8WP4LWgr">Kakurenbo</a></i>, and is authored by celebrated writer <a href="/facts/Dai_Sat%25C5%258D/WXTCbf2B">Dai Satō</a>, Katsuhiko Chiba and Yuuichi Nomura. The series openly displays its sponsor's <a href="/facts/Product_placement/onWnT04t">product placement</a> in numerous scenes in which characters are shown consuming <a href="/facts/Nissin_Cup_Noodles/lTBv6YVW">Nissin Cup Noodles</a>. </p><p>The OVA is animated and produced by <a href="/facts/Sunrise_(company)/SbRtr06S">Sunrise</a> and distributed by <a href="/facts/Bandai_Visual/sAy7jKXW">Bandai Visual</a>. "Freedom Committee" is the collective term used for the entire creative team behind <i>Freedom</i>, which includes animators and production staff members who have previously worked on <i><a href="/facts/Steamboy/7wrCJf2N">Steamboy</a></i>. </p><p>The theme song for the series, titled "<a href="/facts/This_Is_Love_(Hikaru_Utada_song)/S4Pu4Kla">This Is Love</a>", is performed by popular <a href="/facts/Japanese_pop/8czcWhyu">Japanese pop</a> singer <a href="/facts/Hikaru_Utada/NLHQp3kn">Hikaru Utada</a>. A second song, "<a href="/facts/Kiss_%2526_Cry_(song)/3RMYFyHl">Kiss & Cry</a>", Hikaru Utada's 19th Japanese single, was used for Nissin's fifth television commercial for Freedom, which began airing in Japan starting April 20, 2007. </p>