A surprise OVA sequel based on Broccoli's popular DiGi Charat characters was unveiled at the TBS Anime Festa. Titled Winter Garden, the J.C. Staff production features a grown up Dejiko and Puchiko 10 years following past animations.

Totally catching show goers off guard, the first half of the OVA was shown at Saturday's event, without any prior announcement. Touted as a pure lovestory with some of the usual slapstic comedy elements, the story occurs on Christmas Eve where the 2 main characters work at a cake shop/cafe.

But the surprise comes in the fact that the anime had anything to do at all with DiGi Charat was missed by all but the most ardent fans until the ending credits when Broccoli's name rolled onto the screen.

Puchiko's sassy voice supplied by Sawashiro Miyuki might have been a clear give away. Sanada Asami (Dejiko) performs the ending theme, a cover of a Matsuda Seiko song.

Details such as possible release dates are currently unknown but from credits much of the staff and cast has been discerned: Original Concept: Broccoli, Director: Hiroaki Sakurai, Original Characters: Koge Donbo, Character Designs: Shinya Hasegawa (Revolutionary Girl Utena), Art Design: Shichiro Kobayashi, Music: Instant Cytron (Goro Nagase and Tomoko Kataoka), Music Director: Nakano Tooru, Sound Production: HALF H-P STUDIO, Animation Production: JC Staff, Digiko: Sanada Asami, Puchiko: Sawashiro Miyuki, Kimura Takurou: Irino Jiyuu, Aiko: Sasaki Nozomi. More at: ANS