AFP: Japanese friend for Thomas The Tank Engine
The popular pre-school TV show featuring a cast of talking steam trains headed by tank engine Thomas celebrates 65 years in the life of the character with a new engine from Japan and a new computer-generated look...In a novel move for Thomas, computer-generated imagery sees the old-time steam engines and road vehicles themselves recounting their adventures on the island of Sodor, rather than using a narrator, the most famous having been Beatle Ringo Starr. New characters include Hiro, a wise, dignified, friendly engine from Japan that should appeal to the show's huge fan base in the Asia Pacific region.
If the trains will have their own voices, it'll be interesting to see what accent, if any, Hiro will have. I wonder if he'll tell stories about all the suicides he's seen?