The Kyoto Municipal Transport Bureau isn’t our usual go-to source for new anime, but this short featuring the mascot girls of the Kyoto City metro system is actually pretty sweet!

Designed by Kyoto-born illustrator Kamogawa, high school friends Moe Uzumasa, Misa Ono and Saki Matsuga have been promoting their city’s tube network as a trio since 2013 (although Moe’s actually been around for a few years longer), but it took a 10 million yen-topping campaign on crowdfunding platform Makuake to bring them to animated life.

Produced by short-form animation specialists Gyorai Eizo, the 12-minute-long Take the Subway! was released on Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau’s official YouTube channel last week to celebrate the city’s annual ‘Subway Day’.

Take the Subway! Animated Short