On the 27th, a special stage greeting was held in Tokyo to celebrate the release of the new anime movie "Mononoke: Karakasa." Voice actors Hiroshi Kamiya, Tomoyo Kurosawa, Kana Hanazawa, Yuki Kaji, Jun Fukuyama, and Aina the End, who performed the theme song "Love Sick," attended the event along with series creator Kenji Nakamura.

Kamiya, who voices the mysterious Medicine Seller, greeted the packed audience with a cheerful "Thank you for coming today!" When asked about the battle scene between the Medicine Seller and the Karakasa, he explained, "I usually enjoy adding vocal effects to action scenes, but since the Medicine Seller is incredibly strong, adding sounds like 'Hah!' or 'Huh!' might make him seem weaker. So, I decided to refrain from those and let the visuals speak for themselves."

Tomoyo Kurosawa, who plays the new maid Asa aspiring to advance her career in the Ōoku, shared, "I tried my best to portray her career ambitions!" Reflecting on the recording process, she said, "There are realistic and tangible depictions of human relationships, as well as fantastical elements. I had to gauge the director's reactions to balance these aspects. When the Medicine Seller transforms into his divine form, the spatial distortions were challenging to navigate."

Kana Hanazawa, who plays Kitagawa, the mysterious "御祐筆" that Asa admires, expressed her excitement now that the film was released, "I'm finally able to talk about everything now that the movie is out!" Recalling the recording sessions with Kurosawa, she noted, "I was excited to work with Tomoyo-chan since we are close friends, but Kitagawa isn't of this world, so I had to make it seem like she wasn't really conversing with Asa, adding a creepy vibe." Kurosawa added, "I missed the usual kind Kana-chan, but we did share some sweet potato sticks during recording."

Yuki Kaji, who plays Saburoumaru, a supervisor dispatched to the Ōoku, praised the film's unique visual and auditory world, stating, "Director Nakamura's vision is packed into every frame and sound. The distinct cut scenes are one of my favorite aspects. It was a dream come true to be part of the 'Mononoke' series as a voice actor."

Jun Fukuyama, who plays the womanizer Hiramoto, joked, "Kaji said most of the important things, so I spent my time marveling at the numerous cuts and watching Director Nakamura's direction and Kaji's seriousness with a smile."

Aina the End, who sang the theme song "Love Sick," expressed her admiration, "The story felt so real despite being fantastical, thanks to the powerful performances of the voice actors. It was so captivating I didn't want to blink." Director Nakamura responded joyfully, "I've watched the ending and MV many times!" Aina revealed, "The director even said, 'Leave the MV views to me!'"

Discussing the theme song, Aina said, "I wanted to sing as a pure human being, embodying the emotions of female passions and grudges without making it too raw but maintaining clarity and composure." Director Nakamura added, "I thought she saw right through me, which is why the theme song fits so perfectly. I'll watch the MV again today!"

Director Nakamura shared his feelings about the film's release, "Rather than feeling overwhelmed with emotions, I'm too nervous to sleep since the release day. I'm still in a daze." Kamiya revealed that recording for the second chapter was imminent, "Actually, we're recording tomorrow! The schedule is so tight that we even considered recording after this stage greeting. How do you all feel about that?" He added, "It's a great experience to carry the audience's enthusiasm into the recording."

Director Nakamura praised Kamiya's portrayal of the Medicine Seller, "The Medicine Seller is a character that's hard to verbalize, and everyone has slightly different favorite aspects. Kamiya-san encapsulated all of that. His understanding of the character's setting was impressive." Kamiya added, "If the TV series Medicine Seller is Kamen Rider 1, then the movie version is Kamen Rider 2. They look similar, but they're different in skills and strength. Maybe Kamen Rider V3 will appear someday!"

Nakamura also praised Hanazawa, "Her long audition lines were captivating and never boring. The emotions she conveyed were powerful." Hanazawa responded with a smile, "I'm thrilled to receive such an honor." Nakamura commended Kurosawa's performance, "Her lines had subtle variations, making each take unique. She maintained a consistent thread from start to finish, which was impressive." Kurosawa, delighted, asked, "Can I become a Mononoke?"

In closing, Kamiya encouraged the audience, "The more you watch, the higher the resolution of the story becomes. It's not a story explained entirely through dialogue, so multiple viewings will reveal the full picture. Every scene, performance, look, and item holds clues that lead to the answers. I hope you enjoy this enriching film experience in the luxurious space of the theater."

Source : ORICON NEWS