New details have been released for the upcoming film "Mononoke: The Umbrella", a completely new installment in the "Mononoke" anime series, set to premiere on July 26. Aina The End will perform her first theme song for an anime film, titled "Love Sick," which features in the newly released trailer along with the main visual and full cast details.

The trailer, showcasing the struggles and pain of maids forced to conform and dissolve into the group, centers around the Medicine Seller as he confronts and exorcises the Mononoke "Umbrella" born from the deep-seated passions within the Ooku (the shogun's harem). Aina’s poignant yet powerful vocals accompany meticulously crafted, rapid-fire scenes. Also unveiled for the first time are scenes of the Medicine Seller’s transformation into "Jin'gi" and his action sequences. The new visual captures a tense moment as the Medicine Seller faces off against the Mononoke, adorned in a specially decorated outfit exclusive to this visual, adding an element of grandeur not seen elsewhere.

Newly announced cast members include Kana Hanazawa as Kitagawa, an admired senior maid of the Ooku; Yuko Kaida as Awashima, a direct subordinate in the "Omote Tsukai"; and Yukana as Mugitani, the senior maid responsible for educating Asa and Kame. Yuki Kaji plays the role of the samurai Saburomaru, dispatched to the Ooku by the shogunate, with Jun Fukuyama as his colleague Hiramoto, and Daisuke Hosomi as Sakashita of the "Hiroshiki Ban," guards of the Ooku and "Nanatsunana Kuchiguchi". Kenjiro Tsuda voices the priest Mizonokuchi Hokuto, overseeing the Ooku's faith, while Miyu Irino plays the role of the Tennō, the symbol and highest authority of the shogunate. Additionally, Haruka Tomatsu portrays the noble-born and proud Omitsu Button, and Yoko Hikasa plays Tokita Fuki, a low-born woman favored by the Tennō.

"Mononoke" originally aired in July 2007 as part of Fuji TV's late-night Noitamina block, telling the tale of the mysterious Medicine Seller who wields a demon-slaying sword capable of exorcising Mononoke by understanding their "Truth," "Reason," and "Form." It depicts the grim tragedies created by human emotions and Ayakashi, severed by the traveling Medicine Seller with his demon-slaying sword. This innovative series, which blended traditional Japanese paper textures with CG, won first place in the Noitamina voting project in 2020 for "Your Top 3 Memorable Works," covering works produced from 2005 to 2009, demonstrating its enduring popularity.

Synopsis:

A mysterious man known as the "Medicine Seller" appears wherever Mononoke arise to cut, exorcise, subdue, and save... This time, he appears in the Ooku, a place swirling with the passions of women. The luxurious and magnificently beautiful world harbors the "female passions" and the true nature of the "Mononoke" lurking within.

Cast Information:

Medicine Seller: Hiroshi Kamiya
Asa: Tomoyo Kurosawa
Kame: Aoi Yūki
Kitagawa: Kana Hanazawa
Utayama: Mami Koyama
Button Ohtomo: Haruka Tomatsu
Fuki Tokita: Yoko Hikasa
Awashima: Yuko Kaida
Mugitani: Yukana
Saburomaru: Yuki Kaji
Hiramoto: Jun Fukuyama
Sakashita: Daisuke Hosomi
Tennō: Miyu Irino
Mizonokuchi Hokuto: Kenjiro Tsuda