Anime Anime Global

“Kimi wa Kanata”, an original anime feature film set in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, was announced to be in production and released in Autumn 2020. Along with it came comments from Matsumoto Honoka, an actress who is starring in an anime film for the first time, Seto Toshiki, an actor who is performing as a voice actor for the first time, and Sena Yoshinobu, who is the director/scriptwriter/original author.

“Kimi wa Kanata” is a youthful fantasy set in “Ikebukuro”, a city of new art, film, manga, and animation, with a bit of retro and nostalgic ambiance.
The story revolves around Mio, a girl who is attracted to Arata, her childhood friend, but can’t express her feelings and is in an awkward relationship with him.

The director/scriptwriter/original author is Sena Yoshinobu, who received much applause at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival with his anime short film “Kushimitama Samurai”.
The cast members announced are, Matsumoto Honoka (as the protagonist, Mio), the talented actress who has been unstoppable since her appearance in the Asadora (a serialized Japanese television drama program) “Hiyokko”, and Seto Toshiki (as Mio’s childhood friend, Arata), the young actor who gains much support from a wide range of TV viewers for playing the role of Kamen Rider Brave in “Kamen Rider Ex-Aid”.

The film was created with the full support of Ikebukuro, and there are scenes with familiar sites such as the “Ike Fukurou” which is used by many as a rendezvous location.

Along with the announcement, there was a teaser visual showing the characters each floating in Ikebukuro, where the day and night are turning over.

“Kimi wa Kanata” will be released in TOHO Cinemas Ikebukuro and other nationwide movie theaters in autumn 2020. There are also planning to publish the original novel from KADOKAWA in conjunction with the release of the movie.

<Full comments are as below>
【Matsumoto Honoka as Mio】
■Thoughts upon being offered the role.
I always wanted another chance to perform as a voice actor, so this offer was a real treat.
■About Mio.
Mio is a girl that can’t express her feelings straightforward and sweeps them under the carpet. I can sympathize with the difficulty she feels of communicating and being true to your self.
■Feelings towards the film.
I felt the love of the director and the staff just by reading the script. I will do my best to make it a piece of work that many would love.

【Seto Toshiki as Arata】
■Thoughts upon being offered the role.
I always loved anime and have been watching many shows. It never came across my mind that I would be voicing for a character! This was a great opportunity since I wanted to try out new things. I will do my best to breathe life into “Arata”!
■About Arata.
Arata is very straightforward and sometimes can’t accept the words of others. I think we have that straightforwardness in common.
■Feelings towards the film.
From reading the script, I realized that this is a story depicting what is inside of the hearts of people. This teen film of Mio and Arata is only one of the many stories out there. I believe anyone could find a hint to find their true selves. The real-life cityscape, which is one of the attractions of the film, lets you slip right into the world of this piece of work. I will do my best to breathe life into “Arata”! Also, I wish to liven up Toshima-ku too.

(C)”Kimi wa Kanata” Production Committee