3DCG movie version of "Gamba", Hiroki Kaji and Sayaka Kanda spraying water cannons!　Stage Greeting Report on the Completion of the Film

The completion announcement of the animated film "GAMBA Gamba and Friends," which will be released on October 10, was held on August 30.

GAMBA Gamba and Friends" is a 3DCG animation film based on the classic children's novel "The Adventurers: Gamba and His 15 Friends," whose TV animation version, "Gamba's Adventure" (1975), is known for its high quality that is hard to believe it was made for children. The film is produced by Shirogumi, the same company that created the outstanding 3DCG animation for the blockbuster hit "STAND BY ME Doraemon," and uses today's most advanced visual technology to depict an epic adventure story in which a group of small mice join forces to fight a giant enemy. It is said to be a major project that took 15 years from conception to completion, took 10 years to produce, and cost 2 billion yen. It has been 24 years since "The Adventures of Gamba and the Otter" was released in 1991. The project is planned and directed by Yoichi Ogawa, vice president of Hakugumi, directed by Tomohiro Kawamura and Takahiro Komori of Hakugumi, and written by Ryota Furusawa, who also wrote the script for the live-action film version of "Yosei Zyu.

The completion of the film was unveiled on August 30 at LaLaport Toyosu, with Hiroki Kaji, who voices the main character Gamba, and Sayaka Kanda, who voices the heroine Ushioji, in attendance. Gamba and his friends, who are small in stature, face off against a giant enemy on an outdoor stage (Tokyo Bay in the background!). ), where Gamba and his friends face off against giant enemies with their tiny bodies. The children were excited to see the water column that shot up 30 meters above the ground as if it had blown away the rainy weather that had been continuing for several days.

In addition to the two actors, Director Ogawa, Director Kawamura, and Director Komori took the stage in formal attire with mouse ears and tails to talk about the recording sessions and production secrets. At the end of the show, Mr. Kaji called out, "Let's go on Gamba's great adventure! to which the audience responded by raising their right hands in the air and saying, "Oh! with his right hand in the air.

Comment by Hiroki Kaji
I was very happy that "GAMBA," a work with a long history and loved by everyone, was once again made into an animated feature film. I was also very happy when I was offered the role of Gamba in the film. At the same time, I felt the expectations of everyone, and I heard that the other main cast members were played by senior voice actors, so I was very nervous and under a lot of pressure, but I was grateful to play the role of Gamba as if I was borrowing from their chests. It is truly a wonderful work. I think it is an animation that Japan can be proud of! It can be enjoyed by adults and children alike, so please enjoy it!

Comment from Sayaka Kanda
When going through the postrecording process, I discussed with the director how to express the vividness of the characters' expressions, the way the hairs rustle when they move, and the tears they shed, which are all very realistic. Shioji is the only girl among the main characters, so I wanted to show a strong core and a maternal nature, and I wanted to show a solid Shioji who leads the boys.
(Asked about my favorite character...) When I read the original story, I thought Gakusha's calm and collected attitude, always keeping his head on a swivel and never giving up until the end, was cool. But when I saw the movie, I thought Gamba's hard work and the action was so dynamic that I thought it jumped out of the screen, which I thought was really cool.

Director Ogawa commented
We also wanted to be as close as possible to Gamba's friends, so we put on rat ears and tails. It took us a long time to complete the film, but I especially want you to see Gamba's action scenes.

Director Kawamura's comment
Just like Gamba, we were able to reach this day with the support of many friends. (About Gamba played by Mr. Kaji) I thought that Gamba's voice was the voice of the delicate transition from boy to adult, but when I heard Mr. Kaji's refreshing performance, I realized once again that there was no one else but Mr. Kaji to play Gamba. In the scene where Gamba sees the sea for the first time, we thought the first take was OK, but when we saw how he performed the scene over and over again until he was satisfied with his performance, we thought he was a professional.

Director Komori's comment
(About Kanda-san's character, Shioji) During the test before the production, I was going to check the feeling and talk about the role, but I listened to Kanda-san's Shioji so much that I cried during the scene where he saves Gamba. I think that having Ms. Kanda-san breathe Shioji's spirit into the film made the strength of the woman stand out and tightened the film even more.