The cast of "Her and Her Cat -Everything Flows-" are all dog people! Report on the recording session

The TV anime "She and Her Cat -Everything Flows-" will begin airing on March 4, 2016. It is a much-talked-about anime series adapted by a new production team from animation director Makoto Shinkai's "Her and Her Cat," which he worked on during his independent production days.

On February 3, the recording session was held, and Kana Hanazawa, who plays "Her and Her Cat," Shintaro Asanuma, who plays the black cat, Sayuri Yahagi, who plays the friend, and Akiko Hiramatsu, who plays the mother, took the stage for a joint interview. Various episodes were discussed, ranging from the thoughts that went into the postrecording to whether they prefer cats or dogs.

The film oozes gentleness.

Asanuma, who plays the role of Black Cat, made his voice acting debut in 2006 with "Zegapain" and this year marks the 10th anniversary. I played the hero and heroine in my debut work with Kana-chan, and I feel honored to be able to work with her again on this 10-year anniversary," he said. She also mentioned that a black cat appeared in "Zegapain" and that in "Nyan Koi! he looked back on his own career, including playing the main character who can talk to cats in "Zegapain" and "Nyan Koi!" "In that sense, I felt very connected to this casting," he said, adding that he was very excited to be a part of this project.

In Makoto Shinkai's "Her and Her Cat," the cat's monologue is the main focus, and "her" dialogue is almost nonexistent. Hanazawa, who plays the role of "her" in the film, said, "I wonder if the casting means that she will speak. I wonder what kind of work it will be. Hanazawa, who is the only one of the four cast members to have appeared in a Shinkai film, shared some fond memories of working with the director, saying that when she played the heroine in "Kotoba no Niwa" in 2013, they held many meetings before recording the scene. I was impressed by the time and love he put into his work," he said nostalgically. I can see the gentleness oozing out of him in the film," he said with a smile.


Yahagi played the role of "her" roommate who does not appear in the original film. I've been playing a lot of bullying roles lately, so I was nervous about how she would harass me this time, but I was grateful that she played the role of a kind girl," she said, making the rest of the cast laugh. Hiramatsu, who plays her mother, said he was impressed when he saw the commercial Shinkai created, "It's amazing that such a beautiful film could be made! I was so impressed that he could make such a beautiful film!

She and Her Cat -Everything Flows-" is an animated TV series directed by Kazuya Sakamoto based on Shinkai's short film. He revealed the differences between the original work and "Her and Her Cat -Everything Flows-", including the fact that it depicts not only the cat and "her", but also the people surrounding "her". Hiramatsu commented on the two works, "Both films allow you to feel between the lines. If I were to compare them in terms of color, the original work has an impression of sepia or monotone. In "Everything Flows," people related to "Her" are involved, and I feel the world has become more colorful. Hanazawa added, "There is a lot of drama in "Everything Flows," including the encounter with the black cat. I'm looking forward to seeing what people can relate to.

All cast members are dog people!

Director Sakamoto, who is making his directorial debut, readily accepted the offer because he is a big cat lover. The cast members said, "Director Sakamoto said it would be a shame to end the post recording just today, and we felt the same way. Although the recording session lasted only one day, it was a fulfilling experience.

When asked about the difficulty of playing a cat, Asanuma replied, "Anyone who has owned an animal at least once thinks, 'I wonder what she would say if she talked. But at the same time, I think they also have a kind of hope that they would like the cat to speak in this way," she said. When asked if there is a scene in which he makes a "meow" sound instead of a monologue, he replied, "I had practiced various cat meows as hard as I could, but I was told I didn't have to do it. I was relieved, but also a little sad," he said with an embarrassed look on his face.


When asked whether they were cat or dog lovers, a question that divides the Japanese people into two groups, the cast members declared themselves dog lovers: "I like cats, but I'm more of a dog person" (Asanuma), "I want a Pomeranian" (Yahagi), and "I'm allergic to cats" (Hiramatsu). Hanazawa added, "I'm allergic to cats and dogs, so I've never owned a cat. However, I had a dog at my grandfather's house when I was a child, so I tried to record the scene with my memories of dogs in mind.

Hanazawa, however, said, "But not only dogs and cats, there are definitely faces that only animals show. I think that the love and vulnerability that cats can't show to their family, friends, or lovers is depicted from their point of view, and that's what makes "Everything Flows" so moving. Asanuma added, "'Everything Flows' is a work that will make you fall in love with cats. People who are cat people can think, "This is what I like about cats," and people who don't like cats' capricious personalities can think, "Maybe that's how they really think. This may help those who don't like cats' capricious nature to think "maybe this is how they really think," and feel a little more familiar with cats.

Yahagi also asked that those who live alone away from their parents call their mothers and tell them about the film, and was thanked by Hiramatsu, who plays the role of the mother. We look forward to a work that will be loved by a wide range of people, transcending pet interests and ages. In closing, Hanazawa said, "We recorded four postrecording sessions in one day, so now I am filled with a feeling of regret. It is such a heart-warming and wonderful work that it makes me feel like that," she said in a message to fans.


(Reporting and writing by Katsunori Takahashi)

Broadcast Information

(C) Makoto Shinkai/CWF, Her and Her Cat EF Production Committee