Animated film "Moana and the Legend of the Sea" announces voice actor for the role of the main character Moana!　China Yahiku, a fourth-year university student from Okinawa

Information on Japanese voice actors has been announced for the animated film "Moana and the Legend of the Sea," which will be released on March 10, 2017.

Moana and the Legend of the Sea" is the latest film from Disney Animation, which is still fresh in our minds after the historic success of "Anna and the Snow Queen" and "Zootopia". The film tells the story of the adventures of Moana, a 16 year old girl who is destined to become a part of the ocean after an experience in her childhood, and who has the special power to be "loved by the ocean. The film is directed by the golden duo of Ron Clements and John Musker, the masters of "The Little Mermaid" and "Aladdin".
⇒The animated film "Moana and the Legend of the Sea," opens in March 2017!　Disney's new heroine is "the girl chosen by the sea.

It has been announced that Tomona Yabiku, a college senior from Okinawa Prefecture, will play the role of Moana, the main character in the Japanese version of the film. The announcement was made at the Aulani Disney Resort in Hawaii on January 17 (around 10 a.m. local time on January 16), with Aury Carvalho, who plays Moana in the English version, announcing the role of Moana in Japan. This is the first time in history that Disney's Japanese and American heroines have met face-to-face in this way, and is extremely unusual.

Ms. Auriy commented on the similarities between her and Yahiku, whom she met face to face, "She is so wonderful. I also grew up on a southern island, and this is my debut film. In that sense, we are the same." She also praised her singing voice, saying, "Moana's songs are all heartbreaking, and I could feel that kind of power in her voice.
Yahiku also commented on Aury, "I felt she was more like a family member than a friend." As for his character Moana, Yahiku said, "Moana steps into a new world and goes forward strongly step by step while being troubled. I think many people will be able to relate to her because she goes through what everyone goes through.

A Disney representative commented, "Moana is not only a heroine, but she also needs to grow through her adventures, have the acting ability to embody her character, the freshness of a 16-year-old, and the singing ability to convey her emotions. She also needs to be fresh at the age of 16 and be able to sing to convey her emotions. The audition for Moana was the largest in Disney's heroine history, and the person who could be called the Japanese Moana was China Yahiku.

Looking back on the day she was cast as Moana, Yahiku said, "It was like a dream, I couldn't believe it. When I woke up in the morning, I wondered many times if it was a dream. The announcement of how the humble Ms. Yahiku will play Moana is sure to attract much attention.