Anime Film "Kuroshitsuji: Book of the Atlantic" - Report on the Opening Day Greetings Arrives!　Daisuke Ono and others talk about the charm of the series

An official report from the first day of the stage greeting has arrived from the anime film "Kuroshitsuji: Book of the Atlantic" currently being screened.

Black Butler" is an anime series based on Yana Toboso's popular manga of the same title (Monthly G Fantasy/Square Enix), which has sold over 23 million copies worldwide. After the first episode aired in 2008, "Black Butler II" was released in 2010, followed by the new series "Black Butler Book of Circus" and "Black Butler Book of Murder" in 2014, both of which became popular. Black Butler Book of the Atlantic," the first animated feature film in the series, is highly anticipated by fans as it is a visualization of one of the most popular episodes in the original work, the "Luxury Liner Arc. Directed by Noriyuki Abe, script by Hiroyuki Yoshino, character design and chief animation director by Minako Shiba, and animation production by A-1 Pictures.
⇒ "Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic," an animated film, will be released in early spring 2017!　Anime adaptation of the popular "Luxury Liner Arc" from the original work.

The official report from the first day's stage greeting held at Shinjuku Wald 9 on January 21 (Sat) has now arrived. Daisuke Ono, Maaya Sakamoto, and Junichi Suwabe talked about their thoughts on the "Black Butler" series and the appeal of the movie.

Official Report
The opening day greeting for the theatrical version of "Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic" was held on January 21 (Sat) at Shinjuku Wald 9, Screen 9. The long-awaited theater version of the "Black Butler" series and the animated version of the "Luxury Liner Arc," one of the most popular parts of the series, drew a large number of fans to the venue! The fans were anxiously waiting for the film to start, as it was a pre-screening greeting. The MC called out to the packed room, and Daisuke Ono, Maaya Sakamoto, Junichi Suwabe, and other cast members took the stage! The venue was filled with thunderous applause and cheers!

Daisuke Ono, who plays Sebastian Michaelis, Maaya Sakamoto, who plays Ciel Phantomhive, and Junichi Suwabe, who plays the funeral director who finally reveals his true identity in this work, took the stage to thunderous applause! The audience cheered each time one of the cast members took the stage, and when Mr. Suwabe took the stage with a phoenix pose, the audience laughed loudly! The stage greeting began in a cheerful atmosphere.

The three have been playing the same role for as long as 10 years since the first TV series, "Black Butler," began in 2008. When asked about the appeal of "Black Butler," Ms. Ono said that the show is filled with a variety of entertainment elements, such as the Gothic and Lolita elements that have been established, action, comedy, and especially the horror depicted in the movie version. Sakamoto also described the appeal of the characters' pursuit of their own convictions. Mr. Suwabe said that the appeal of "Black Butler" lies in its depiction of human karma, which is the opposite of the beauty of the characters, and in its spiritual depth, which is more than simply beauty.

Mr. Ono also said that the role of Sebastian is a role that has helped him grow as a person. Ono and Sakamoto say that in the first anime series, they were so stoic about their roles that they hardly spoke to each other. However, Mr. Ono says that it was during this time when he was so devoted to his role that he could no longer see what was going on around him that he began to see how everyone was working together to create the work. Like the master and the butler who serves him, Mr. Ono says that a work is not created by the power of one person. He spoke of the joy of working on the first, second, third, and now this "Black Butler" film.

Mr. Sakamoto, on the other hand, also said that he had little experience playing the role of Ciel in the first film, and that he felt a bit of pressure from the extremely popular "Black Butler" story and the fact that Ciel is a popular character. However, even in that situation, Sakamoto says that he felt Mr. Ono's concern to soften the atmosphere, and that from around the second film in the anime series, his understanding of the relationship between Sebastian and Ciel deepened, and he was able to rely on Mr. Ono as well. He looked back on the experience of working on "Black Butler," which has now reached its full theatrical release, as a place where he was able to grow and nurture himself.

Mr. Suwabe, who plays the role of a funeral director, also said that he did not have any particular problems in creating the role. He had heard about the backbone of the funeral director from the original author, Mr. Tobyana, from an early stage, and he always thought about making an effective move in the limited time that he had to play the role. Suwabe says he is happy that the episode "Gorgeous Cruise Ship," in which the funeral director plays a very active role, will be animated and that he will be able to be on stage to greet the audience. He demonstrates again the presence of the funeral director, while making the audience laugh with laughter in the funeral director's voice!

In this way, the three passionately spoke of their passion for "Black Butler," which they have been involved with for almost 10 years. When asked by the MC how he felt when he first heard about the project, Sakamoto said that he was happy to be able to play Ciel again at a time when he had overcome the pain of the first film and his understanding of Ciel had deepened the more he played the role. However, he had heard about the movie version from Mr. Ono in a chat before he was officially asked, and at first he was skeptical, saying, "Really? I wanted to be the first one to ask Mr. Sakamoto about the movie version! Mr. Ono said he wanted to talk to Mr. Sakamoto about the movie version first, but Mr. Sakamoto's admission that he had thought "Really? He seemed a little sad when Mr. Sakamoto confessed that he had thought, "Really? When Mr. Suwabe gave a nice follow-up, "You're a salt of the earth," the audience laughed loudly! When Mr. Ono tried to sum it up by saying, "It's very Ciel-like," Mr. Sakamoto responded with a more salty response, "Yes, it is! The audience laughed and applauded when Mr. Suwabe summed up their friendly exchange beautifully, "It wasn't a salty response, it was a saucy response! The stage greeting was filled with smiles.

When asked for one last comment each, Mr. Suwabe commented that he hoped the audience would enjoy the film with their whole body on the theater's audio system. Mr. Sakamoto said he hoped the audience would enjoy the theater's realistic atmosphere, as if they were on a boat, as well as the more expressive and passionate portrayal of Ciel than usual. Mr. Ono also expressed his confidence in the quality of the film, saying that it is the culmination of the Black Butler series and incorporates many of the charms of Black Butler. He then spoke of his thoughts on the next 10-year anniversary of the original comic, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last year, and his hopes for a sequel, telling fans, "I hope that everyone will continue to love it. He ended his speech with a line reminiscent of Sebastian: "What if I can't entertain you all?" He concluded with a line reminiscent of Sebastian's, "What if I can't entertain you all?