Welcome back Sakura! Report on the stage appearance of Sakura Tange and Imotoko Kumamoto at the revival screening of "Card Captor Sakura the Movie: Sealed Cards".

Card Captor Sakura" (original story by CLAMP) was serialized in the shoujo manga magazine "Nakayoshi" (Kodansha) from 1996 to 2000, and the anime version broadcast in 1998 enjoyed explosive popularity. 2016 marked the 20th anniversary of the serialization, and a new sequel, "Card Captor Sakura Clear Card Arc", a sequel to the manga series, began in 2016 as a project to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the serialization, and the anime version began airing on January 7 this year. The anime version also began airing on January 7 this year, delighting old fans and new viewers alike.

In response to this excitement, "Card Captor Sakura the Movie: Sealed Cards," released in 2000, is currently being revived and screened at theaters nationwide, including Shinjuku Piccadilly, where it is also receiving favorable reviews. This article reports on the stage greeting held at Shinjuku Piccadilly on January 5.

After the screening of "Card Captor Sakura the Movie: Sealed Cards," announcer Chiaki Matsuzawa, known for her love of anime, appeared on stage as the host. Sakura Tange, who plays Sakura Kinomoto, and Motoko Kumai, who plays Syaoran Li, were also invited to the stage, and the two appeared on stage holding hands in friendship.

The revival screening of "Card Captor Sakura the Movie: Sealed Cards" was connected to the new "Card Captor Sakura: Clear Card Arc," and Tange and Kumai were deeply moved by the movie after 18 years. Many of the audience members, both male and female, had seen the movie at the time of its screening, indicating the high level of enthusiasm that has not faded over the past 18 years.

Tange-san and Kumai-san's cast talk blossomed after seeing the film again, touching on their memories of that time. They talked about the charms of the work, including how thrilled they were when Sakura tried to confess her feelings to Syaoran, how sad they felt when Li Ichigo-Ring assisted her, and how cute Kero-chan, who played a prominent role as a comedy relief in the work, was.

The audience also enjoyed an episode about Maaya Sakamoto, who played the important role of the "card of nothingness" in the film. Maaya Sakamoto has a strong connection with "Card Captor Sakura" as she sang the opening theme "Platinum" for the third season of the anime "Card Captor Sakura" and also sang the opening theme "CLEAR" for the "Card Captor Sakura: Clear Card Arc" currently being broadcast. When asked about her memories of "Card Captor Sakura the Movie: Sealed Cards," she replied, "I only remember being scared of the sound director, Mr. Mima (Masafumi Mima)! The audience laughed loudly when Mr. Kumai revealed that he had answered, "I only remember being scared of the sound director, Mr. Mima (Masafumi)!

Other topics included the eerie atmosphere of the amusement park at night in "Card Captor Sakura the Movie: Sealed Cards" and the episode of Tange-san's part-time job at Disneyland.

Of course, the new "Card Captor Sakura: Clear Card Arc" was also discussed, but not to the extent that it would spoil the story, since the stage greeting was before the broadcast. Despite the fact that it had been 18 years since their last performance, the two actors who stood in front of the microphone seemed to be able to act in the world of "Cardcaptor Sakura" naturally.

The 30-minute cast talk ended in a flash. Finally, Kumai and Tange gave their messages for the new work, with Tange saying, "I want this year to be the year Sakura will be in full bloom! and he renewed his enthusiasm. The greeting ended with thunderous applause.

The revival screening of "Card Captor Sakura the Movie: Sealed Cards" is still being shown in theaters.

For information on screening theaters and schedules, please check the official website.

(Reporting by Michi Sugahara)