[Autographs to be given away! The final film in the series, "Knights of Sidonia: The Last Airbender," has everything to offer! Interview with Ryota Osaka and Aya Suzaki, who have been working with the characters since they were newcomers!

The movie "Knights of Sidonia: The Last Airbender" will be released on June 4, 2021 on a nationwide roadshow.

Knights of Sidonia" is an anime work based on the science fiction manga of the same title by Tsutomu Nibei, who is known worldwide for "Ningyo no Kuni," "BLAME! It depicts the battle between the survivors of human beings traveling through space and Gauna, an interactive alien creature that destroys the solar system.

The movie "Knights of Sidonia: The Last Samurai" is set 10 years after the first and second TV series, which aired in 2014 and 2015, respectively, and depicts the final battle for the survival of humanity against Gauna, the enemy of humanity, in the movie. Along with the intense action scenes, the film depicts the love between Tanikaze Nagatate and Tsumugi that transcends race.

Ryota Osaka, who plays the central character Tanikaze Nagamichi, and Aya Suzaki, who plays Tsumugi, spoke to us about the appeal of the film.

We hope you will enjoy the powerful action and "love with a height difference of 15 meters" at the theater along with this interview.

The interaction with Nagamichi is sure to make you swoon!

───Can you tell us again about the appeal of "Knights of Sidonia"?

Aisaka: I think it is a work that can be enjoyed from any angle. If you like science fiction, you can enjoy it as a science fiction work, if you like romance, you can enjoy it, and if you like other life forms instead of ordinary humans, you can enjoy it (laughs). It really is a work that can be enjoyed from a variety of perspectives.

Susaki: In the case of this "Aitamugu Hoshi," I think it can be enjoyed by fans of the core works, and it is also easy and interesting to watch for first-time viewers. There are many highlights scattered throughout the film, and there are many points that will make you cry, so I think the charm of the work has been condensed.

Aisaka: Another thing that I thought was different from other productions was the sound in the theater. When you are close to the sound, you feel as if the sound is really close to you, and I think that Miwa Iwanami, the sound director, was very particular about creating a sound that cannot be reproduced normally.

Suzaki Didn't we go see it together at the theater?

Aisaka Isn't that "BLAME!　I was frustrated that I wasn't in it, so I went to see it! (laughs).

(*A science fiction work by the original author Tsutomu Nibei, produced by Polygon Pictures like "Knights of Sidonia," and released as a theatrical anime in 2017)

Susaki: Yes, that's right (laughs).

───But the staff is the same, so I am sure the greatness of the sound is the same.

Aisaka The sound was totally different in this film as well.

Suzaki Even these days, you see things like "supervised by Miwa Iwanami" in theatrical trailers. Who the hell are you? I'm sure that makes people wonder.

Osaka There was even a time when Mr. Iwanami was the one who talked the most during the stage greeting (laughs).

Suzaki He really is an amazing person, isn't he? You can feel that much attention to detail in the sound of the film, so I would like to encourage sound enthusiasts to see the film!

The Tatsumugi I play is sure to make you swoon not only during the battle scenes, but also when she interacts with Nagamichi, played by Mr. Osaka, so I want you to see that too.

Osaka The catchphrase on the poster is "Love with a height difference of 15 meters," isn't it?

Suzaki Yes, in the TV series, there were comical scenes of Tsumugi and Nagamichi fighting for Nagamichi, but this time there are plenty of scenes of Tsumugi and Nagamichi talking to each other.

Osaka: Where did that harem anime go? It was like, "Where did that harem anime go? (Laughs.) I felt like I was watching Tsumugi properly.

───What did you think when you heard that this was a "theater piece" and not a TV series?

Aisaka: There was still some of the original story left, so I wondered if it could be summarized in the length of a theater version. I wondered if I would be able to put it all together in the length of a theater version. However, my fears were unfounded. I think it was very good because it was well complemented and expressed.

Susaki: I believe that Hiroyuki Seshimo, the general director, told me that the film would be made into a theater version in a casual manner during a drinking session. I didn't expect him to say it so casually, but it was good to hear it directly from him, wasn't it?

Osaka That's right.

Suzaki I think General Director Seshimo also wanted to make us happy, and he took care of everything from setting up the meeting to choosing the restaurant! Even though he was the director (laughs). (Laughs) So I was extremely happy at that time, not so much as a member of the cast, but as a Cydonia fan, I was very happy to be able to see the film on screen until its completion.

Osaka But you knew you would do it, didn't you?

SuzakiI did believe you would do it, but it's been six years, so it's been a long time (laughs). (laughs) I've been waiting for it for a long time!

Osaka Indeed.

The time lapse in the play matches the career I've built up over the years.

─ ─ I guess you must have been deeply moved by the fact that you have been playing the role for so long, but how was it to meet the character you played for the first time in a long time?

Aisaka It was very moving to see how Tanikaze Nagamichi, who grew up not knowing anything about the outside world, gradually gained recognition from everyone on his own and grew little by little with the help of those around him. That is why, seeing Nagamichi in the world of "Aitamugu Hoshi" 10 years have passed since then, I thought he has become a good man. I think it shows the life he has led.

I can say this now, but at the time of my first audition, I thought I had failed in the role of Chomichi. I was not told that I had passed the audition at first, and since my schedule was already booked, I thought I might not get the part, but when I opened the script the day before the audition, my name was at the top of the list (laughs). I remember being astonished and saying, "Wait a minute!" I remember being astonished. That was the beginning of "Knights of Sidonia" for me, and since I was still a rookie at the time, I was very nervous about the recording, so I was just trying to keep up with my co-stars. ......

SuzakiMe and Aisaka-kun debuted at the same time, and we were the newbies and most of the people around us were our seniors, right?　But now the junior pilots are playing the roles of the junior pilots, so you can feel the passage of time, can't you (laughs)?

(Laughs) Osaka: Really!　That's why I've enjoyed playing the role for so long.

─ ─ Do you feel sad that the series has come to an end?

Aisaka I don't feel sad because this is the last in the series, but because it is a robot series, I am sure that I will have opportunities to play more roles in the future.

Suzaki I would love to be in "Super Robot Wars.

Osaka: I didn't dare to mention the title, but it's ...... (smiles).

───What about you, Mr. Susaki?

Suzaki I have played various roles in different forms, such as Hoshihaku Kankan, Benisuzume, and Tsumugi (*), but I had an audition as Hoshihaku, and I vividly remember the postrecording I was doing at the time.

(*A fusion of human and Gauna. (*A fusion individual born from a human and Gauna, and that Gauna was Ena Hoshihaku, a reproduction of Hoshihaku using the spore [Ena].

) The character died in battle in the beginning of the show, and Nagamichi also had a long, hard time chasing after Seihaku's shadow, so I thought during the first season that I could play the role of a mysterious girl in a way that would capture everyone's hearts and not let go.

In the second season, "Knights of Sidonia: Battle for the Ninth Planet," I was involved as Tsumugi, but she has a completely different personality from Hoshihiro, and I played her while thinking that I wanted her to be happy as Tsumugi. I had a lot to think about. I have the impression that it was a very valuable experience for me.

─ By the way, when you play a role 10 years after the second season, do you change your performance a little?

Susaki: I thought it would be better if Tsumugi didn't feel as if 10 years have passed, so I didn't try to differentiate between the two. However, I thought that since we, the actors, had aged about 6 years and our voices would have changed slightly, it would have been a good match with the setting 10 years later.

Osaka: That's right. I didn't change anything too much, and I didn't think about going back to those days at all. However, I was told by Mr. Iwanami at the beginning: ...... "Don't save the world" (*).

(*Nagamichi has exceptional piloting skills and has saved Cydonia many times, but he doesn't seem like a hero who saves the world, so there is an episode during the TV anime in which he was often directed to do so.)

Suzaki That was said during the second season, wasn't it?

Osaka It's been said every time since the first season (laughs).

Suzaki So you save them after all.

Aisaka But they say that every time we do it! (laughs). (laughs). I unconsciously save them, don't I?

─ ─ Were there any memorable moments during the recording of the film version?

Susaki: It may have something to do with the fact that it was a prescreening, but we had to record separately when our voices overlapped during the crying scene. The test was done together, so the crying flowed naturally, but with separate recording, it was difficult to get the strength and weakness right, so I had to make sure to combine them in a good way.

So I was worried about how the finished product would turn out, but I cried normally at the first preview, which is as expected (laughs). This time, there is a big love story element, and delicate acting was required, so that was difficult.

─ ─ It seems to be difficult in terms of timing if there are no pictures in the prescreening. How about you, Mr. Osaka?

Aisaka: There was a scene where I had to shout with a lot of emotion, and I realized that there is a difference between acting too realistic and realistic acting. In the first PV, the scene ends with Nagamichi screaming, but we had to re-record that scene.

Suzaki What?　No way!　You did?

Aisaka Maybe I didn't say his name well enough.

Suzaki Oh no!　I didn't know.

Osaka So what you hear is a re-recorded version, and I recorded it alone, but the heat from that time is still there perfectly, and I was able to put a lot of emotion into it, even though I was doing it alone.

─ Was the recording done before the Corona disaster?

Aisaka It was before. We were able to record it together, so it was really easy, but I don't think I said ...... correctly (laughs).

Suzaki Hahaha (laughs). I was too desperate.

──When I look back at the TV series now, the power of the action scenes is amazing, but it has been six years since the last episode was broadcast, so I think there has been a technological evolution in the visual aspect. Are there any scenes that made you think, "Wow! When you saw the footage, were there any scenes that you thought, "Wow!

Susaki: Yes, it was amazing to begin with. This time, too, the graphics are beautiful even when viewed from corner to corner on the big screen in the theater, and the movement in the battle scenes has evolved even further, which I thought was truly amazing.

The power of Gauna's sporadic disintegration was amazing, and the display (on the bridge) was so cool that it made me want to pause and look at it. Mr. Seshimo once told me that it was difficult to express onigiri (rice balls) in a delicious way, and I even miss that time.

─ ─ I wondered if the expression of the people in particular has changed.

Suzaki It is true that the images now look more three-dimensional and beautiful from all angles, so I think this is a point of evolution from the first phase.

Osaka: I feel that the quality of the use of light and shadow has improved and the three-dimensionality has increased. Polygon Pictures' images are more 3D than 2D, and the balance between 3D and hand-drawn animation is such that the images look like hand-drawn animation.

The cast and staff get along too well on set!

───This is a little off topic, but "Knights of Sidonia" was a very interesting web radio program ("Radio Knights of Sidonia - Aya and Ayane's Secret Photosynthesis", distributed from 2014 to 2015) that was distributed when the first season aired, and I was impressed when Mr. Tsutomu Nibe came as a guest and called me "Tsutomu" by name. I was impressed that Mr. Tsutomu Nibe was called "Tsutomu" by Mr. Susaki in a guest appearance. Do you have any memorable activities related to your work?

Susaki Hahaha. Thank you for listening to the radio (laughs). Not only Tsutomu, but also Hiroyuki (referring to General Director Seshimo) and, from this time on, Tadyhiro (referring to Director Naohiro "Tady" Yoshihei), so I would like to call them that in special programs, etc. (laughs). As far as memories go, there were so many events such as stage greetings for this film.

Osaka: That was probably the most of any of our productions to date.

Suzaki I really enjoyed the ones in Nagoya and Osaka. Moreover, Mr. Seshimo was seated next to me on the bullet train. Usually, the manager sits next to me, so this is probably unusual, but we talked about "Knights of Sidonia" and Mr. Seshita's family the whole time we were there. We had miso katsu (pork cutlet) and beer on the way home, saying, "That was fun! It was a lot of fun.

Aisaka: I remember once doing a stage greeting with Sayaka Ohara (who played Captain Kobayashi), and Ohara-san told me to call her "Sa-Ya-Ya" and I was really nervous. I don't remember what we talked about in the piece or anything, but that's the only thing I remember.

Susaki Why do I only remember Mr. Ohara?　But you said "Saya-san," didn't you?

Osaka Of course! Of course!

Suzaka──I got the sense that the staff and the cast seemed to be having a lot of fun on the set.

Osaka: There are many productions where the casts get along well with each other, but I think it is rare to see a production where the staff gets along so well with each other.

Suzaki That's true. I went to Tsutomu's house during the first season. It was the after-party of a big party, and Seshita-san and the other staff members and I were like, "Let's go! We got into a groove. It really was like, "This is the room of the guy who draws Cydonia! There were comics of "BLAME!" on the bookshelf, and when I asked him if I could take any of them home, he gave them to me. I said, "Can I take any of them home? (Laughs)

Aisaka You gave it to me?　That might be a first edition!

Suzaki I'm sure it's a first edition. I remember how happy I was to receive the first edition of "BLAME!

Aisaka I wish I could have interacted with him more. ...... You are a very generous teacher, aren't you?

Suzaki He has a big heart!　Also, looking at your recent style, I wonder if something good has happened to you, Nibei-sensei? It's hard-edged, but it seems to have become more rounded. Also, I think he's started to look people in the eye and talk to them properly.

Aisaka You're being supercilious (laughs)!

Suzaki Hahahaha (laughs). No, I love it that much!

─ By the way, what kind of person is the director of the film version, Mr. Naohiro "Tady" Yoshihei?

Suzaki He is a very tearful person, and I felt that he poured his heart and soul into making this film version. Even in his greeting before the preview started, he was so moved that he was in tears, so I thought, "Go for it, Tadyhiro!" but I couldn't speak, so I just watched Soon (laughs).

(Laughs.) So I am a little worried that if there is a stage greeting, I will cry a lot. But I thought I would be nice to Mr. Tadihiro because the film is filled with such passionate feelings (laughs).

─ ─ Finally, is there any scene you would like us to look at?

Suzaki I can only say all of them!

Aisaka There are so many scenes that will make you cry.

Suzaki I cried three times.

Osaka: The emotions that make you cry are different for each of them, aren't they? Some are sad, some are happy, some are upset and want to cry. ...... Each has its own qualities, so it is difficult to choose the best.

Susaki It's impossible to choose!　But I am happy to be able to share those unspoken feelings on the screen. So much so that I really want to go see the faces of the audience after they finish watching it (laughs).

(Interview, text, and photography by Junichi Tsukagoshi)

More information about the program

The film will be released on June 4th, 2012.

Release information: June 4th (Fri) Shinjuku Wald 9 and other theaters nationwide

Story

A love story with a 15-meter difference in naves

Gauna, an unknown life form, destroys the earth, and the barely surviving humans continue their journey on the huge spaceship "Sidonia", but Gauna appears for the first time in 100 years.

Once again, humans were on the brink of extinction, but Gauna was defeated by the efforts of Tsumugi White, a human and Gauna born from a human and the ace pilot of a humanoid battle weapon called the "Mortar" (Morito), and the great MichitooHan_2F95↩⾵, who managed to win the war. They managed to win the war.

Ten years have passed since then.

The people of Sidonia were enjoying a brief period of peace.

Tsumugi is spending her days peacefully, thinking about the hero of Sidonia, the long road.

However, the captain, Komobayashi, knew. As long as Gauna is around, this peace will not last long.

He decides to fight a final battle for the survival of mankind.

The final battle of Sidonia to protect those they love has finally begun.

＜Cast

⾕⾵⻑道／逢坂良太、⽩⾐⽻つむぎ／洲崎 綾、科⼾瀬イザナ／豊崎愛⽣、緑川 纈／⾦元寿⼦、岐神海苔夫／櫻井孝宏、岐神海蘊／佐倉綾⾳、仄姉妹／喜多村英梨、⼩林艦⻑／⼤原さやか、勢威⼀郎／坪井智浩、落合／⼦安武⼈、ヒ⼭ララァ／新井⾥美、サマリ・イッタン／⽥中敦⼦、佐々⽊ Kosuke Tsunami/Kosuke Sakai, Shinsuke Tanba/Sunanobu Osaka, Yure Kase/Yure Sato/Rina Sato, Yure Kase/Noto⿇mi⼦⼭ano Inataro/Yugo Uchida, Hamagata/Yusho Kamimura, Hadanae Suyoha/Inori Mizunose, Hanma Yuki/ Miho Okazaki

＜Staff

Based on the original story and supervised by Tsutomu Nibei's "Rider of Sidonia" (published in Kodansha's "Afternoon").

Director: Hiroyuki Seshimo

Director: Naohiro "Tady" Yoshihei

Screenplay: Sadayuki Murai / Tetsuya Solda

Production Designer : Naoya Solanaka

Art Director : MitsunorioHan_2F5A↩塰

CG Supervisor : Takuya Takahashi / Masayuki Uemoto

Animation Director: Reihito Nagazono

Art Director: Mitsuo Yoshino

Color Designer: Hirono Noji

Sound Director: Miwa Iwanami

Music: Shushi Iwanami

Theme Song/Interpolation Song: CAPSULE

Lyrics/Composition: Yasutaka Nakada

Music Production: King Records

Animation Production: Polygon Pictures

Distributor: THE KLOCKWORX

Production: Toa Heavy Industries Festival Management Bureau

Present Campaign Outline

<Prize

Win a signed copy of "Cydonia's Horsemen: History of the Kingdom" signed by Ryota Osaka and Aya Suzaki!

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How to apply: Use the dedicated application form below.

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© Tsutomu Nibei, Kodansha / Toa Heavy Industry Festival Management Office