Original T-shirts will be given away! In commemoration of the release of "City Hunter the Movie: Tears of an Angel (Angel Dust)", Kanetsugu Kadama, General Director of City Hunter the Movie, talks about his film "City Hunter the Movie: Tears of an Angel"! Interview with General Director Kanetsugu Kodama

It has been four years since "City Hunter the Movie <Shinjuku Private Eyes>" was released in 2019 and was a huge hit. The latest film, "City Hunter the Movie: Tears of an Angel (Angel Dust)," is said to depict a story that explores the origin of Akira Saeba.

The story of "Angel Dust" is deeply related to the death of Hideyuki Makimura, who is the older brother of Kaoru, Akira's former partner and current partner, and the "Genshin Impact" that raised Akira Saeba as a warrior. These two elements are depicted in the film, and one can feel the tension of the ultimate battle that is about to begin.

We asked General Director Kanetsugu Kodama to talk a great deal about this important new work.

Cutting-Edge Pop Music Continues to Adorn Works from 80's Anime

─ First of all, I would like to ask you about the significance of continuing to produce "City Hunter" even now.

Kodama: When I started "City Hunter," I wanted to make something that would be accepted not only at that time but also up to 10 years later. Therefore, I was trying to create something in the anime that was ahead of what was available at the time, and I was also using cell phones. Since they were already in use in the U.S., I thought that Japan would eventually come to use them as well.

Although I had made the animation with a little bit of the future in mind, I did not expect that 36 years after the broadcast of the TV animation, a story like this (new work) would spring up (laughs).

─ So the director was also surprised by the film adaptation?

Kodama: Producer Go Wakabayashi of Aniplex is from the generation that used to watch the TV anime, so I feel that these people played a central role in reviving this work. Moreover, most of the staff members other than myself are of that generation. That's why their enthusiasm is so different from mine. I hope that this enthusiasm will be conveyed to the fans who watch it.

─ ─ I had the chance to see the movie at the preview, and I felt that it was over in an instant.

Kodama: I am glad you felt that way.

─ ─ I didn't think it would end in a way that would make me want to see the rest of the film (laughs). But if you look closely, you will notice that the catch copy clearly states, "The final battle against the strongest enemy..." (laughs).

Kodama: In fact, the story of Saeba's past, which deals with the Genshin Impact and "Angel Dust," cannot be completed with only one story, can it? Therefore, I thought of a way to introduce the Sea Genshin Impact and others while dealing with the case of a request that Saeha received.

─ ─ Didn't you have to be prepared for a long road ahead in order to handle this subject matter?

KODAMA: No, I didn't think about that too much. I myself thought that I would have to deal with Genshin Impact and "Angel Dust," but I did not start the project with their approval. I started to do it anyway, and there were no objections from anyone, so I was like, "Is it OK?

So I don't know if I'll be doing the rest of the story, but now that "City Hunter" has been revived and "Angel Dust" and "Genshin Impact" have been introduced, the story will probably start with the final battle for Jiao.

I guess the road has been made, and the race is already on. When the TV anime "City Hunter" was first broadcast, it was refreshing to hear popular music like today's J-POP in an anime. What did you feel on the production side at the time?

Kodama: I was not deeply involved in the music. Producer Michihiko Suwa of Yomiuri TV was in charge of the music, and I didn't have time to get involved in the music myself. So I had to make do with the music that came to me. And every six months, the opening would change and the ending would change. I remember being back and forth from one side to the other (laughs).

At that time, there was a certain amount of push from the record company to release new music, and it seems that the intention was to use the music in the anime and make it widely known.

─ That's what you call a tie-up. In fact, it gave me a chance to get to know artists I didn't know before. Through "City Hunter," I got into not only TM NETWORK, but also Yasuyuki Okamura and PSY・S (Size). The anime was set in Shinjuku, an urban area, and I felt like I was ahead of the times. But I think it's amazing that that tie-in song has become such a long-loved song.

Kodama: I was surprised about that. I was surprised myself as well as everyone else. I was surprised that an animation song could be so popular.

The opening and ending songs were all over the charts. And the way the ending came in was very impressive.

Kodama: Producer Suwa really wanted to show the direct connection from the last cut to the ending. It seems that the format was actually changed with the production staff. I also watched and thought this was a very interesting way to do it. I liked it so much that I got on board and did a lot of things myself (laughs).

(laughs) ─ ─ Nowadays, the format is used in a variety of animations.

Kodama: At the time, anime usually had a commercial after the last cut, so I think this was almost a first attempt.

───What kind of meetings did you have with TM NETWORK this time?

Kodama: The producer and I attended the meeting and talked about the opening theme, etc. Tetsuya Komuro was looking for images and words, and that was how he got the feel for the music. So I didn't really ask him to do this or that. Most of our meetings were spent explaining the work and what the story was about. In addition to that, I gave them the scenario and storyboards, and they wrote the music.

TM NETWORK was also very close to the work and wrote not only the opening theme, but also an insert song.

Kodama: That's right. I am very happy to hear that, and as for the music played at the climax of the film, they wrote a very good song for us.

When I tried to fit that song into the video after the recording was over, it was so amazing and cool. It is a quiet song, but it is very close to the feelings of the audience. I was surprised that this kind of expression existed! I was surprised. It was such a great song that I went back to the dressing room to thank Mr. Komuro after we spoke at the event together (laughs).

The emergence of the strongest enemy in the history of the film - the movie version where you can see a new Haruka Saeba.

─ Earlier, you mentioned that you were depicting Shinjuku in the future, but more than 30 years have passed since then, and this movie is based on Shinjuku of today, which is even further in the future. Was there anything difficult or, conversely, interesting about that?

Kodama: When we were thinking about how to bring Akira Saeba into the present day, the first thing we talked about was whether or not he could use a smartphone (laughs). The first obstacle we ran into was whether or not he should use the phone naturally, or whether or not he should use it in a way that he does not know about it.

But there I thought that as long as they appeared in the modern age, people would be able to use smartphones in a normal way. Then there was the message board at JR Shinjuku Station. What are we going to do with that? We went through a lot of trouble to make sure that every setting was comfortable for Ye to live in.

However, from a visual point of view, Shinjuku has been a town of buildings and bars since the 1980s, so I don't think these things have changed much. When we saw the images, they were not that different from what we had previously portrayed, so we did not feel that much different. I think that even if we drew a modern building district, the viewer's brain would probably be able to modify it well and connect it with the previous animation (laughs).

───But I didn't expect to see Yu using a matching app on his smartphone (laughs).

Kodama: But I thought it was natural that he would be able to use it because he was always good with mechanical things. Otherwise, he would have a hard time surviving in the future.

─ ─ The good points of the animation of the 1980s and 1990s can only be understood by Director Kodama, who has been a director for a long time, from the original TV series to the latest productions. I would like to ask him about the advantages of today's animation, which has more possibilities now that technology has advanced.

Kodama: There is no denying that hand-drawn animation is good. In the past, people used to draw everything by hand. So there were many animators who challenged themselves to draw everything, and it was very enjoyable for us to see them competing with each other.

I was still thinking that animation is hand-drawn, but then in the 2000s, digital came in. We were happy about that. In other words, as a director, I was happy to be able to draw things that could not be done with hand-drawn animation. If you draw something like a mecha coming from the back to the front by hand, it will inevitably end up looking squishy. But when you do it digitally, you can move them beautifully all the way to the front.

Furthermore, now I know that I can draw cars and other objects with a touch similar to hand-drawn ones, so I used that to a great extent in this project.

─ ─ The car action was a highlight of the film.

Kodama: I asked the CG staff that if we were going to draw the cars in CG, we wanted them to look like this. For example, some people think that if you just make a picture bigger, it will look like it is coming to the foreground, but I asked them to do it in such a way that the car would gradually appear wider and wider in accordance with the perspective. I asked them to make the cars move properly according to the perspective, and if they could do that, please do it with computer graphics.

When I saw the finished product, I thought, "From now on, I can draw cars in CG. Moreover, they used CG to show parts of the car in a way that was impossible with 2D. Even the background is partially moved using CG. When the road splits into two, the objects at the back of the road are moving farther and farther away from each other.

─ ─ So you were able to do something you wanted to do in the past but could not?

Kodama: That's right. To achieve this, I used a multi-layered (background, a method of shooting multiple layers at different distances. It is used to express perspective and depth) and optical (a technique in which the background, characters, and other layers are shot separately and then combined into a single film. This method is used for camera work that is difficult to do on a normal shooting stand, such as when the distance from the background changes. But now that it is digital, it is easy to do, and this expands the scope of production. It's fun.

───Camera work that used to be done by making full use of various filming techniques can be done very freely with CG.

Kodama: It is very good for directors. I think we will probably use it more in the future (laughs).

─ ─ I also think that the movie really brought out the best of Saeba Akane and Maki Muraka. What do you think about this buddy who has been together for many years?

Kodama: The original work has already finished, and many people may already know the relationship between the two, but to put it in a way that even new viewers can understand, their relationship is such that it seems as if they are not going to get together at the moment (laughs). (Laughs.) We continue to treat their relationship in such a subtle way. However, as Mr. Tsukasa Hojo said, I think that the two of them will get closer with each new work.

─ ─ They have a very good balance, don't they?

Kodama: But the relationship between the two is very difficult for us. It is not a character we created, but something that Hojo-sensei has in his mind. So unless we hear that, it is very difficult to move forward. That is what makes it so difficult. I think we will probably continue to listen to what Mr. Hojo has to say in our meetings as we move forward.

What do you think is the great thing about Akira Kamiya, who played the role of Jutsu, and Kazue Ikura, who played the role of Aroma, both of whom were extremely energetic?

Kodama: Especially Ms. Ikura is becoming more and more like Shang (laughs). Compared to 36 years ago, she is becoming more and more like Kaoru, so much so that even when she speaks normally, I sometimes think she is Kaoru. And when I improvise in the film, the words of Shang come out naturally.

I got the impression from listening to you that you have not changed at all from before.

KODAMA: I feel that she is more energetic now.

Kamiya-san, you have a deep love for Saeba Akane, don't you?

Kodama: From the very beginning of the project, he wanted to play Saeba, and we thought that only Akira Kamiya could play this role, so when we decided to use him, we thought, "This film might work! (laughs).

───And in this movie, Genshin Impact is the character who faces off against Akira Saeba. How did you create the character of Umi Genshin Impact?

Kodama: I haven't heard from Mr. Horiuchi himself how he created the character, but from what we heard on the audition tape, we asked him to do it. So, naturally, I was crazy about her, and when I heard her voice, I was like, "Yay! (laughs). As for Kai Genshin Impact, I wanted to portray him as a bad guy but a lovable antagonist, and I was very satisfied with his voice because it brought out the fun of the character as the flower of evil.

─ ─ The heroine, Angie, was played by Miyuki Sawashiro, how did you like her performance?

Kodama: I was very happy that Ms. Sawashiro was chosen. I had heard Ms. Sawashiro's voice in various productions, so I was relieved when it was decided! I was relieved when the decision was made and I thought, "Now Angie will be fine! You can play everything from gags to serious scenes. She is especially good at expressing the comical parts, such as being ignorant of sweets and moxie, so I felt comfortable watching her.

I enjoyed it while thinking that - mokkori is nostalgic.

Kodama: I was worried about whether I could say such words in the modern age, but I managed to do it (laughs).

─ ─ Finally, do you have a message for "City Hunter" fans?

Kodama: This movie features a character that fans have never seen before, Akira Saeba. I think this will probably be the first time for fans to see him, and perhaps they may have objections. We are showing a drastic development this time including that, so I hope you will enjoy it and accept it.

(Reporting and writing by Junichi Tsukagoshi)

Present Campaign Outline

City Hunter the Movie: Tears of an Angel" original T-shirt will be given away to three lucky winners!

In commemoration of the release of "City Hunter the Movie: Tears of an Angel", we are giving away original T-shirts to three lucky winners! All sizes are size L.

• <Entry requirements
• Entry period: September 8, 2023 (Fri.) - September 15, 2023 (Fri.) 23:59
• Number of winners: 3
• Announcement of winners: Prizes will be shipped to the winners.
• Prizes will be sent out sequentially.
• How to apply: Use the dedicated application form below.

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• Registration (free of charge) is required to enter the contest.
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Film Information
City Hunter the Movie: Angel Dust
＜
September 8, 2023 (Friday) in theaters nationwide

<Cast
Saeba Akira: Akira Kamiya
Kaori Makiura: Kazue Ikura
Hideyuki Maki-mura: Hideyuki Tanaka
Saeko Nogami: Shunsui Ichiryusai
Kaiba: Tetsuaki Genda
Miki: Maomi Koyama
Hitomi Raiu: Keiko Toda
Risei Incapacitating: Rika Fukami
Ai Raisei: Chinatsu Sakamoto
Pirarucu: Tomokazu Seki
Espada: Subaru Kimura
Angie: Sawashiro Miyuki
Kaihara God: Horiuchi Keno

<Staff
Original Story : Tsukasa Hojo
General Director : Kanetsugu Kodama
Director : Kazuyoshi Takeuchi
Screenplay：Yasuyuki Muto
Character Design：Kumiko Takahashi Seigo Kitazawa
Art Director：Junichi Taniguchi
Color Design：Shiho Kuryoku
CG Director: Takuji Gotoh
Director of Photography: Shinji Saito
Editing: Daisuke Imai
Music: Taku Iwasaki
Sound Director: Yukio Nagasaki
Sound Production: AUDIO PLANNING U
Theme Song Artist: TM NETWORK
Opening Theme "Whatever Comes"
Ending Theme "Get Wild
Production: SUNRISE ANSWER STUDIO
Distributor: Aniplex

<Introduction
--The battle that cannot be escaped is about to begin.
City Hunter" serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" by Tsukasa Hojo has sold more than 50 million copies in total. An animated TV series and theater version have been produced.
In 2023, the long-awaited latest animated film version will be released!
The story, set in present-day Tokyo, continues the story of the previous film, and gets to the heart of Saeba Akira's past and the death of his partner Hideyuki Makimura.
The key visual depicts a wounded Akira, depicted by Tsukasa Hojo, and what is beyond his gaze?
Akira Kamiya plays the main character, Akira Saeba. The original cast is once again assembled, with Kazue Ikura as Kaoru Makiura, Harusui Ichiryusai (Yoko Asagami) as Saeko Nogami, Tetsuaki Genda as Uminbo, and Mami Koyama as Miki.
Sunrise, which has produced the "City Hunter" animated series, is teaming up with Answer Studio for production. Continuing from the previous work, Kanetsugu Kodama (the first director of the "City Hunter" and "Detective Conan" series) will serve as general director, and Yasuyuki Muto (screenwriter of "Mobile Suit Gundam: Senko no Hathaway" and series writer of "Tokyo Revengers") will write the script.
The closing theme, the indispensable "Get Wild" by TM NETWORK, will reverberate through the theater!
This is a story that approaches the origin of Akira Saeba. What lies beyond the memories, is it love or hatred?
What does "Angel Dust" mean?

<WEB
Official website: #
Official X : #

(c)Tsukasa Hojo/Coamix, "City Hunter 2023 the Movie" Production Committee