Official interview with Hiroki Kaji, star of the anime film "Ashi wo Sekai ga Toraeru Butterfly" has arrived! Newly shot photos are also available!

An original feature-length animated film, "As the World Ends Tomorrow," is about to be released in theaters. The main character in the film is played by voice actor Hiroki Kaji, who plays the role of Makoto Sama, a high school senior who has been closed-minded since his mother died when he was a child.
Mr. Kaji, who usually appears in battle and fantasy films, took on the role of an ordinary high school boy in this work. An official interview in which he talks about his feelings toward Makoto and the highlights of the work has arrived. The interview also includes additional photos taken exclusively for Akiba Research Institute readers.

Ashita Sekai no Owari Datotte" is an original work by the animation studio Crafter Studio. Yuhei Sakuragi, who directed his first TV series with the anime "Ingress," is directing and writing the script.
The story is about a boy, Shin, and his childhood friend, Kotori, who suddenly meet another "me" from another Japan.
⇒Anime film "Even if the world ends tomorrow" will be released in January 2019! Directed and written by Yuhei Sakuragi
⇒Screening schedule of the anime film

Official Interview

--How did you feel when you got the role for the first time and what are your thoughts on the role?

I had previously worked with director Yuhei Sakuragi on "Soutai Sekai," which led to the creation of this work. I enjoyed the experience of acting there so much that I had hoped to have another chance to breathe in director Sakuragi's work. So I am very happy that this time it has been realized as a theater piece.

Makoto is a boy who lost his mother when he was very young. He does not have any special abilities and is just an ordinary high school boy. Because of his upbringing, he tends to be closed-minded and is unable to take the first step toward others. Of course, perhaps it is partly because of his trauma that he is afraid to close his heart to others, but there is also a sense that he is a bit self-conscious, which is typical of adolescent boys. He is rebellious against his father, and he is also a bit unsympathetic toward his childhood friend Kotori. But in truth, he is a kind and gentle boy. I think his conflicts, or rather, his wavering, make him a very human character. He is a young boy living in modern Japan who gets caught up in an extraordinary situation called "war," which he had no connection with. I think that's what makes this work so interesting.

--Highlights of the work

The work can be roughly divided into two parts: the coming-of-age part for Makoto and Kotori in the beginning, and the sci-fi part where intense battles unfold in the latter half. It is difficult to single out just one highlight, but I was really drawn to the conversation scenes between Makoto and Kotori in the early part of the film.
The conversations in their daily lives have a very realistic atmosphere. Of course, the science fiction parts and battle scenes are fast and of high quality. I think you can enjoy the pure beauty of the visuals. Only in anime can you see everyday life, other worlds, and battles all in one work. This work is filled with various elements that are possible in today's anime.

--Impressions from the post recording

In the daily life part of the first half of the story, we can see the self-consciousness and responses to the opposite sex that are typical of a true adolescent, and the complications of human emotions. The challenge was how to express True's conflicts and emotional blurring in the dialogue, which is not very much. I am usually cast in battle or fantasy films. Because of this, it was both difficult and fun to make the dialogue between Makoto and his childhood friend Kotori, which is a conversation between an ordinary man and a woman, realistic. In the science fiction part in the latter half of the film, Makoto, who has lived his life like a human being, is suddenly caught up in a war. That is why I, as a modern Japanese, can really understand how Makoto feels. I played the role with the hope that I could give a vivid performance while feeling the drama in a realistic way. In the battle scene where Makoto puts himself on the line to fight, I myself felt as if I was saying, "Whatever! I put my heart and soul into each cry.

During the post recording, thankfully, the video was very close to the finished version. I had a clear understanding of the characters' expressions and movements, so I was hoping to add sounds and breaths that could not be picked up from the video alone, and add to the realistic feeling of the characters' three-dimensional lives. I also consulted with the director when I really needed a pause. I would propose what I thought the character should look like, and the director would listen to my suggestions. It was a very creative and passionate working environment.

--What was your impression of Aimyon's music?

Aimyon is an artist who sings with a new sensibility, but at the same time sings universal messages about human beings. I have heard that she is influential, especially among the younger generation. Aimyon sang the theme song, "Even if the world ends tomorrow," and the insert song, "Ra no hanashi," both of which have exquisite lyrics. The lyrics of both songs are exquisitely linked to the world of the film. As an actor myself, I value the vividness and emotional blurriness of a play, and these songs capture those nuances very beautifully as music. The song "Ra, no hanashi" is very cheerful and is used in the positive part of the play. The ending song, "Ashiato Sekai ga Toraeru Datotte (Even If the World Ends Tomorrow)," has a stronger message if you listen to the lyrics after you have finished watching the film. I also played the role of Makoto, so I couldn't help but replace the "I" in the lyrics with Makoto and "you" with Kotori. Both songs have messages that can genuinely reach many people, and I hope that they will remain in your hearts as songs that symbolize this work.

Trailer for the animated film "Ashi Sekai ga Endowment" (Theme Song Ver.)

--Message to those who will see the film

When I first saw the film, I was really shocked. I was surprised and delighted to see that this kind of expression will be added to Japanese animation in the future. This work is filled with director Sakuragi's new sense and personality. What we actors can do is to bring raw, human emotions to the characters, without changing the starting point of acting. I hope that the work will be a good mixture of the "new" and the "unchanged".
Perhaps it is because I played the role of Makoto, but I saw this play as a story of his growth. I believe that the content of the story and what comes out of it will definitely be conveyed to the audience when they see the film. It is a work that was carefully created in a creative space with enthusiasm and love. I would be very happy if you could see this work, which is filled with such straightforward feelings, in a movie theater. Thank you very much.

Animation film "Ashi wo Sekai ga Endowo Datotte" 90 seconds trailer

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Film Information】 ※Titles omitted
As the World Ends Tomorrow
Release date: January 25, 2019 (Friday)

＜Introduction
Shin (Shin) has tended to keep a closed mind since his mother died when he was a child.
His childhood friend Kotori has always watched over him.
Now in their third year of high school, they are about to take their first step forward,
Another "I" appears from another Japan.

The birth of an action love story by up-and-coming director Yuhei Sakuragi!

<Staff> (Japanese only)
Original Story : Crafter
Director/Screenplay : Yuhei Sakuraki
Production : Crafter Studio
Production: "As the World Ends Tomorrow" Production Committee
Distributor : Shochiku Media Division

＜Cast
Makoto Sama: Hiroki Kaji
Kotori Izumi: Marie Uchida
Jin: Yoshiki Nakajima
Kotoko: Ayaka Sengi
Miko: Yuuki Aoi
Riko: Inori Minase

Genji Naruma: Kenjiro Tsuda
Izumi Mune: Tomoyuki Morikawa
Yuri: Nana Mizuki

© Even if the world ends tomorrow