Ojamajo Doremi" 20th anniversary production "Witch Apprentice wo Sagashite" voice actors are determined! Aoi Morikawa, Reina Matsui, and Nanako Momota as heroines to spin a new magical story for adults!

Three cast members have been announced to play the new heroines in the "Ojamajo Doremi" 20th anniversary film "Witch Apprentice wo Sagashite," which is scheduled to be released on May 15, 2020.

The "Ojamajo Doremi" series was broadcast as an original TV animation work for four years from 1999 to 2002. The series recorded the highest viewer rating of 13.9% and was so popular that not only girls but also boys were watching it at the time. In addition to the comical visuals and the "magical girl" theme, the series has a sense of "excitement" and "fantasy" that is different from previous "magical girl" works. In addition to the "excitement" and "fantasy" of the "magical girl" theme, the clear theme of "overcoming difficulties by one's own strength," which was different from previous "magical girl" works, had a great impact on children at the time.

The production team behind the "Ojamajo Doremi" series, which was so popular with children, has reunited for the first time in 20 years. The long-awaited latest original animated feature film, "Ojamajo Doremi" 20th Anniversary "Witch Apprentice wo Sagasete" will be released in theaters on May 15, 2020.
⇒ " Ojamajo Doremi" 20th anniversary work "Witch Apprentice wo Sagasete" will be released in theaters on May 15, 2020!

Three heroines, Sora, Mire, and Reika, meet in front of a Western-style house modeled after MAHO Hall, the place where "Ojamajo Doremi" began. The three heroines, Sora, Mire, and Reika, are different from each other in age, place of residence, worries, and everything else, and through their journey to places related to "Doremi," they search for something important that they have lost sight of as adults in this new "magic" story for adults.

Aoi Morikawa, Reina Matsui, and Natsunako Momota, all from the "Ojamajo Doremi" generation and big fans of the series, have been chosen as voice actors to play the new heroines in the film. This is the first time the three actresses will be working together, and they will bring the show to life as representatives of the fans.

Aoi Morikawa, who has appeared in a succession of high-profile films including "Kette Kegai Gurui" and "Usohacho Kyomachi Royale," will play Sora Nagase, a timid university senior from Aichi Prefecture who tends to be influenced by the opinions of others and is not good at expressing herself.

Mire Yoshizuki, a career woman who works for a prestigious trading company in Tokyo but is troubled by her interpersonal relationships within the company, will play the role of Mire Yoshizuki, who has appeared in the NHK TV series "Yale," which began airing in April of this year, and is also active as an actor and has published a collection of short stories entitled "Camouflage" as a novelist, among her many other activities. She has also published a collection of short stories titled "Camouflage" as a novelist, among other activities.

She plays Reika Kawatani, a freelancer who works part-time in Onomichi, Hiroshima, to save money for higher education to pursue her dream of becoming a painting restorer, but is troubled by a no-good boyfriend. She is played by Natsunako Momota, a versatile idol, actress, and voice actress who has appeared in NHK's "Besshin-san" TV series and in "Shimajirou Shimajirou: The Movie and Toruru no Hero Land".

How will Ms. Morikawa, Ms. Matsui, and Ms. Momota color the three main characters, who were born and raised in very different backgrounds and have very different problems?

As of February 28, 2020, all recording sessions have been completed, and the film is currently in production, so we can look forward to further news.

Finally, we have received cast comments, character profiles, and reasons for casting from the director and producer, so be sure to check them out.

Cast & Staff Comments

Aoi Morikawa as Sora Nagase
I feel as if I am under the spell of Doremi and her friends right now. I was so happy just to see the return of Ojamajo, which gave me so much courage and energy in my childhood, but I never thought that I could be a part of it.
I played the role of Sora, a girl who lacks self-confidence and worries about her career path. However, she has her own core, so I carefully discussed with the director to create her voice and character.
Since all three of us were able to work together on the recording, we were able to relax and act out our roles while getting to know each other as "Ojamajo Doremi" lovers just like Sora and the other three.
The "magic" doesn't stop even when you become an adult, and we feel that the characters will always be there for us. I am sure that you have experienced the same thing as we did this time, that is, when you like the same things, you can easily get along with each other. If you have such an experience, I think you will enjoy this film even if you do not know Ojamajo Doremi!

＜Sora Nagase＞
Sora Nagase is a university senior from Aichi Prefecture. She is 22 years old and watched "Ojamajo Doremi: Dokka~n! in real time. She tends to be influenced by the opinions of those around her and is not good at expressing herself. She dreams of becoming a teacher, but...

Reina Matsui as Mire Yoshizuki
When I heard from my manager that I had been chosen as the voice actress for the heroine of the movie, I was very excited. I was so surprised that I could not understand immediately when my manager told me that I had been chosen as the voice actress for the heroine. I had already known about the movie's release and was really looking forward to it, so it was a dream come true to be able to participate as a character in it.
When I was a child, I had fights with my friends over which character I liked best, but it was Doremi and her friends who taught me how to make up with them. They taught me how to make up with them. They taught me a lot of feelings.
Mire, the character I played, is a returnee from abroad, and she is the kind of woman who expresses her feelings straightforwardly. Because of this, she often clashes with others, but she gradually grows up after meeting Sora and Reika. I think this human side of her is what makes her so appealing.
When I first rehearsed with Mr. Morikawa and Ms. Momota, they were all perfectly suited to their characters, and the recording was very wonderful and comfortable.
This work is a careful expression of what those who watched "Ojamajo" as children must be feeling now that they have grown up. As a fan myself, I received courage and new "magic" from this work.
It is full of love, dreams, and magic, so please watch it.

＜Mire Yoshizuki＞
Mire Yoshizuki is a career woman working for a prestigious trading company in Tokyo. She is 27 years old, a leader by nature, and has lived abroad for a long time, so she tends to say what she thinks immediately. She watches "Ojamajo Doremi" on DVD sent from Japan.

■Nanako Momota as Reika Kawaya
It is like a dream come true for me to be cast in this movie. I never thought I would be able to act in a production of "Ojamajo Doremi," which I was crazy about watching when I was a little girl. I feel a lot of pressure to participate in my favorite work, but I will never have such an opportunity again, so I did my best.
I played the role of Reika, a girl who is always cheerful and straightforward but has a bit of a lonely past. I hope you will pay attention to how she is spoiled by Sora Mire and her two older sisters, but also how she bumps into them and moves forward.
Since it was my first time working with Ms. Morikawa and Ms. Matsui, I went to the set a little apprehensive, but just as the three main characters in the movie became close through "Doremi-chan," we also quickly became friends through Doremi-chan!
I think there are moments when we are so busy living in front of us that we forget what is important. I think this work will remind you of the feelings you had when you were taught by Doremi-chan and the others, give you a little bit of hope, and lighten your heart a little. I hope that many people will watch this work, as it will gently wrap you up in its arms.

＜Reika Kawatani＞
A 20-year-old freelancer from Hiroshima Prefecture. She did not watch the "Ojamajo Doremi" series when it was broadcast, but watched the reruns and streaming. While working part-time at an okonomiyaki restaurant in her hometown of Onomichi, she is saving up money for higher education in order to pursue her dream of becoming a painting restorer.

Director Junichi Sato
Since "Ojamajo Doremi" was a children's film, I cast voice actors with distinctive characteristics so that the audience could easily identify which child was which by voice. For this film, I wanted the three girls to speak in a normal way and give the impression that they are going about their daily lives in a normal way, so I emphasized that their voices should be natural but have a certain presence.
I wondered what would happen if they were voiced by this person. How would they incorporate this character into themselves and bring it out? I enjoyed the chemical reactions while dubbing.

Hiromi Seki, Producer, Toei Animation
Since the main characters are three women from the "Ojamajo Doremi" generation, we considered actresses and voice actors in their 20s as candidates, as it was a natural direction for the film.
Since we started the TV series by discovering new talent, not only from voice acting productions, but also from child actors' theater companies, live-action production companies, music companies, former Takarazuka actors, and comedy companies, the casting was based on the concept of "going back to the basics.
The result is great! The director and all the staff said, "You're good!", "It fits perfectly! The director and the rest of the staff were all impressed with the performance and said, "You did a great job!
We are now putting the finishing touches on the film in order to respond to the "enthusiasm" of the cast.

[Production Information
Original theatrical animation "Witch Apprentice wo Sagashite" (Searching for the Witch Apprentice)
Release date: May 15, 2020 (Friday)

＜STORY
Hey, what do you want to be when you grow up?"
Nagase Sora is a university student who wants to become a teacher, but is unsure of her career path due to a lack of confidence. Mire Yoshizuki, a returnee from abroad, is struggling to fit in at her desired job. Reika Kawatani is a freelancer who is trying to save money for her dream of going to college, but is being pushed around by her no-good boyfriend.
They are three people of different ages, personalities, and places of residence. They are all in a state of confusion about their lives, with no clear vision of the future they want!
What brings them together is "Ojamajo Doremi"!
A fateful encounter at MAHO Hall, a Western-style house in Kamakura where apprentice witches used to gather, leads the three of them on a journey to Hida Takayama, Kyoto, and Nara to visit places associated with "Ojamajo Doremi"!
Laughing, crying, and supporting each other, the three of them realized once again that "Doremi" and her friends were always there for them.
And with the support of the apprentice witches, they set out on their journey, only to find a wonderful world spread out before them.

＜STAFF>
Original story: Izumi Todo
Director: Junichi Sato / Yu Kamaya
Screenplay: Midori Kuriyama
Character Design / Chief Animation Director: Yoshihiko Umakoshi
Producer: Hiromi Seki
Animation Production: Toei Animation

Distributor: Toei

＜Cast＞
Aoi Morikawa Reina Matsui Natsunako Momota / Chiemi Chiba Tomoko Akiya Yuki Matsuoka Rumi Shishido Nagami Miyahara Sawa Ishige

(C) Toei, Toei Animation