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Shimajirō Film Casts Inori Minase, Idols From AKB48, SKE48, NGT48
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
The staff of the Eiga Shimajirō: Mahō no Shima no Daibōken (Shimajirō the Movie: Great Adventure on Magic Island), the first full-length film for Benesse Corporation's Shimajirō anime franchise, announced more cast for the film last week.
The additional cast includes AKB48's Yui Hiwatashi (upper left in image above), SKE48's Natsuki Kamata (upper right), and NGT48's Fūka Murakumo (lower left) as magicians in the magic island. Inori Minase (lower right) will also play the film-original character Aura.
The film opens in Japan on March 9.
Previous films in the franchise were comprised of both an animated and a live-action, interactive segments to keep children's attention and create a better theater-going experience. The live-action segments included song, dance, and quizzes.
The new film will not include these segments. Instead, children will be given a magic wand when they visit the theater. The wand will be incorporated into scenes where magic, song, and dance happen in the film.
The Answer Studio is returning from the earlier television series to animate the film, and Omi Minami is again voicing the title character. Hiroshi Kawamata (Hal's Flute, Puka Puka Juju) and Takashima Hiro are directing the film, with a script by Yūka Aoki.
Gospellers will perform the film's theme song "Massugu na Hashi" (A Bridge that Points Straight Ahead).
The original Shima Shima Tora no Shimajirou television anime aired in Japan from 1993 to 2008. The sequel Hakken Taiken Daisuki! Shimajirō aired from 2008 to 2010 and continued under the new title Shimajirō Hesoka from April 2010 to March 2012. The Shimajirō no Wow! anime series premiered in 2012, and was nominated in the Animation category of the International Emmy Kids Awards in October 2015.
