The official website for Warner Bros. Japan and Level 5’s Ni no Kuni anime film began streaming an “introduction video” for the film on Thursday. The character Danpa (Yuuki Kaji) narrates the video and explains the film’s story.
The film will open in Japan on August 23.
As previously revealed, the film stars actor Kento Yamazaki (live-action Death Note’s L, live-action Orange’s Kakeru Naruse) as the protagonist Yū (pictured below). Yū is a prodigy who is top of his class, and he uses a wheelchair to get around. He has kept his feelings for his childhood friend Kotona secret from her. His best friend Haru is dating Kotona.
Yū’s best friend Haru (below left) is popular and the ace of the school’s basketball team. Kotona (right) is a high school student who is innocent and liked by everyone.
Other case members include:
- Mamoru Miyano as Yoki, the magic prime minister of the Estavania Kingdom who has the absolute trust of the king.
- Kenjiro Tsuda as Gabaras, the leader of the Black Flag Army who plan to take over the Estavania Kingdom
- Maaya Sakamoto as both Saki and Velsa. Saki has been an older sister figure to Yū and Haru since they were young. Velsa is a soldier who protects the princess of Estavania Kingdom.
- Kouichi Yamadera as Balton, the leader of the Estavania Knights. He is strict and is the best swordfighter in the kingdom.
- Yuuki Kaji as Danpo, a fairy with a panda-like pattern who is an assistant to the princess of Estavania Kingdom.
The film will feature an original story in which through a certain incident, the three friends are able to travel back and forth between reality and “another world” Ni no Kuni. When the life of the Kotona in both worlds is simultaneously put in danger, the three friends must make “the ultimate choice.”
Yoshiyuki Momose (The Legend of the Galactic Heroes character designer, Only Yesterday and Pom Pokostoryboarder) is returning from the game series to direct the film, and Hayao Miyazaki’s longtime collaborator Joe Hisaishi (Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away) is returning to compose the music. Level 5 CEO Akihiro Hino is overseeing the film and is writing the script, and he is also credited with the original work. Hiroyoshi Koiwai (live-action Gintama, Rurouni Kenshin) is the executive producer. OLM (Pokémon, Inazuma Eleven franchises) is animating the film. Warner Bros. Japan is the distributor.
Warner Bros. Japan previously stated that the idea for the film had been in the works for 10 years. The AnimeJapan 2019 event will reveal more information about the film on March 23.
Level 5 debuted the fantasy role-playing game Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch for the PlayStation 3 in Japan in 2011, after a Ni no Kuni: Shikkoku no Madōshi game for Nintendo DS in 2010 and a game for Japanese phones. Namco Bandai Games then released Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch outside Japan in 2013. The RPG featured cut scenes from Studio Ghibli.
Level 5 released the Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom PlayStation 4 and PC game in March 2018.