Housenka Anime Film by Odd Taxi Team

The release date of the animated film “Hosenka” has been set for October 10th, and it has been revealed that Hiroki Yasumoto, Soma Saito, Hideaki Murata (Toro Salmon), and Kota Nakayama will appear in the film. The official trailer and main visuals have also been revealed.

This film is a story of a man’s life and love, produced by a new team of Kinoshita Mugi (director and character designer) and Kazuya Konomoto (original story and scriptwriter) from “Odd Taxi.” As an elderly man serving a life sentence, Akutsu (voiced by Kobayashi Kaoru), faces death in prison, he recalls the summer of 1987 in a conversation with Balsam (Pierre Taki), who can speak human language. Akutsu (Tozuka Junki), a humble yakuza in his younger days, lives with his partner Nana (Mitsushima Hikari) and her son Kensuke in an apartment in a seaside town with balsam blooming in the garden. One day, he is suddenly forced to prepare a large sum of money, and he plots to rob the gang’s money, 300 million yen.

Yasumoto plays Tsutsumi, the older brother who plots to steal 300 million yen with Akutsu. Saito plays Wakamatsu, Akutsu’s junior, Murata, the comedian, plays Hayashida, Akutsu’s subordinate, and Nakayama plays Konishi, another subordinate.

The opening theme song will be “Moving Still Life” by the three-piece pop band “cero,” who also wrote the music for the film. The song will be included in the “Hosenka Original Soundtrack” (3,300 yen), which will be released on October 8th.

The trailer starts with a scene in which Hosenka speaks to Akutsu, who is about to die alone in prison. As “Moving Still Life” plays, the trailer includes voiceover footage of the peaceful days Akutsu spent with Nana and the others, as well as tense scenes featuring Tsutsumi and Wakamatsu. The main visual is an illustration of Akutsu and Nana sitting side by side on a veranda, looking up at the fireworks. The vivid fireworks are reflected in the window behind them, with Hosenka gazing at the scene from the other side.

Pony Canyon-Anime PONY CANYON

Channel subscriber count: 991,000

Official trailer for the original anime film “Housenka”

It has also been decided that advance tickets for Mubichike will go on sale at each screening theater and other locations from July 11th. A set of two original stickers using the teaser visuals will be included as a bonus. The price is 1,600 yen.

Full comments from the cast and “cero” are as follows.

[Yasumoto Hiroki (Tsutsumi)] It cannot be summed up in one word: “mysterious.” Facing someone seriously, having love. Although it is simple in itself, the essence of “mystery” is deeply intertwined with it. Please go see it at the theater. Rather than any particular character, I would like you to feel the heat as a whole.

[Saito Soma (Wakamatsu)] I am more than happy to be involved in the world of Director Kinoshita and Konomoto as a cast member again. It is a tranquil, delicate, and yet deeply lingering story. I hope it will gently seep into your hearts.

[Murata Hideaki (Toro Salmon) (Hayashida)] Akutsu’s clumsiness and melancholy slowly seep into my heart… Before I knew it, I had the illusion that Akutsu’s life had been transferred to me, and I began to cry with a strange emotion. No matter what kind of life you have, you have to think about how it should have ended. I am so happy that this work has become one of my favorites.

[Kouta Nakayama (voice of Konishi)] I don’t usually watch anime, but when I watched “Odd Taxi,” I was so surprised by how funny it was that I was completely blown away. I was really jealous of the comedian who voiced it. So I am really happy to be involved in “Impact Flower.” Please forgive me for my poor words.

[Shohei Takagi (cero) (opening theme song)] It seems that recently some people are calling plants that have a different intelligence from us humans “Planta sapiens.” I learned about this in a book, and I think there is something about the way plants build societies and help each other in forests and biotopes that can only be called intelligence. Just as I was getting interested in this, I heard about this movie. I read the script with excitement, and when the impalpella appeared, it had a very different “intelligence” than I had imagined, and I couldn’t help but laugh. As fellow sapiens, maybe we could become friends someday.

[Arai Yu (cero) (Opening Theme Song)] The screen door of a summer apartment, mosquito coils. A CRT television. Curtains swaying in the night breeze. The kitchen in the evening, the hands of a clock. An office in a multi-tenant building, white fluorescent lights. The blue of the sky, the movement of the clouds. The sound of a hybrid car. The delicate descriptions that envelop the story feel like they are accompanying and quietly blessing Akutsu’s days. I created the soundtrack hoping that it would have a similar presence.

[Hashimoto Tsubasa (cero) (Opening Theme Song)]] This was my first experience with soundtracks, but I applied the sounds as if I was being guided by the scenery of the work. There were parts where I felt like I was one of the cogs in a big machine, and I was feeling my way around, but when I saw the finished work, I felt like the dots were connecting for the first time, and it was a fresh experience. I vaguely imagined what society would be like if this work as a whole, or even just a part of it, resonated with people in various circumstances and spread in some way.

⇧“Your click helps my blog grow—thanks for your support!”

A new original mystery drama from the creators of Odd Taxi

The creators of Odd Taxi, known for their sharp storytelling and character-driven mysteries, return with Housenka, a new animated feature film set to premiere on October 10. Featuring voice talents like Hiroki Yasumoto and Soma Saito, the trailer hints at an emotional and suspenseful narrative. Given the previous success of Odd Taxi, fans can expect a tightly woven story that blends psychological intrigue with socially relevant themes. It’s also notable that Housenka appears to carry a more grounded and dramatic tone, suggesting a step away from the anthropomorphic world of Odd Taxi and toward a more human-centered narrative. This shift could mark an evolution in the creative team’s storytelling style.