It has been announced that the TV anime "Chi. - About the Movement of the Earth", based on the manga by Uo Toyo, which was also selected as the winner of the Manga Grand Prize at the 26th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize, will be broadcast on NHK General TV from 11:45 pm on October 5th. The first episode will be the first and second episodes broadcast consecutively. It has also been announced that after each episode has aired, the series will be streamed worldwide on Netflix and for free on ABEMA.
Additional cast members have also been announced, including Katsuyuki Konishi, Yuichi Nakamura, and Saya Niimi. Konishi will play the substitute fighter Okuji, Nakamura will play Badeni, and Niimi will play astronomy research assistant Yolenta.
Konishi said of his impression of the work, "I remember being impressed by the way he risked his life to research the heliocentric theory. His determination and passion made my soul tremble. I can't put it into words well, but I wondered if there was anything inside me that I could pour so much passion into. Also, the baton of thoughts is amazing." He said of Okuji, the character he plays, "I think he has a pretty negative personality. But when he comes into contact with various people and the heliocentric theory, what kind of chemical reaction will occur and will he grow or not? I like Okuji as a person."
To his fans, he sent a message saying, "My beloved 'Chi.' is going to be made into an anime! And I will be playing the role of Okuji! Yay! I hope you all enjoy the world of 'Chi.' with your eyes and ears. And then pass the baton to the next person."
Nakamura said of his impression of the work, "How did people who did not have the knowledge that we take for granted now notice and think at the time, and live without regretting their actions... I felt like I was vividly seeing past events that I could only imagine." About the character Badeni, she commented, "He seems to be a confident person, but as I played the role, I began to feel that there is more to him than that. He doesn't act because he is confident, but like all the characters that have appeared so far, maybe he senses some kind of destiny within himself... I don't know the truth, but it was interesting to play Badeni, who changes little by little in an exquisite way."
To her fans, she said, "It's an epic story, but it's a work that makes you realize that the power that people have to act on their intellectual curiosity is truly amazing. Just watch it!"
About her impression of the work, Hitomi said, "The 'emotion' and 'passion' of the characters' confrontations was so great that I took my time to read through it. The emotions of each person were conveyed vividly and kept piling up, and I was drawn into the charm of the work with a weight on my heart that made me feel suffocated." Regarding her character Jorenta, she said, "I imagined all sorts of things, how special the things I take for granted are to her. The more I imagine, the stronger the pain and joy she feels, so I took on each voice recording with a challenging attitude."
She sent a message to fans saying, "I still can't believe I'm able to be a part of a work that is loved by so many people. I hope that the moving story of her risking her life will connect with everyone's hearts. Thank you very much."
The official promotional video featuring the main characters Rafał, Novak, and Hubert was released on YouTube. The video features the opening theme "Kaiju" by the band "Sakanaction" and the ending theme "Aporia" by the band "Yorushika." The video depicts the child prodigy Rafał, who is fascinated by the possibility and beauty of the heliocentric theory after hearing Hubert's words, saying "I'm going to move the Earth now," and risking his life to prove it.
It was also announced that Kenichi Shimizu will be the director, Shingo Irie will be in charge of series composition, Masanori Shino will be in charge of character design, and Kensuke Ushio will be in charge of music. Kisuke Koizumi will be the sound director.
The series was serialized in "Weekly Big Comic Spirits" (Shogakukan) from 2020 to 2022. Set in 15th century Europe, it depicts people risking their lives to study the heretical theory of heliocentrism. Child prodigy Rafał declares that he will major in theology, which was considered the most important subject at the time, in order to live up to the expectations of those around him, but he is unable to abandon his passion for astronomy, which he has been passionate about for a long time. One day, Rafał meets a mysterious scholar named Hubert, who is researching a shocking "certain hypothesis" about the universe... This is the story.
The anime will be produced by Madhouse, which has also produced "Summer Wars." Maaya Sakamoto will play Rafał, a child prodigy who has been allowed to skip a grade and enter university, Kenjiro Tsuda will play Novak, the examiner for heresy, and Sho Hayami will play the mysterious scholar Hubert.
◇Cast (titles omitted)
Rafał: Sakamoto Maaya▽Novak: Tsuda Kenjiro▽Hubert: Hayami Shou▽Okzie: Konishi Katsuyuki▽Badeni: Nakamura Yuichi▽Yolenta: Niimi Saya
