The movie version of the 21st installment of the popular anime series "PreCure", "Wonderful PreCure!", "Wonderful PreCure! The Movie! A Great Adventure in the World of Exciting Games!", will be released on September 13th. In this film, Komugi (Cure Wonderful/Inukai Komugi) and her friends are sucked into the world of the game "Doki Doki Tanukingdom" and struggle to return to Animal Town. Popular voice actress Kana Hanazawa will be playing Natsuki, the genius game creator who developed the game, which has also been a hot topic. We asked Hanazawa about the behind-the-scenes of the recording and her memories of her beloved dog from her childhood.
◇ "Responsibility" in appearing in "PreCure" for the second time
The motif of "Wonderful PreCure!" is "animals", and it is set in Animal Town, a town where animals and people live together in harmony, and depicts the deep bonds that are woven between animals and people, such as dogs and owners, and cats and owners, and interactions that transcend species. The series, which began in 2004, is also making waves with the introduction of a dog PreCure for the first time. It airs every Sunday from 8:30 a.m. on ABC TV and TV Asahi.
Hanazawa, who enjoyed the first series, Futari wa PreCure, when she was a teenager, said of the appeal of the PreCure series, "It's full of the excitement of girls. Girls want to transform and become cute." She said of Wonderful PreCure!, "The addition of animals makes it even cuter, and it's like, 'What do I do now...?'"
This is Hanazawa's second time appearing in the PreCure series, following the 2015 release of Go! Princess PreCure Go! Go!! A Luxury Triple Feature!!!. In the previous film, she played Princess Panpururu, princess of the Pumpkin Kingdom, and this time she will play Natsuki, a mysterious genius game creator, an important character in the story.
"When I first appeared, I had auditioned for many PreCures, and it was my dream to appear, so I remember being very happy and saying, 'I'm happy! I'm a guest!' I'm just as happy this time, but I felt a sense of responsibility to play the main character as a 'working girl', not as cute and cute as last time."
◇Catchphrase: "It's here!" Calling out to everyone in the theater
In "Wonderful PreCure! The Movie!", Komugi and her friends are sucked into a game world filled with suspicious raccoons, and she is separated from Iroha (Cure Friendy/Inukai Iroha) and her friends. In order to meet her beloved Iroha, Komugi challenges various games. The identity of Natsuki, played by Hanazawa, is shrouded in mystery, but the secret hidden in the game seems to be related to her and the raccoon's past.
"Natsuki is about the same age as Iroha-chan, but as a game creator, she works on an equal footing with adults. The director told me that she is probably older in mental age, so I created the role as a relatively mature girl. Various bugs occur in the game, but she deals with them without losing her cool. She was surprised when the dogs started talking, though (laughs)."
In the scene where Mujina, a raccoon dog character who is like a boss character in the game, goes out of control, she said, "I felt uneasy. When I confronted Tanu-chan, I acted as if she was returning to the real Natsuki-chan, a girl." She also valued the change in her heart.
She also said that she was conscious of the "catchphrases" unique to the "Pretty Cure" series. The "Friend Ring," which is also a gift for moviegoers, appears in the film, and there is a scene where Natsuki calls out, "Hold up your Friend Rings, everyone!"
"When I saw that scene, I thought, 'Here it comes!' In the film, it's a line that she says to the Pretty Cures, but it's also a part where she's calling out to everyone in the theater, so I made sure to stand up properly. I think it's an exciting part for everyone."
◇Memories of her beloved dog Sarada make her teary-eyed
"Wonderful Pretty Cure!" depicts the bond between animals and humans. Hanazawa, who had a dog when she was young, said the story of this film "brought tears to her eyes."
"When I was little, I had a Shih Tzu called Sarada. After I got her, I found out I was allergic to dogs and cats, so I had to leave her at my grandpa's house, but we grew up together and spent a lot of time together. I often talked to Sarada when I went to my grandpa's house to play. When I was crying because my mother scolded me, she would come over to me, and I think she knew when I was sad. She was a really good girl, not like a dog, and she probably thought of me as a little sister, so I think that's why she would listen to me about anything. When I read the story this time, I remembered Sarada and I couldn't help but tear up. So it was really easy to act."
She said that there were many parts that resonated with her memories of her beloved dog. "When the Pretty Cures said so straightforwardly in the story, 'Our hearts are connected,' I was taken aback. I had hoped that was the case, but when the dogs and cats said that to me, I was like, 'Thank you. I'll let you think that way,' (laughs)."
"I think it will be even more moving if you can enjoy the story from Natsuki's perspective," says Hanazawa. It will be interesting to see what kind of bond between animals and humans will be depicted in "Wonderful Pretty Cure! The Movie! A Great Adventure in the Exciting Game World!".
