Yoshitoshi Shinomiya, a Japanese painter who has worked on anime with directors such as Makoto Shinkai and Sunao Katabuchi, has announced that the Japanese title of his first animated feature film, A New Dawn, will be "Hana Ryokusou ga Akeru Hi", and that it will be released in 2025. Set at Obito Fireworks, a 330-year-old fireworks factory facing forced eviction, the film follows the young people who grew up there and the two days surrounding the mysterious fireworks, "Shuhari." It was also announced that actors Riku Hagiwara and Kotone Furukawa will co-star in the film. This will be the first time for both Hagiwara and Furukawa to try their hand at anime voice acting.
Hagiwara plays Obitsu Keitaro, the second son of the Obitsu Fireworks Shop who struggles to complete the mysterious fireworks in place of his missing father, and Furukawa plays Shikimori Kaoru, Keitaro's childhood friend who left his hometown and is searching for his future in Tokyo.
Hagiwara commented, "This was my first time working as a voice actor, so it was very refreshing. When I was first doing the dubbing on my own, I had a hard time getting a sense of satisfaction, and I was only relying on the director's ``OK.'' But on the last day, I recorded my dialogue with Furukawa, and it felt completely different from when I was recording alone. It made me realize how much I am supported by the people and environment around me in my everyday life. When I first saw the script and storyboard, I thought, 'This is going to be an amazing piece,' so I hope everyone will look forward to it."
Furukawa said, "I was very happy to be invited to take part in this important work that Director Shinomiya has been developing for a long period of eight years since it was conceived, and although it was my first time as a voice actor, I threw myself into the role. While recording my voice, I was reminded of the coronavirus five years ago. At the time, I was constantly saddened by the fact that traditional events, such as fireworks festivals across the country, were being canceled one after another, but looking back now, it was Japanese anime, which is at the forefront of modern culture, that supported my daily life at that time. I believe this work is a work of art that learns from the old and creates something new, as Director Shinomiya, a former Japanese painter, depicts fireworks in animation. I am once again honored to have been entrusted with a part in its creation."
A teaser visual was also released. It shows Kaoru, who has returned from Tokyo, visiting Keitaro, who is making fireworks at the Obito Fireworks Shop, which is facing eviction by the government tomorrow, and the scene where they meet for the first time in four years. A trailer was also released on YouTube, showing Keitaro talking about Shuhari, known as the phantom firework, and Kaoru being shocked to discover the existence of the blue pigment, verdigris, which holds the key to Shuhari's secret.
The film is a Japanese-French co-production with French studio Miyu Productions. It was selected as one of five films in various stages of production from around the world at the Annecy Animation Showcase during the Marché du Film "Animation Day" at the 77th Cannes International Film Festival held in May 2024, and became a hot topic.
◇Staff (titles omitted)
Original story, script and director: Yoshitoshi Shinomiya▽Character design: Utsushita (Minami Kenkyusho)▽Animation director: Shohei Hamaguchi▽Art: Ryoko Umajima▽Music: Shuta Hasunuma▽Produced by: A NEW DAWN Film Partners▽Production: Asmik Ace, Studio Outrigger, Miyu Productions
