A stage greeting to commemorate the release of " Aldnoah.Zero (Re+)," a compilation of the TV anime " Aldnoah.Zero " that aired from 2014 to 2015, plus the new anime "Fragments of Rain," was held on March 5th at Shinjuku Wald 9 (Shinjuku, Tokyo). Director Aoki Ei and voice actors Natsuki Hanae, Kensho Ono, and Sora Amamiya appeared and talked about their thoughts on the new work while looking back on about 10 years ago.
The original robot anime was directed by Aoki and the story was written by Gen Urobuchi. The first season aired from July to September 2014, and the second season from January to March 2015. The new anime "Fragments of Rain" is an animated version of a reading that was shown at an event after the TV anime finished airing.
Hanae, who plays Kaizuka Inaho, said about the new work, "I was happy that it was made into a movie. I've already performed the content once in a reading, so even though it's been a while, I remembered the lines. It's really good. I was happy that it had a satisfying and hopeful ending."
Hanae said, "I'm in a different environment than I was back then. My acting and my voice have changed, so it was difficult." Ono, who plays Slaine Troyard, said, "My voice has changed from 10 years ago, so I was a little worried." Ono revealed what went on behind the scenes of the recording, saying, "It was just Hanae and I recording (for the new work). We usually get along well, but our relationship is completely different from 10 years ago. I wondered if we'd be able to create an atmosphere that we hadn't felt in a long time, but when we started recording, the atmosphere changed instantly. I thought, "He's a voice actor!" (laughs). As I was acting, memories of back then came back to me. I recorded with a nostalgic feeling."
Amemiya, who plays Asseylum Vers Alleucia, said, "This is the first time I've played the role in 10 years, and my voice has changed. I wondered whether I should stick to the original or make some changes. Asseylum was a naive princess, but she begins to take action on her own. It's only been a few months since she became princess, but I think a big part of her has grown mentally. I tried to be a princess who is stable and has her feet on the ground."
About 10 years ago, Amemiya brought homemade bean sprout namul to the set, and Hanae and Ono remembered it well, but Amemiya was confused and said, "I have no memory of it at all..." Ono smiled and said, "It was delicious!"
Looking back on about 10 years ago, Amemiya said, "I was a newcomer and was nervous about doing the dubbing," and about the new work, "I watched it while feeling completely disoriented. I couldn't stop crying."
Finally, Hanae spoke passionately, saying, "It's a work that hasn't faded at all, and it's hard to believe it was made 10 years ago. I worked so hard on it back then, and when I look at it now I feel proud of myself. I can proudly call it my masterpiece."
"Aldnoah.Zero(Re+)" has been showing in theaters since February 28. The new film, "Fragments of Rain," will also be included in the Blu-ray box set to be released on March 26.
