It was revealed on December 6th that Koichi Domoto will be making a cameo appearance in the Japanese version of Disney Animation's "Zootopia 2" (directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard). This is Domoto's first time working in a Disney production, and he plays the dual roles of the goat police officers Boucheron and Chevre. Boucheron and Chevre are a buddy duo of tough-looking police officers, distinctive for their sunglasses and exuding a certain dignity. In the subtitled version, Jean Reno, known for films such as "Nikita" and "Léon," makes a cameo voice appearance, and Domoto has been selected as the voice actor for the Japanese version.
Domoto expressed his joy at the decision, saying, "I was surprised. I was truly happy." He continued, "It was my first time to be involved in a Disney production, and I was honored to suddenly be playing two roles. When I heard that Jean Reno was playing the role in the UK, I thought, 'Are you sure you want me to play the role?!'"
Regarding his role in which he played two roles, he explained, "I played the role with the image of a capable investigator. Boucheron and Chevre are partners, but at first I exude an air of, 'What a young bastard!' towards Judy and Nick, who are also partners." During filming, he also tried acting out rough breathing in fight scenes, and reflected, "The fact that there were so few lines actually made it difficult. I didn't have to switch between Boucheron and Chevre that much, but getting the balance right was also difficult."
Regarding the previous film, "Zootopia," Domoto said, "I think it's a film that can be enjoyed by a wide range of people. For children, it's fun because there are lots of animals, and I think it also conveys the message that it's important to have dreams and hopes. On the other hand, for adults, it conveys the message of the importance of accepting diversity. I thought it was a really wide-ranging and enjoyable film, and I watched it." Speaking about the appeal of Disney films, Domoto, who has extensive experience appearing in musicals, said, "Of course the film itself is wonderful, but I also think the music is wonderful. It's not just musicals, but I often find myself thinking, 'Wow, this is wonderful music.'" He also added, "Childhood memories don't fade easily. Whether it's Tokyo Disneyland or a Disney film, I think the memories of the fun I had as a child are engraved in my life."
Regarding "Zootopia 2," he said, "I think that whether it's the previous film, 'Zootopia,' or other Disney films, there is a message that can be received by both children and adults. I think this film continues that tradition, and I also think the 'mystery of Zootopia' is a highlight of this film. So, for starters, I hope you'll enjoy the film without noticing me (laughs), and I'd be happy if you were surprised when you saw the end credits."
This film is the sequel to "Zootopia," which was released in 2016. The previous film, "Zootopia," was set in Zootopia, a world where animals live in a high-tech civilized society like humans, and depicted the story of Judy the rabbit who meets Nick the fox and overcomes many challenges together as he grows into a fine police officer. It was the first Disney animation film since "Frozen" to surpass $1 billion in global box office revenue. It was also a huge hit in Japan, grossing over 7.6 billion yen.
In the Japanese version of "Zootopia 2," actress Aya Ueto will voice the rabbit police officer Judy, and voice actor Toshiyuki Morikawa will voice the fox Nick, just like in the previous film. Furthermore, voice actor Hiro Shimono will voice Gary, the wanted snake who holds the key to Zootopia's biggest mystery. The film was released on December 5th.
