A stage greeting to celebrate the release of the second chapter of the completely new movie version of the popular TV anime "Mononoke", "Mononoke the Movie Chapter 2: Fire Rat", was held on March 15th at TOHO Cinemas Roppongi Hills (Minato Ward, Tokyo), with voice actors including Hiroshi Kamiya, who plays the medicine seller, making an appearance. Kamiya, who plays the medicine seller following the first chapter "Karakasa", said, "It's a continuation of the story (from the first chapter), so I didn't want to change anything. I just wanted to make sure that the main character doesn't lose sight of the idea of storming into the Ooku with conviction."
Kamiya said that he tried to "subtract from the action," explaining, "I'm making this with the third chapter in mind, so I tried to refrain from using all my strength to exorcise the fire rats. I don't know if he has any humanity, but no matter how much everyone around him is moving, the medicine seller is the one who stays in the middle and looks to the truth. It's inevitable that Sakashita (Hiroshikiban) will waver when the medicine seller says something to him, so I hope the viewers will find it comforting."
Voice actors Yoko Hikasa, Haruka Tomatsu, and Kenyuu Horiuchi, as well as director Kiyotaka Suzuki and general director Kenji Nakamura also appeared at the event.
"Mononoke" is an anime produced by the staff of the popular episode "Bakeneko" from "Ayakashi", which was broadcast on Fuji TV's late-night anime slot "Noitamina" in 2006, and was broadcast in 2007. It depicts the supernatural tale of a medicine seller who appeared in "Bakeneko" facing off against a Mononoke.
"Mononoke the Movie" is set in the inner palace, where women's passions swirl, and follows a medicine seller as he pursues the true identity of the "Mononoke." There are three chapters in total, with the first, "Mononoke the Movie: Karakasa," being released in July 2024, and the second, "Mononoke the Movie: Chapter 2: Fire Rat," being released on March 14th. Nakamura, who worked on the TV series and the first movie, will be the general director of Chapter 2, and Suzuki will be the director. It has also been announced that the third chapter, "Mononoke the Movie: Chapter 3: Snake God," will be released in spring 2026.
