The latest film in the popular anime series "Soreike! Anpanman" is the 36th installment, "Soreike! Anpanman: Chapon's Hero!". The latest film focuses more on the concept of "heroes," and tells the story of Chapon, a boy who admires Anpanman and dreams of becoming a hero. When it was released on June 27th, the film has been garnering attention for its theme of "Why were we born and what do we live for?" which resonates with children and adults alike. An interview video was released on YouTube in which Toda Keiko, who plays Anpanman, Nakao Ryusei, who plays Baikinman, and Koichi Yamadera, who plays Uncle Jam/Cheese, talk about the "essence of heroes" depicted throughout the series.
Yamadera mentioned the scene where Chapon asks Anpanman if he doesn't mind being told "amazing!" or "cool!" when he helps people, and said he was touched by Anpanman's straightforward response of "Yes!" without hesitation. In response to Yamadera's point of view on justice from Anpanman's perspective, Nakao mentioned a scene in which he can see the determination of Baikinman, the character he plays. He said that the line "What were you born for?", which Baikinman asks Chapon, is itself a question he is asking himself, and that the scene where Baikinman sticks to his stance of "I'll fight no matter how many times I lose to Anpanman," left a strong impression on him.
Toda says that, as can be seen from the quote mentioned by Yamadera, being a hero is not just about being cool, but that it is his pure and straightforward desire to "do things that make everyone happy" that has allowed Anpanman to remain a hero for so many years.
The latest work is a story that explores the love and courage that "Anpanman" has always depicted, as well as the meaning of life and how to live. Chapon, a mysterious boy who fell from the sky, meets Anpanman and his friends. As he spends time with them, he learns the joy of helping others and making them smile, wishes to become a hero, and comes to adore Anpanman like an older brother. However, Baikinman, who knows the secret of Chapon's birth, appears and he learns the shocking truth. Chapon decides that "I will decide the meaning of my birth!" and joins Anpanman in facing off against Baikinman in order to bring smiles to everyone's faces. Actress Aoi Yu will be the voice actor for Chapon.
"Soreike! Anpanman" is based on a popular picture book by Takashi Yanase. The TV anime series began in 1988, and the first movie was released the following year in March 1989. The previous film, "Go! Anpanman: Baikinman and the Picture Book of Lulun," released in 2024, grossed over 730 million yen, making it the biggest hit in the "Anpanman Movie" series.
