"Sunflower on the Board" 8 additional cast members including Sasaki Kuranosuke and Takasugi Mahiro announced, trailer also released

On July 24th, it was announced that eight additional cast members, including Sasaki Kuranosuke and Ken Watanabe, will appear in the movie "Sunflower on the Board" (directed by Kumazawa Naoto, to be released on October 31st), in which actors Sakaguchi Kentaro and Watanabe Ken co-star. The trailer and poster visuals were also unveiled.

This human mystery is a live-action adaptation of the novel of the same name (Chuokoron-Shinsha) by Yuzuki Yuko, who is known for works such as "The Blood of Wolves." The lead actor, Sakaguchi, plays Kamijo Keisuke, a genius shogi player who made the extraordinary progress from amateur to professional. Watanabe plays Toumyo Shigeyoshi, a legendary gambling shogi player who is a top-class player but a terrible person, and Tao Tsuchiya, who has already been announced to appear, plays Miyata Natsuko, Keisuke's ex-fiancee who watches over him.

Sasaki plays detective Ishiba Tsuyoshi, who uses a rare shogi piece left at the scene as a clue to uncover the truth behind the incident and unravel Keisuke's past. Takasugi plays Sano Naoya, a young police officer who works with Ishiba and once aspired to become a professional shogi player.

Furthermore, Fumiyo Kohinata will play Karasawa Koichiro, the teacher who teaches Katsusuke, who had a miserable childhood, and sees his talent, while Kimura Tae will play his wife Karasawa Yoshiko. Otoo Takuma will play Kamijo Yoichi, Katsusuke's father, who was violent towards Katsusuke when he was young and continues to treat him harshly even after he grows up. Emoto Akira will play Kanesaki Motoji, the best sword master in the Tohoku region, who shows off his fierce one-on-one battles with Azuma Akira, Watanabe Ikkei will play Kakudate Ginjiro, the referee for the match, and Onoue Ukon will play Mibu Yoshiki, the strongest active professional shogi player who stands in Katsusuke's way.

The trailer, which features the theme song "Kureyuku Machi no Futari" by Southern All Stars, shows the tense expressions of detectives investigating the mystery of a skeletonized corpse, followed by the appearance of Kamijo (played by Sakaguchi), who is named as a suspect. Kamijo with a beard is also shown.

The full comments from the eight additional cast members are as follows:

◇Comment from Kuranosuke Sasaki (role of Tsuyoshi Ishiba)

Two men are entangled in a fierce battle, entangled by fate. I played Detective Ishiba, who wanders through the wilderness of his heart and gets caught up in it, running around everywhere in pursuit of the mystery. He fights against fate, but cries out, "Live!" Please watch it on the big screen.

◇Comment from Mahiro Takasugi (role of Naoya Sano)

I will be playing the role of Sano in "Sunflowers on the Board." He is a police officer who was once a member of the Shogi Association and has a failed past. I played the role of a man who becomes confused about the truth and righteousness while investigating the case, through trial and error. Of course, it is a mystery work, but it is also a work that strongly depicts the relationship between father and son, and I think you will be able to feel various bonds.

◇Comment from Takuma Otoo (role of Kamijo Yoichi)

I am grateful to be able to enter the world of Yuko Yuzuki's works again. Life is full of hardships, so why are people born? If I could find even one thing that I could immerse myself in, I would like to feel that this is the meaning of my birth.

◇Comment from Ikkei Watanabe (role of Ginjiro Kakudate)

I played the role of an umpire, so I got to see up close the "various battles" of the actors playing the shogi players facing the board. Watching the players facing the board with their lives on the line, I had the illusion that I was watching the actors' "way of life," and I felt a strange emotion. I think the film is full of energy, showing the depth of human karma, both pure and impure. It was a very enjoyable set.

◇Comment from Akira Emoto (role of Genji Kanesaki)

I felt the passion. It had been a while since I last met Ken Watanabe, but we really got into it. Thank you. I hope everyone will watch it.

◇Comment from Ukon Onoue (role of Yoshiki Mibu)

The passion of the swordsmen bursts from the screen. Each act has a decisive impact on the life and death of the person watching, and the viewers feel as if they are being stabbed. I was overwhelmed and riveted.

I play Mibu Yoshiki, a rival in the world of shogi to Kamijo Keisuke on the "front" side. Even though he is on the "front" side, his serious feelings do not change, and I thought that the way he steps onto the stage to face the challenge with a lot of karma on his shoulders might offer some hints in the world of kabuki. In any case, it's a great movie. Please look forward to it.

◇ Comment from Tae Kimura (role of Yoshiko Karasawa)

I acted hoping to become a ray of light in a sad and painful fate. But as I acted, thinking about the fate that lies ahead, my heart tightened, and I couldn't help but scream in my heart over and over again: Live! This world was created by the wonderful cast and staff, including Director Kumazawa. I hope that you will feel the scent of the times and the weight of the air and turn it into the strength to live.

◇Comment from Fumiyo Kohinata(role of Koichiro Karasawa)

Karasawa met Kamijo Keisuke in his childhood, saw his talent for shogi, and led him into the world of shogi. If they hadn't met, the boy's life would have taken a completely different path. He was then tossed about by another encounter, leading to a strange fate. Which path would have been happy for Kamijo Keisuke?

The paths we walk diverge as a result of the many encounters we have with others. Why not take a look back at your life while watching this film?