A stage greeting was held on January 14th at the Nikkei Hall (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) for the premiere screening of the animated feature film "The Camphor Keeper," based on Higashino Keigo's novel. Up until now, Higashino's works have been made into live-action films and TV dramas, but this is the first time they have been made into an anime. The anime is being produced by director Ito Tomohiko, known for works such as "Sword Art Online " and "Erased." He said, "Even among Higashino-sensei's novels, this one has a high fantasy element. I felt that it would be better done as an anime rather than a live-action film. I tried to make the characters lively, portray their everyday lives in a fun way, and create an exciting climax."
Also appearing on stage to greet the audience were Yuki Amami , who plays the main character Fumiya Takahashi Reito, Amami Yuki, who plays Yanagisawa Chishu, Reito's aunt who holds the key to the story, Asuka Saito Asuka, who plays Saji Yumi, who investigates her father's secret, Ryubi Miyase, who plays Oba Soki, the heir to a long-established Japanese confectionery manufacturer, and Osawa Takao, who plays Saji Toshiaki, who secretly visits the camphor tree to pray.
Amami said, overcome with emotion, "I cried so much that I was surprised at myself. I can't really put it into words, but I think there is a camphor tree in everyone's heart, and I wanted to receive that and convey that." Takahashi said, "I was overwhelmed. The beautiful visuals and music combined made it a feast for the eyes, ears, and heart. The presence of the camphor tree and the fact that it had a fantasy element but also a sense of reality, I was overwhelmed."
"The Camphor Keeper" tells the story of a young man, Naoi Reito, who loses his job due to unreasonable dismissal and becomes the mysterious "The Camphor Keeper," where he meets people with various circumstances. The film will be released on January 30th.
