Actor Asuka Saito appeared on stage at the premiere screening of the animated feature film "The Camphor Keeper ," based on the novel by Keigo Higashino, held at Nikkei Hall (Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo) on January 14th. Saito made her debut as an anime voice actor, playing the role of Saji Yumi, who searches for her father's secret. Saito seemed unsure, saying, "I've never done voice acting before, and this is Higashino-sensei's first animated film, so I thought just taking part in the audition would be a memorable experience. I didn't feel particularly successful, and the director wasn't very kind..."
Director Ito Tomohiko, who is working on the anime, praised Saito during the audition, saying, "I was pumping my fist in my heart," to which Saito smiled and said, "I see...I'm happy. I'm relieved to hear that."
Saito said that the recording was "very difficult because I didn't feel like I was making any progress. I had to use my brain in many different ways," and that he tried and tested a lot of different things. However, Director Ito gave his stamp of approval to Saito's performance, saying, "He responded to requests one after the other. He was so precise that I didn't have to say anything. I was grateful."
Also appearing on stage to greet the audience were Yuki Amami , who Fumiya Takahashi Reito, Amami Yuki, who plays Yanagisawa Chishu, Reito's aunt who holds the key to the story, 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.
"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.
