It was revealed on January 29th that actor Shunsuke Daito will be appearing in the film "Zombie 1/2: Right Side of the Living Dead" (directed by Erika Ota), which is scheduled for release in spring 2026. Daito will play the mysterious "healing charisma" Hiiringu.
"Zombie 1/2" is the second installment of "M CINEMA," a project run by the video production company Media Mix Japan, which gives young employees in their 20s and 30s the opportunity to produce a feature film. This unprecedented zombie film stars a "half-zombie," the only rational being in a world after the zombie pandemic has ended.
Ryuma Shingu (Yoshimura), the last remaining "half-zombie" working as an office worker, lives a normal life, wanting to "live without causing any trouble," but one day he bites a university student intern named Hazame-kun, and a zombie pandemic breaks out. He is meant to fight to put an end to the chaos, but his inherently introverted nature gets in the way and he can't get started... This is the story.
Hiirin, played by Daito, hides lofty ideals and a strong determination behind his gentle demeanor, and opens a "Healing Half-Zombie House" in the wake of the zombie pandemic. It appears to be a hopeful facility with the aim of returning half-zombies to human form through communal living, but its true nature is unknown. He is a mysterious character who always exudes a somewhat unsettling aura.
Daito commented, "They don't think about whether they are alive or dead, they just eat whatever is in front of them and multiply meaninglessly. These days it's hard to tell whether they are talking about zombies or modern humans. The film is about 'half-zombies' and asks what it means to 'live' in today's information-filled society, and what the 'self' is. This is not a work with any social message, so please enjoy it at your leisure."
It was also announced that Kaneko Kiyofumi will be playing the role of Horafukida, an authority on zombie research who supports the protagonist as a good understanding person.
