It was announced on January 30th that Takumi Kitamura, Yusei Yagi, and Airi Ikumi will appear in the live-action film "SAKAMOTO DAYS" (directed by Yuichi Fukuda, scheduled for release on April 29th), based on the popular manga currently being serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha). They will play the "strongest assassins" Nagumo, Kamigami Kai, and Osaragi, respectively. This will be the first time that the three will appear in a film directed by Fukuda.
This live-action adaptation of Suzuki Yuto's popular manga, which has sold over 15 million copies worldwide (including digital versions), is written by director Fukuda, who is also known for the "Gintama" series and "From Today, It's My Turn!! The Movie." The film stars Meguro Ren of the popular group Snow Man. This solid action story follows Sakamoto Taro (Meguro), a former legendary hitman who retires and runs a shop, as he and his friends fight against approaching assassins to protect the peaceful daily life he lives with his beloved family.
The new recruits are members of ORDER, a special task force directly under the Japan Hitman League (commonly known as Satsuren), the largest organization in Japan that regulates professional hitmen. They are said to be the strongest force in the hitman world, and are responsible for maintaining order in the hitman world, to which Sakamoto once belonged.
Nagumo, played by Kitamura, is a colleague of Sakamoto's from his days as an assassin, and is a master of disguise with high combat abilities. He is a popular character with strong fan support, and Kitamura said, "I've been reading SAKAMOTO DAYS since the beginning of its serialization, and I know how popular Nagumo is, how humorous he is but has a hidden heart that no one can grasp, his eyes that seem dead but are not, and that he is the strongest. It was very difficult. But they entrusted me with the role, so I did my best."
Yagi, who plays Kamigami Mawari, a cool, sensible man who speaks in a Kansai dialect, commented, "I was so happy and surprised to see the original work, which I've always loved, being made into a live-action film, and on top of that, I was able to join Fukuda's team, which I've loved since I was a student, so I felt like, 'Is this a prank?'" He said that Kamigami Mawari is "my favorite character in the original work," and added, "I am truly honored to be able to play this role. I wanted to faithfully recreate the battle scenes, which are one of the greatest draws of the original work, so I practiced the action scenes over and over again. I think I've created something really cool through trial and error, so please look forward to it!"
Osaragi, played by Ikumi, is usually a laid-back character who is often criticized by the Kamigami Kai for her laid-back behavior, but when it comes to missions, she displays incredible strength that belies her appearance, easily swinging a giant chainsaw in battle. She is an elusive newcomer and the only female member of "ORDER." Ikumi revealed, "I've read the original manga and watched the anime, and I told my manager, 'SAKAMOTO DAYS is so fun, I want you to watch it!' So when I heard about this, I was really surprised!" She continued, "The contrast between Osaragi's normal time with the Kamigami Kai and when she's swinging her chainsaw in battle is very appealing. I did my best to carefully portray each and every movement and speech to convey the charm of the character."
A "Special ORDER Video" featuring scenes featuring Nagumo, Kamigami Kai, and Daibutsu was also released on Toho's YouTube channel.
