It has been announced that actor Jun Saito will be appearing as a voice actor in the TV anime " A Witch's Life in Mongol ," based on the manga by Tomato Soup, which was recently selected as the No. 1 female manga in " Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2023" (Takarajimasha). This will be Saito's first appearance in a TV anime, and he will be playing Muhammad, the intelligent son of Fatima. The first cast members announced are Akira Sekine as Sitara, Ryota Suzuki as Tolui, and Miyu Irino as Shira. The first promotional video featuring the characters Sitara, Fatima, Muhammad, and others has been released on YouTube.
Saito commented, "I feel that Muhammad has a great influence on the protagonist and embodies the value of knowledge. I was very drawn to his gentle and calm personality. It was a pleasure to be involved in the project among professional voice actors, and although I was always nervous, it was a set where I learned important things. Please look forward to the broadcast."
Sekine, who plays Shitara, a lonely girl who has lost her mother and is far from her hometown, said, "I will never forget the impact I felt when I read the original work. When I heard that I had been cast as Shitara, I was happy to be able to walk alongside her, but I also felt a lot of tension and pressure. However, during recording, I was supported by many senior actors and staff members, and I was able to challenge myself as much as I could while feeling the love and passion for this work! I hope you will enjoy it! Thank you all very much!!"
Kuwajima, who plays Fatima, Muhammad's kind-hearted mother, said, "When I read the original manga, I was shocked to learn that it was going to be animated, and I really wanted to be involved. During the voice recording, I felt the extraordinary passion that the staff had for this project, and I'm looking forward to it even more now. I will be playing Fatima, who has a great influence on the life of the young girl Sitara. Fatima is a woman of privileged status for that era, and she is also an intelligent and knowledgeable person. I hope to pour as much love as I can into my portrayal of her in the short scenes with Sitara. I hope everyone will be deeply moved by this work along with Sitara."
Suzuki, who will be playing Tolui, the fourth son of Genghis Khan, the emperor of the Mongol Empire, commented: "I am Ryota Suzuki , and I will be voicing Tolui, who possesses a pureness that brightens the atmosphere and displays outstanding martial arts. In this work, which is set in the Mongol Empire, I have learned about cultures and languages that I have never encountered before, and my knowledge has broadened. The animation makes full use of the goodness of the original work, and the detailed designs are beautifully depicted, so please look forward to it. Thank you!!"
Irino, who plays Shira, a boy living as a prisoner of the Mongol Empire, said, "I am one of the fans who have been captivated by the 'beautiful' and 'cruel' stories drawn by Tomato Soup-sensei. I still remember the feeling of not being able to stop reading the manga, but at the same time being afraid to turn the page. At the voice recording studio, the recording was done carefully and thoroughly, taking plenty of time. While respecting the charm of the original work, the animation has been wonderfully blended with expressions that are unique to animation, and I can feel the deep love the production team has for the work. I am very happy to be working with director Abel (Abel Gongora) for the first time, and to be able to work with general director Yamada (Naoko) again. Please look forward to the broadcast."
Character art featuring Shitara and the characters who will significantly influence Shitara's fate has been released.
It was also announced that the film has been selected for the TV Films section of the official competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, which will be held in Annecy, France in June, and will be officially screened. The Annecy International Animation Film Festival was established in 1960 when the animation section of the Cannes International Film Festival became independent. It is the longest-running and largest animation film festival in the world. The festival will be held from June 21 to 27.
The manga, currently serialized on Akita Shoten's manga website "Souffle," is set in 13th-century Mongolia. It follows Sitara (Fatima), a former slave girl who becomes a prisoner of the Mongol Empire, as she meets Dregene, the sixth wife of the Mongol Emperor, who also harbors complex feelings towards the Mongol Empire. Together, they use their wits to shake up the empire.
The anime will be directed by Naoko Yamada , known for works such as " The Heike Story A Silent Voice," and "The Colors Within ," with Abel Gongora, director of the second season of " Dandadan," directing, and Kenichi Yoshida, known for "Eureka Seven," "OVERMAN King Gainer," and "The Orbital Children," handling character design and animation chief. The animation will be produced by Science SARU, known for works such as "Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!", "The Heike Story," and "Dandadan." It will air on TV Asahi's anime block "IMAnimation" starting in July.
◇Staff (titles omitted)
Chief Director: Naoko Yamada ▽Director: Abel Gongora▽Character Design/Animation Chief: Kenichi Yoshida▽Series Composition: Kanichi Kato▽Music: Koshiro Hino▽Animation Production: Science SARU
◇Cast (titles omitted)
Sitara: Akira Sekine; Fatima: Noriko Kuwashima; Muhammad: Jun Saito; Tolui: Ryota Suzuki; Shira: Miyu Irino
