To commemorate the release of the latest theatrical film in the popular anime "Anpanman," "Anpanman: Pantan and the Promised Star," an interview video featuring Keiko Toda (voice of Anpanman), Ryusei Nakao (voice of Baikinman), Koichi Yamadera(voice of Uncle Jam and Meiken Cheese), and Kenjiro Tsuda(who is participating in the series for the first time) has been released. Tsuda was greatly praised by the regular voice cast, including Toda, who said he was "magnificent," and he revealed his pure and innocent side by saying that he was "giggling with excitement inside."
Tsuda revealed his honest feelings about joining the series for the first time, saying, "It was an honor. I've always wanted to be in 'Anpanman.' I've been a voice actor for a long time, but I've never had that opportunity..." Reflecting on working with Toda, Nakao, and Yamadera, he said, "I was so excited inside, thinking, 'Ah, it's Anpanman! It's Uncle Jam! It's Baikinman!' It was fun."
Toda said, "Even though Mr. Tsuda is so busy, he stayed with us all morning to do our voice recording. I never thought he would do it with us, so I was really grateful." Yamadera also revealed the unusual atmosphere of the recording studio, saying, "When I showed up (at the recording studio) in the morning, I was surprised to see Tsuda-ken there and that we were going to do it together! I was also surprised that even though I've been a voice actor for a long time, I'd never appeared in one before!"
When asked about the line or scene that resonated with him the most in this film, Tsuda commented, "It was a very mature story. Getting older can have a negative image, but it made me feel very motivated, thinking that there's still so much more to come." Toda touched on the film's theme, saying, "Promises are a very difficult topic even in the adult world. Such difficult topics also occur in the world of children, and the film somehow teaches us what promises really mean," and revealed that Uncle Jam gives the answer in the film. Yamadera added, "Yes, there was. It was a really good line, 'I think the important thing is the feeling of wanting to keep (a promise)'."
When asked which character she would like to go on an adventure with in the Anpanman world, Tsuda said, "When I watched the movie again this time, I was really impressed by Baikinman's genius... His talent as a scientist is truly amazing," and named Baikinman. Yamadera also praised him, saying, "Uncle Jam can do a lot of things, but he's no match for Baikinman." Nakao chose characters that Baikinman, the character she plays, is not good with, saying, "I would choose Pudding-chan and Eclair-san. With those two, things would be positive, and I think we could have a fun adventure."
Toda explained her reasoning, saying, "I'll bring cheese. After all, it's good that it doesn't talk," which drew playful teasing from everyone, but she added, "There's something nice about it, it's soothing," expressing her affection for the character. Yamadera said, "I'll bring a bench. When I feel tired, I like the feeling of wanting to 'gently snuggle up' to someone. I like walking when I travel, but I get tired quickly. I just want to sit down right away."
When asked about similarities between herself and the character she plays, Toda, who plays Anpanman, humbly said, "I have absolutely nothing in common with him! I don't think there's a hero like that. He's kind, always patrolling for others, he doesn't eat food, and he doesn't completely defeat Baikinman with his gentle Anpan Punch. I have absolutely nothing in common with that kind of hero!" Yamadera then confessed, "That's not true! Keiko Toda is really diligent and does things for everyone. Masako Nozawa and Michio Hazama have said, 'Why does that girl always work so hard for other people?'" Nakao and Tsuda agreed.
When asked about the similarities between himself and Baikinman, Nakao revealed his indomitable spirit, saying, "I never learn, I never give up. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made it this far." Yamadera confessed that among the many characters he has played, "I have the opportunity to play a variety of characters, but of all the anime characters, Kaba-o is the easiest to play." He said that Kaba-o was originally just one of the children, but that his presence gradually grew larger because Yamadera played him, suggesting that the character is a good match for him because he created it. Yamadera also revealed a behind-the-scenes story from the recording studio, saying that when he warms up before recording, he uses the voice of Meiken Cheese to tune his voice, and that Toda is influenced by his voice and starts doing Cheese's voice as well.
Finally, Toda concluded with a passionate message: "This film is titled 'Soreike! Anpanman: Pantan and the Promised Star,' and the main theme is 'promises.' It's something important for adults as well as something that happens in the world of children, so I hope that everyone will watch it together, whether as a family, grandparents, or anyone else. We also have 'Anpanman Night,' a day that adults can enjoy as well, so please come and see it!"
The latest film follows Pantan the red panda as he embarks on a grand adventure to find treasure said to be located on a rainbow-colored star in the night sky, in order to keep an important promise he made with an adventurer long ago. Along the way, he teams up with Anpanman, Creampanda, and other friends he meets, and together they face one challenge after another. Actress Tao Tsuchiya voices Pantan. The film was released on June 26th.
