It has been revealed that Minami Kotona, Rihito Itagaki , Aoi Yu, and Shibukawa Kiyohiko will appear in the movie "Meets the World" (directed by Matsui Daigo, to be released on October 24th), starring actor Hana Sugisaki . The four will play residents who Yukari, the main character played by Sugisaki, meets in Kabukicho.
The film is based on Akutagawa Prize-winning novel "Meets the World" by Kanehara Hitomi, which won the 35th Shibata Renzaburo Prize. Set in Kabukicho, the film depicts the encounters of a 27-year-old protagonist who is a huge fan of the personified yakiniku manga "Meat is Mine" but cannot love himself, as he encounters a new world. This is the first film adaptation of Kanehara's novel in about 17 years since her debut work "Snakes and Earrings," which won the 130th Akutagawa Prize. In the film, Sugisaki plays the protagonist Yukari, who pours all her love into "Meat is Mine," but cannot love herself, and feels anxious and impatient about living solely on her work and hobbies.
Minami, the newly-announced cast member, will play the role of Rai, a beautiful hostess with suicidal thoughts. Director Matsui and the production team wanted to find someone who hadn't been found yet to play the role, so they held an audition and selected her from over 300 applicants.
Itagaki plays Asahi, a married host who wants to be loved by the general public. This is his first role as a married man, and his first time playing a host. Aoi plays Yuki, a sharp-tongued writer who only writes about people dying, and Shibukawa plays Oshin, the owner of the bar "Jakuso" in Kabukicho, which is welcoming to everyone.
