News
Live-Action Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! Film Opens on September 25 After COVID-19 Delay
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
The official website for the live-action project of Sumito Ōwara's Eizōken ni wa Te o Dasu na! (Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!) manga began streaming a "special video" for the upcoming film version on Wednesday. The video reveals the film's new September 25 opening date.
The film was originally scheduled to open on May 15, but TOHO and the film's production committee delayed the film's opening until further notice, due to the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Nogizaka46 idol group members Minami Umezawa, Asuka Saitō, and Mizuki Yamashita star in the live-action project as the characters Sayaka Kanamori, Midori Asakusa, and Tsubame Mizusaki. They also perform the film's theme song "Fantastic Sanshoku Pan" (Fantastic Three-Filling Bun). Rock band Thinking Dogs perform the series' theme song "Heavenly ideas."
The six-episode television series premiered on April 5 on MBS, and on April 7 on TBS. The film and series have the same staff and cast. Oto Abe and Satoshi Uekiya co-star in the series.
The live-action project also stars Sakurako Konishi as student council president Tōru Dōtonbori, Ema Grace as student council secretary Sowande Sakaki, Riko Fukumoto as attack squad leader Hisashi Ashima (character name romanizations not official), Ryō Matsuzaki as student council treasurer Shunya Ō, Suzunosuke as Kuroda, Masayuki Deai as Asakasa, and Masahiro Takashima as Fujimoto-sensei.
Other cast members include:
- Minami Hamabe as Haruko, a weather club member
- Mizuki Itagaki as Ono, a member of the robot club that has requested Eizouken to make an anime
- Hiyori Sakurada as Dōmeki, an audio club member who wants to collaborate with Eizouken on anime production
- Eiji Akaso as Kobayashi, a robot club member
- Yura Someno as Takanashi, a member of the robot club
- Yuki Kameda as Azuhata, a member of the robot club
- Mirai Kawazu, a member of the weather club
- Wakana Matsumoto as Tsubame's mother
- Sō Yamanaka as Tsubame's father
Tsutomu Hanabusa (live-action 3D Kanojo Real Girl, Kakegurui, Asahinagu) is directing the film and series.
The manga follows Midori, Tsubame, and Sayaka, an energetic trio of first-year high school girls who come together in the Eizouken (Video Research Club) to turn their anime dreams into a reality. Midori is nervous to create an anime alone. She meets Tsubame who appears to be a well-to-do girl but she really has artistic dreams of being an animator. Midori's best friend Sayaka has the financial sense to bring the project to fruition and joins the pair on their quest.
Ōwara launched the manga in Shogakukan's Gekkan! Spirits magazine in 2016. The series was nominated for the 11th Manga Taisho awards in 2018, and it won the top Bros. Comic Award in 2017. Dark Horse Comics licensed the manga, and will release the first volume on October 6.
The manga inspired a television anime by Masaaki Yuasa and Science SARU that premiered on NHK General on January 5, and ended on March 22 with 12 episodes. Crunchyroll streamed the series in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, and the Middle East.
Sources: Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! live-action project's website, Comic Natalie
