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Original Anime Film Hula Fulla Dance Casts Dean Fujioka, Yuki Yamada (Updated)
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
The official website for Aniplex's original anime film Hula Fulla Dance revealed two new cast members for the anime on Thursday.
Dean Fujioka (left in image below) plays Ryōta Suzukake, a senior employee that everyone at the Spa Resort Hawaiians hotel looks up to. This is Fujioka's debut voice acting role. Yuki Yamada (right) plays Kazuto Taira, a manager who enjoys playing the fool but shares the good times with the bad with the main lead Hiwa and the other employees.
The film's story centers on Hiwa Natsunagi (played by Haruka Fukuhara), a novice at hula dancing who nevertheless takes a job as a hula dancer at the real life Spa Resort Hawaiians hotel. The film shows the relationships between her and her colleagues. The same hotel in Iwaki City, Fukushima was also the setting for the popular 2006 film Hula Girls. Iwaki is also the setting for Gaina's Hulaing Babies anime, which is similarly centered on hula dancing.
Hula Fulla Dance will open in Japan in early summer 2021.
Shinya Watada (Aikatsu Stars!, Gundam Build Divers, Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE) is directing the film at Bandai Namco Pictures, with Seiji Mizushima (Fullmetal Alchemist, Gundam 00) as supervising director. Reiko Yoshida (K-ON!, Violet Evergarden, Liz and the Blue Bird) is penning the script. Aikatsu! anime character designer Hiroko Yaguchi is designing the film's characters. Michiru Oshima (Fullmetal Alchemist, Snow White with the Red Hair, Bloom Into You) is composing the music. Kaori Hino is the art director, while Masumi Ootsuka is the color designer. Youichi Oogami is the director of photography, and Kumiko Sakamoto is in charge of editing. Eriko Kimura is the audio director.
The anime, which is set in the Fukushima Prefecture, is one of three anime projects that are part of the larger "Zutto Ōen Project 2011 + 10..." initiative aimed at promoting Miyagi, Iwate, and Fukushima. (The other two anime projects are Bakuten!! and Misaki no Mayoiga.) The "Zutto Ōen Project 2011 + 10..." is in remembrance of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami 10 years ago.
Update: The March issue of Kadokawa's Monthly Comic Alive magazine revealed on Wednesday that the film will have a manga adaptation in the magazine. It did not reveal an author or debut date for the manga.
Sources: Hulla Fulla Dance's website, Comic Natalie
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