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Cyborg 009 Call of Justice Casts 009's Former Voice Kazuhiko Inoue as Emperor

Tokyo International Film Festival's world premiere of Cyborg 009 Call of Justice, Toho Animation's new 3D CG anime project based on Shotaro Ishinomori's classic science-fiction hero manga Cyborg 009, revealed that the anime has cast veteran voice actor Kazuhiko Inoue. Although Inoue's new character does not appear in the anime's first part which played at the festival, Inoue revealed during a stage appearance at the screening that he plays the Emperor, the anime's "last boss." He half-jokingly asked the audience to forget this breaking news. Inoue had played the titular character 009/Joe Shimamura himself in the 1979 television anime version.

Inoue also complimented Keisuke Koumoto, the new anime's voice actor for 009/Joe Shimamura. Inoue told Koumoto at the start of their dialogue recording sessions that the young voice actor reminded Inoue of himself 37 years ago. Inoue then joked that Koumoto may one day play the anime franchise's last boss 37 years from now.

Inoue added that he initially portrayed the Emperor as evil, but chief director Kenji Kamiyama told him that the Emperor is not evil, but someone who has different principles from the heroes. Kamiyama added that when he and the scriptwriter were crafting the story, they had Inoue in mind for the Emperor, and mused if they could offer Inoue the role.

The story depicts Joe Shimamura and the other cyborgs' struggle with the Bresudo, a group of people who possess superhuman powers and intellect, and have manipulated human history since ancient times. Bresudo's goals are unknown, and they cast a dark shadow over the world.

Although only a few people believe in the Bresudo's existence, one journalist named Lucy Davenport heads to Texas to contact a certain family, and she meets the cyborgs. The cyborgs themselves have been freed from their duty of protecting humanity ever since the establishment of the UN Guardian troops, and they now live quiet lives of peace. However, Lucy's visit and the return of the Bresudo draw Joe and the others once more into battle.

The video below previews Monkey Majik's theme song "A.I. am Human."

The anime consists of three parts, and all three will receive limited two-week theatrical runs in Japan starting on November 25, December 2, and December 9, respectively.

The cast includes:

• Keisuke Koumoto as 009/Joe Shimamura
• Risa Taneda as 003/Françoise Arnoul
• Misato Fukuen as 001/Ivan Whisky
• Takuya Satō as 002/Jet Link

• Satoshi Hino as 004/Albert Heinrich
• Kenji Nomura as 005/Geronimo Jr
• Mitsuaki Madono as 006/Chang Changku
• Setsuji Satoh as 007/Great Britain
• Haruki Ishiya as 008/Pyunma

Additionally, Yui Makino plays Lieutenant Katarina Canetti, a cool, composed Lieutenant of the "Guardians," the United Nations' counter-terrorist special forces. She is under orders to pursue the cyborgs, but also carries a certain secret, and is key to the anime's narrative.

The cast for the new anime is different from previous incarnations of Cyborg 009, including 2012's 009 Re:Cyborg film and last year's Cyborg 009 Vs. Devilman project.

Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Moribito - Guardian of the Spirit, Eden of the East is credited as chief director of the project. Koudai Kakimoto (Psycho-Pass movie unit director, Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio: Ars Nova DC assistant director) is directing the film. Kamiyama and Kakimoto previously collaborated on the 009 Re:Cyborg anime film, which Kamiyama directed and Kakimoto served as unit director. I.G Port's new anime studio subsidiary Signal.MD (Tantei Team KZ Jiken Note, Anime Tamago's "Colorful Ninja Iromaki" short) is animating the films, with Ishinomori Production and Production I.G producing. Masatsugu Saitō (Captain Earth, Expelled From Paradise) is designing the characters.

The anime celebrates the manga's 50th anniversary.