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Sentai Filmworks Licenses Laidbackers Theatrical Anime Project
posted on by Alex Mateo
Sentai Filmworks announced on Thursday that it has acquired home video and digital sell-through rights for Studio Gokumi's Laidbackers theatrical anime project in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Latin America, and the Netherlands. The company will release the anime on home video in April.
The anime project screened in April 2019 in Japan for two weeks. The film ranked #3 on the mini-theater chart on its opening weekend. The studio billed the anime as the "final original theatrical anime of the Heisei era" (Japan entered a new era after April 30, 2019 when Emperor Akihito abdicated).
The cast includes:
- Rina Hidaka as Harami Mitsuno
- Himika Akaneya as Mai Maisaka
- Yō Taichi as K. Kusanagi
- Maria Naganawa as Ran (Valvaran)
- Yumi Uchiyama as Arnelia
- Yumiri Hanamori as Kumi Honamanuma
- Saki Fujita as Yuko Saginomiya
- Katsuyuki Konishi as Leonard
- Jun Fukuyama as Ron
Hiroyuki Hashimoto (Slow Start, Is the order a rabbit? both seasons, Magical Girl Raising Project) directed the anime at Studio Gokumi. Kiyomitsu Sato (Yuki Yuna Is a Hero, Trinity Seven, No. 6 episode director) was the chief director. Makoto Uezu (Assassination Classroom, The Heroic Legend of Arslan, KONOSUBA - God's blessing on this wonderful world! 2 TV series and film) was the scriptwriter and Jiro Suzuki (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni manga's Tatarigoroshi-hen, Umineko When They Cry manga's E2 - Turn of the golden witch) was the original character designer. Kei Tsuchiya (Aruvu Rezuru - Kikai Jikake no Yōsei-tachi) adapted those designs for animation and also served as chief animation director. kz (livetune) composed the music, and Takayuki Yamaguchi (Girls Beyond the Wasteland, planetarian) was the sound director. Klock Worx distributed the film.
kz performed a song titled "Kamogawa Stampede" for the project. "Virtual YouTube character" Kizuna Ai performed the theme song "Precious Piece."
The anime takes place in modern Kyoto. Kumi is a college student who moves to Kyoto in order to take over the candy store inherited from her late grandmother. The house accompanying the candy store was supposed to be unoccupied, but there Kumi meets three women (Harami, Mai, and K) and a dog. The four are heroes who were reincarnated from their world into this one. One day the former demon king, who messed up her reincarnation and is now in the form of an elementary school student, appears and asks, "will you please collect the demon king fragments together with me?"
Source: Sentai Filmworks
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