News
Original Anime Film Hula Fulla Dance's Trailer Reveals More Cast, Theme Song
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
The official website for Aniplex's original anime film Hula Fulla Dance began streaming a new trailer for the film on Thursday. The video reveals more cast members for the film, and also reveals and previews the film's theme song "Sunflower" by Philosophy no Dance.
Saori Hayami joins the cast as Hiwa's older sister Mari. Other new cast members include Sumire Uesaka, Subaru Kimura, Risa Aizawa, Nao Toyama, Shinichiro Miki, Eriko Nakamura, Kaya Okuno, and Rina Honnizumi.
The film will open in Japan on December 3. The film was previously slated to open in Japan early this summer.
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.
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.
Other cast members include (Note: Character name romanizations are not official.):
(Left to right in image above)
- Karen Miyama as Kanna Kamakura, a stoic realist
- Miu Tomita as Ranko Takigawa, who influences everyone with her smiles
- Kaori Maeda as Ohana Kaʻaihue, a gentle soul who hails from Hawaii
- Emiri Suyama as Shion Shirasawa, a skilled dancer who finds it hard to smile
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.
The film has a manga adaptation that is running in Kadokawa's Monthly Comic Alive magazine.
Sources: Hulla Fulla Dance's website, Comic Natalie, Cinema Today's YouTube channel
