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The Last Blossom Film Casts Natsuki Hanae
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
The official website for director Baku Kinoshita and writer Kadzuya Konomoto's original anime film The Last Blossom (Housenka) revealed on Friday that Natsuki Hanae is starring in the film as NANA's son Kensuke. Hanae previously starred as protagonist Odogawa in Kinoshita and Konomoto's previous work ODDTAXI.
The film opened in Japan on Friday. The film screened in the Feature Film Competition at this year's Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June. A preview of the film was part of the Work in Progress lineup in last year's Annecy Film Festival.
The Annecy Film Festival describes the film's story:
Autumn 2023. Akutsu, an elderly inmate serving life in prison, is on the verge of a lonely death in his single cell. A talking Housenka flower says to him, "What a rotten life you had." Akutsu starts reflecting on his past. Summer 1986. Akutsu is living with NANA and her son Kensuke in a shabby apartment with a garden full of Housenkas. It is the tale of a one-night victorious comeback by a dying yakuza, and his family's story told by a flower that blooms in prison.
Kaoru Kobayashi and Junki Tozuka both play protagonist Minoru Akutsu at both his past and present, respectively. Hikari Mitsushima and Yoshiko Miyazaki similarly voice Akutsu's partner NANA Nagata at different points in her life. Pierre Taki voices the talking Housenka flower.
Other cast members include:
- Hideaki Murata (from the comedy duo Toro Salmon) as Hayashida, Akutsu's henchman
- Hiroki Yasumoto as Tsutsumi, Akutsu's big brother in the yakuza group
- Sōma Saitō as Wakamatsu, Akutsu's junior
- Kōta Nakayama as Konishi, Akutsu's henchman
Kinoshita directed the film, with Konomoto credited for the script and the original concept. CLAP (Pompo: The Cinéphile, The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes) was in charge of animation production, and Michinoku-Toge is credited for concept art. The band cero composed the film's music. cero performs the film's theme song "Moving Still Life."
Kinoshita and Konomoto previously collaborated on the ODDTAXI anime from 2021.
Sources: The Last Blossom film's website, Comic Natalie
