Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress (Koutetsujou no Kabaneri) is an original TV anime series which aired in spring 2016 on Fuji TV’s famous Noitamina timeslot. A completely new theatrical movie titled Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato opened in Japanese theaters on 10 May for a two week period. On 23 April 2019, the cast and staff took part in a special stage event to celebrate the completion of the movie. The guests on stage were voice actors Tasuku Hatanaka (Ikoma), Toshiki Masuda (Kurusu) and Ryota Osaka (Sukari) along with staff members Ichiro Okouchi (composition) and Tetsuro Araki (director, screenplay). They talked about what viewers should focus on in the movie and what it was like at the recording studio.

The guests came on stage and greeted the audience, and the host mentioned the fact that the all-male lineup meant it would be a testosterone-pumped event!
The first question the guests were asked was how they felt so close to the premiere. Hatanaka said that the recording was so fun that it went by in a blink of an eye. He also admitted that he was quite emotional when he saw the completed movie for the first time. ‘I was in tears without even noticing, which made me realized how I love the movie. I’m full of emotion and just feeling extremely happy.’ Okouchi expressed his gratitude with ‘I’m really happy and thankful to be involved in this title because I know that not many anime works get the chance to receive a sequel.’ Director Araki told of his attachment to the title and its characters with ‘I wanted to create more of it when the series ended. I felt that it was a shame to end it at that point as we put so much effort into creating the characters’, continuing with ‘I wanted to create an ideal anime and let the characters play an active part once again.’

‘The cast were outrageous when it came to motivating themselves,’ Hatanaka told the fans, then Araki added, ‘Yes, you were barefoot right from the early morning.’ Masuda revealed Hatanaka’s behavior in the studio, telling us that he was wearing less and less as the recording progressed. Hatanaka had the fans laughing out loud when he went into more detail with ‘I stripped down to the state of just protecting my modesty.’ Osaka responded with ‘Actually, the temperature in the studio after the test recording was unbearably high’, showing just how much passion the cast were putting into the recording.

‘I’m glad that we managed to get all the cast members together to do the recordings. As soon as we got together in the same room, we instantly found ourselves in the Kabaneri mood. It was a great session and I believe the audience will feel the atmosphere we had in the studio. I’d be grateful if you could go and watch the movie two or three times at the cinema’ said Osaka at the end of the event. Masuda urged the fans at the event to spread the charm of the series. ‘I want more and more people to know about Kabaneri. If you know someone who has seen only the movie, please recommend the series to them! Hatanaka passionately told the audience that is is really great movie and added ‘I’m happy to be involved in this movie because I love our team. I feel a little sad as this is the end of our team. However, we never know what might happen in the future. So, please keep spreading Kabaneri. Your support is greatly appreciated.’

Okouchi also showed his passion for Kabaneri with a huge smile, saying ‘I love this title from the heart. I’m glad that I was able to create the sequel. Today truly is a day of happiness’ Okouchi said with a big smile. Finally, Araki wrapped up the event with ‘I managed to capture my ideals in the film. I’d love to know how you see it. I hope it leaves a great impression on your heart.’

Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato

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