Appearing at the event were Amamiya Sora, Ito Miku, Takahashi Rie, Kito Akari, Hasegawa Ikumi, and director Sakuragi Yuhei.
We have also received a report on the boat experience in which Amemiya and the other five main cast members participated.
<Boat Experience Report>
This work depicts the passionate story of high school girls who devote their youth to boating. As the theme of the work is “boating,” the five main cast members, Amamiya Sora, Ito Miku, Takahashi Rie, Kito Akari, and Hasegawa Ikumi, took on the long-awaited challenge of boating!
Before actually getting on the boat, the five tried out the “rowing ergometer,” a training machine that appeared in the movie during the rowing club’s practice scene. Although the five were awkward at first, they gradually picked up speed as they got the hang of it, and by the end they were moving their bodies in a proper form, chanting “Catch! Row!” in unison, just like the scene in the movie where the five members of the rowing club row a boat. After their first experience, the five were surprised at how difficult it was, but said with enthusiasm, “It was fun, and I feel like I could row forever!”, and enjoyed themselves by giving it their all, just like the rowing club members in the movie.
After experiencing the ergometer indoors, the five finally climbed into a boat that actually floated on the water. As they sat in the boat in the same position as the characters they played, they flashed big smiles of joy at having their wish come true. Afterwards, Amemiya and Ito, representing the five, actually tried rowing the boat to move it forward! Looking nervous and excited as it was their first time experiencing a competitive boat, the two departed, seen off by Takahashi, Kito, and Hasegawa. With careful instruction from the students who were on board with them, Amemiya and Ito, holding the oars, were confused by the feeling of actually moving the boat forward, saying, “It’s really moving forward!” However, making use of the practice they had just before, they gradually increased their speed at the end, surprising even the students in the rowing club with their improvement in such a short time.
After the boat ride, Amemiya said with a smile, “The feeling when you fail to row an oar and when you succeed is different! It was fun!”, and Ito, who played Hime, the coxswain (the person who sits opposite the other four rowers and gives detailed instructions until the finish line), seemed impressed, saying, “I actually rowed myself and understood everyone’s movements!” The cast’s long-awaited boat experience finally came true, and all five of them had a very exciting time.
<Report on the premiere screening>
The excitement of the audience was still high after the screening, and the cast members, including Amamiya Sora, Ito Miku, Takahashi Rie, Kito Akari, and Hasegawa Ikumi, and the film’s director and screenwriter Sakuragi Yuhei, appeared amidst endless applause from fans eagerly waiting for the cast to appear. The premiere screening began with the cast members appearing to enthusiastic cheers and loud applause from the fans.
This work is also entered in the non-competitive category “Annecy Presents” at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2024, the world’s largest animation film festival. This event is the first time that the film will be unveiled in Japan, and Amemiya said, “When I watched it at the preview screening, I forgot that I was a cast member and was really moved, so I’m glad that there are so many people in front of me who feel the same way now.” Takahashi also looked around the venue and said, “When I watch this film, I feel like I’m reliving my youth again, but it means so many people have experienced their youth at the same time!” Hasegawa also smiled and said, “Everyone is shining!”
The series features a cast of characters with unique personalities. When asked by the MC if their personalities were similar to those of the characters they played, Amemiya and Hasegawa raised their hands, and Hasegawa began by saying, “Apart from the fact that she’s a rich girl… (laughs),” which made the audience laugh, revealing that there were some similarities between them, saying, “I think that there are some inner aspects to her, such as her competitive nature. I liked her because I could empathize with that part of her that she’s a bit of a loser.” Amemiya reflected on her own high school days, saying, “She’s just like me in that she experienced setbacks and tried to live with the feeling that she had given up, but somewhere she couldn’t give up and her passion was still smoldering.” She continued, “I also slept through class all the time (laughs),” drawing laughter from the audience.
またヒメに似てはいないが憧れが強いと言う伊藤は「すごく周りが見えていて、気も遣えるし、高校生なのに心は大人というか」と自身の演じたキャラクターについてコメントすると雨宮は「すごく似てるよ。自己紹介かと思った（笑）」と伊藤がヒメに似ていると返すと、伊藤は「自分では気づかなかったです（笑）」とユーモアたっぷりに答えていました。鬼頭は口調を変えながら話し始めるも、「似てるとは思います（笑）。荒々しい口調ではないんですけど、さばさばしているところとかが似ているなと」、高橋は自身の名前と役名が似ていると言い「あんまりにも名前が似すぎていて、埼玉出身なのも一緒で！」と5名全員が役に似ている結果に会場は更なる盛り上がりを見せました。
また原作のある作品を映画化しようと思った理由について問われた櫻木監督は「中学生くらいの時に実写版の映画から入り、日常系で部活動を描いた最初の作品だとも思いました」と映画化した過程を明かし、伊藤は「アニメーションとしてリメイクがされて世に出るということに驚きはありましたけど、伝えたいものって時代を超えても一緒なのだと思いました」と感想を述べていました。
完成披露上映会舞台挨拶の前に、まさにキャラクターたちが乗っていた5人用の競技ボートに乗艇した声優陣。ずっとボートを漕ぎたいと思っていたという伊藤は「オールの動きとかも教えてもらいながら、アニメーションの中にも出てくるオールの動きなどが細かく作られているのだなと、改めて体験して思いました」と感動した様子。
また今回の作品を振り返ってのお気に入りのシーンについて鬼頭は「私は作中の水の表現がとても綺麗で、この上をボートで進んだら気持ちいいだろうなと、CGの良さとアニメの良さが合わさった作品になっているなと思いました」とCGならではの映像美に驚きを見せ、伊藤は「私は花火のシーンです。本当に花火を見ているような感覚になって、すごく印象に残っています」と言うと、櫻木監督は「本当に（音を）収録してきました」と秘話を明かしていました。今回オーディション時に受けている役がそれぞれ違かったことがトークにより分かり、鬼頭は悦ネエの1役のみを受けダッコになったことを明かし、「生っぽいお芝居を求めている硬派な作品なのかなと思いオーディションを受け、この作品に参加することが決まってスケジュールを見たらダッコ？となって。私の悦ネエを聞いてなんでダッコにしてくれたんだろうと気になっています」と話すと、櫻木監督は「キャラに近い人物像というか、5人がセットで並ぶことが多いので、バランスを考えたところ今のキャスティングになっていました」と経緯を説明し、名前が似ており出身地も同じリー役の高橋は「埼玉キャスティングというわけではなかったんですね！」と自身の演技が認められたことに喜びを見せていました。
最後に公開を楽しみにしている人々に向けて、櫻木監督は「自分にとっては5年ぶりの劇場作品で、勝負をかけたい作品で、とても気合を入れて作りました。2度3度観ても楽しめる作品になっているので是非劇場に脚を運んでいただけると嬉しいです」、雨宮は「自分も見ないようにしている自分の弱さにもぞもぞするなというか、さわやかな気持ちに包んでくれる作品だなと思っております。観るたびに新しい発見があるというか、心理描写が繊細に描かれているので、別の部分が見えてきたりするので何度でも観て頂けたらと思います」とメッセージを送りました。そして最後に、本作のタイトルでもあり、作中でも主人公たちが励ましあう「がんばっていきまーっしょい！」の掛け声で会場は一体となり、イベントは大盛況のうちに幕を閉じました。
さらに完成披露上映会と同日、本作の主題歌を務める「僕が見たかった青空」の挿入歌『マイフレンズ』も解禁。ぜひ合わせてお楽しみください！
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