This time, we have received official reports from the two events held on Sunday, September 29th: “Prayer for a Big Hit” and “High School Student Only Preview”!
Shoya Chiba and Reina Ueda appeared at both events. They prayed for the success of the film at Kameido Katori Shrine, known as the “god of sports promotion,” and answered questions from high school students at the preview screening.
It was also announced at the event that the series will be broadcast over two consecutive seasons from October 2024 to March 2025.
At Kameido Katori Shrine (Koto Ward, Tokyo), a “Prayer for the Success of ‘Ao no Hako'” was held. In keeping with the film’s characters who are dedicated to their extracurricular activities as members of the sports club, prayers were offered at Kameido Katori Shrine, known as the “god of sports promotion.” Cast and staff prayed for the film’s success, offering purification rituals and offering tamagushi branches with their wishes. Amidst a tense atmosphere, the prayer ended without incident, and at the end the cast flashed big smiles and posed for a commemorative photo.
When asked about their impressions of today’s prayer, Chiba said, “It wasn’t a prayer for a hit, but a prayer for a huge hit, and I could feel the confidence in the work from all the staff who made it. At this prayer ceremony, we asked for it to reach many people.” Ueda commented, “I also felt the love and seriousness that all the staff had for the production. I hope that those feelings will reach the viewers as well. It’s a production that we can deliver with confidence, so I hope everyone will watch it.”
That same evening, a “high school student only preview screening” was held at Akiba Hall (Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo) for high school students of the same age as the characters in the work. The first episode of the anime, which marks the beginning of the story, was screened, and the gathered fans were captivated by the beautiful, delicately rendered images and the realistic acting of the cast. When Chiba and Ueda took to the stage after the screening, the excitement of the footage was still high, and the venue was filled with thunderous applause.
Looking around the rare venue, surrounded only by current high school students, Ueda commented with a sense of excitement, “I can feel the energy and powerful strength of all these young people. The uniforms are great too!” The event was centered around a talk by the cast members, who introduced points to keep in mind when acting out the work and characters, as well as sharing stories of their high school days.
When asked about memories of school festivals, Chiba said, “I was in the light music club, so we rented a classroom for our high school school festival and performed there, and I was happy that all kinds of people who don’t usually come came to see the concert. I have fond memories of wearing wigs and buying flashy costumes.” Ueda also commented, “I’d never had a school festival…” which elicited laughter from the audience. “At a school where they had a school festival once every few years… So I was jealous. I wasn’t very good at sports day either, so I didn’t participate much. I joined the student council because I didn’t want to attend sports day, and I was in charge of announcements.”
さらに、会場の高校生からキャスト陣への質問コーナーも行われました。参加者から「高校生の時の夢や目標は？」との質問を受け、千葉さんは「学生時代から、バンドがやりたくて、歌を歌うことやミュージカルに興味がありました。アニメやお芝居も好きだったので、その頃から声優という仕事を夢として持っていました。」、上田さんは「お芝居に関係するお仕事をいつかやりたいと思っていました。一緒に演劇をやっていた子が「声優になりたい」と言っていて、声優を意識したのですが、受験の前にオーディションを受けてみようと思い、今の事務所に入ることができました。」と回答。ファンとの交流を楽しむ様子で、時間の許す限り、たくさんの質問に答えました。
最後にキャスト陣より、ファンへの感謝のメッセージが贈られ、大盛り上がりとなったイベントの幕を閉じました。
千葉さん「登場人物の年代と近い皆様に、とても愛されている作品だということを感じることができました。大人の僕たちからみても、感情表現や、演出や展開がとても魅力的で大好きな作品です。ポジティブでキラキラしたエネルギーを受けて元気がでるような作品ですので、ぜひ楽しみにしていてください。」
上田さん「大喜たちの輝きは、現役の高校生の皆さんにも届いているのだなと思いました。青春がつまった作品で、作品からたくさんのパワーやエネルギーをもらっていただけたらと思います。受験生の方もいると思いますが、この作品を通して感じられるものが応援として伝わるのではと思います。」
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