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Keiichi Hara's Birthday Wonderland Anime Film Previewed in Clip
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
Warner Bros. began streaming a clip on Thursday from director Keiichi Hara's Birthday Wonderland (English title: The Wonderland) anime film. The video features the characters Zan Gu and Doropo entering the bar of an inn Akane is staying at and stealing food and water.
Mayu Matsuoka is voicing the protagonist Akane in her first anime role. Other cast members include:
- An as Chi
- Masachika Ichimura as Hippocrates
- Kumiko Asou as Midori
- Nao Tōyama as Pipo
- Keiji Fujiwara as Zan Gu
- Akiko Yajima as Doropo
The film is slated to open in Japan on April 26. Russian artist Ilya Kuvshinov is designing the characters and visuals. Miho Maruo is writing the script. milet is performing the image song "Wonderland." The film is an adaptation of Sachiko Kashiwaba's 1988 children's book Chikashitru Kara no Fushigi na Tabi (Strange Journey From The Basement).
The story follows Akane, a girl with no self-confidence. On the day before her birthday, she meets a mysterious alchemist Hippocrates and their student Pipo, who both tell her they're on a mission to save the world. Together, they set out from the basement for "Wonderland," and Akane finds herself labelled Wonderland's savior.
Hara's most recent work, Miss Hokusai, debuted in May 2015. The film won the Jury Prize at Annecy in June 2015. Hara also won the Asiagraph 2015 Tsumugi Prize in recognition of individuals who have made valuable contributions to digital art.
Sources: Warner Bros.' YouTube channel, Comic Natalie
