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Anohana's Menma Teaches Theater Etiquette in The Anthem of the Heart Ad

The official website for The Anthem of the Heart (Kokoro ga Sakebitagatterun Da. or Kokosake), the original anime film from the anohana (Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Boku-tachi wa Mada Shiranai.) and Toradora! anime staff, began streaming a commercial for the film on Tuesday. The commercial is narrated by anohana character Meiko "Menma" Honma (Ai Kayano), who teaches viewers about proper behavior for enjoying a "youth movie." (Note: The videos on the website are region-locked, but the Cinema Cafe Net website has also posted the ad region-free.)

Text: Navigator: Meiko Honma
Menma: Hello to everyone in the theater! I'm Menma! Today's movie is The Anthem of the Heart, so let's learn how to enjoy a youth movie!
Text: Learn from The Anthem of the Heart. Recommendations for a youth movie.
Menma: Recommendations for a youth movie #1: Hold your swirling emotions close to your chest, and just go to the theater!
Menma: Recommendations for a youth movie #2: If you wanna watch the movie, ask the person you like if you can watch the movie together! But don't get any ideas!
Menma: Recommendations for a youth movie #3: Don't annoy the people around you and keep quiet in the theater! If you don't keep quiet, an egg might just seal your lips!
Menma: Recommendations for a youth movie #4: If you want to cry, cry from the bottom of your heart!
Text: Youth is beautiful.
Menma: How was that? I'm sure we all learned something about youth today. So please support The Anthem of the Heart movie, okay?
Text: The Anthem of the Heart. Opening in theaters nationwide on September 19.

Food maker Meiji is also holding a Kokosake and anohana collaboration ad campaign titled ""Meiji x Kokosake & anohana Receipt Drawing Campaign" from June 2 to October 16. The campaign includes commercials promoting Meiji chocolate, featuring footage from The Anthem of the Heart film, with the character Menma singing. Meiji began streaming two commercials for the campaign in June.

The official website previously streamed the film's second teaser video in July.

The film's main cast and characters are:

The film reunites staff members from the anohana and Toradora! anime. Tatsuyuki Nagai (A Certain Scientific Railgun, Waiting in the Summer) is again directing the film at the studio A-1 Pictures. Mari Okada (M3 the dark metal, Hana-Saku Iroha) is writing the script, and Masayoshi Tanaka (Highschool of the Dead, Joshiraku) is designing the characters. Like the anohana anime, the story of the new film will be set in Chichibu.

The official English website describes the story as follows:

Jun is a girl whose words have been sealed away. She was once a happy girl, but because of a [certain thing] she said when she was very young, her family was torn apart. One day, the egg fairy appeared in front of her and sealed away her ability to talk in order to stop her from hurting anybody else. Since this traumatic experience, Jun lives in the shadows away from the limelight. But, one day she is nominated to become an executive member of the "community outreach council." On top of that, Jun is also appointed to play the main lead in their musical...

The official website revealed the film's manga adaptation in July. The manga, drawn by Makoto Akui, launched in Shogakukan's Ura Sunday web comic magazine on July 8. The manga serves as a prequel to the film. Starting on July 22, it began centering around one of the film's four main characters every week. The first of these character-focused chapters will focused on Takumi, followed by Natsuki, DAIKI, and Jun. Starting on September 11, it will enter the film's main story, and the first compiled book volume of the manga will go on sale on the same day.

Aniplex of America announced in February that it has licensed the film. The film will open in Japan on September 19, and participating theaters began offering advance tickets with an Egg Fairy mascot mobile phone strap on March 28. A second version of advance tickets will go on sale on July 11, and set A will include a Kokosake B3 poster, an anohana B3 poster, and a Kokosake and anohana collaborative B6 portrait. The contents of set B for the new tickets will be revealed at a later date.