News
Lonely Castle in the Mirror Anime Film's Teaser Reveals Main Lead, More Staff, December 23 Debut
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
The official website for the anime film of Mizuki Tsujimura's Lonely Castle in the Mirror (Kagami no Kojō) novel began streaming a teaser trailer for the film on Thursday. The trailer reveals that actress Ami Tōma is voicing protagonist Kokoro, after auditioning for the role. The trailer and new visual also reveals more staff for the film, as well as its December 23 opening date.
The site is also streaming a video highlighting Tōma as director Keiichi Hara tells her that she won the role. The video shows footage of her audition, and her thoughts on the audition process.
As previously announced, Keiichi Hara (Colorful, Miss Hokusai, The Wonderland) is directing the film at A-1 Pictures. Miho Maruo, who wrote the script for Hara's Miss Hokusai and The Wonderland films, is penning the script. Keigo Sasaki (Blue Exorcist, ERASED, The Seven Deadly Sins) is designing the characters, and is also the chief animation director. Russian artist Ilya Kuvshinov, who drew the character designs for The Wonderland, is credited for visual concept and castle design. Harumi Fuuki, who has composed the music for Hara's prior films, is returning. Shochiku is distributing the film.
Doubleday released the novel in English in April 2021, and it describes the story:
In a tranquil neighbourhood of Tokyo, seven teenagers wake to find their bedroom mirrors are shining.At a single touch, they are pulled from their lonely lives to a wondrous castle filled with winding stairways, watchful portraits and twinkling chandeliers. In this new sanctuary, they are confronted with a set of clues leading to a hidden room where one of them will be granted a wish. But there's a catch: if they don't leave the castle by five o'clock, they will be punished.
As time passes, a devastating truth emerges: only those brave enough to share their stories will be saved.
Tsujimura released the original novel in Japan in 2017. It won the 2018 Japan Booksellers' Award, topped Da Vinci magazine's Book of the Year list in 2017, and won the grand prize in the King's Brunch Book Prize 2017. Erewhon will release a hardcover English edition of the novel on October 18.
Tsujimura's Anime Supremacy! (Haken Anime!) also inspired an upcoming live-action film adaptation that opened on May 20. Vertical released the novel in English in October 2017.
Tsujimura also wrote the story for Naoshi Arakawa's A School Frozen in Time manga, which Vertical released in English. Tsujimura also penned the script for the Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's Chronicle of the Moon Exploration anime film in 2019.
Update: Erewhon's hardcover English edition of the novel has been rescheduled for October 18. Thanks, Ampharos.
Sources: Lonely Castle in the Mirror anime film's website, Comic Natalie
this article has been modified since it was originally posted; see change history