The
official website of the anime film AS ONE announced
today the addition of four new members to the voice cast, in
addition to the already confirmed Ruki Shiroiwa (member of
JO1), who will play the male lead Yoh.
Among the
new additions is Haruka Shiraishi (Reiko Kujirai in KOWLOON
GENERIC ROMANCE), who will give life to Rako, a young
robot mechanic who resides on the floating planet Meguriboshi. Shunsuke
Takeuchi (Alexander Yamato in KING OF PRISM) will play Vigo,
a member of Team Purgard and a brotherly figure to Rako.
Yoko
Hikasa (Mio
Akiyama in K-ON!) will play Kizana, an enigmatic key
investigator in the story. Finally, Ryuhei Maruyama, a member of
the group SUPER EIGHT (formerly Kanjani Eight),
will make his debut as a voice actor playing Leroy, Rako's father.
Ryuhei
Maruyama's acting debut
At 41 years
old, Ryuhei Maruyama launches himself into the world of voice
acting for the first time. In his own words: "I'm happy to have had the
opportunity to experience something totally new in my career. Participating in
a modern Japanese anime film with such a high standard demanded a lot of
courage from me. The main themes of this story are 'connecting emotions' and
'believing in yourself'. Although this was my debut, my character required
particular acting skills. It's an enigmatic role, both as a person and in the
story itself. I hope you enjoy this mysterious but warm film."
A
high-caliber team and a history with roots in gaming
AS ONE will be released in Japanese
theaters on August 22, 2025 (UTC+2). The direction is in
charge of Kobun Shizuno, known for his work in the Detective
Conan film saga. The character design is in the hands of Yoshiyuki
Sadamoto (Neon Genesis Evangelion, The Girl Who Jumped
Through Time), while the mechanical design is led by Ippei Gyoubu (Mobile
Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans, Gundam: The Witch from Mercury).
The film is
based on Square Enix's arcade game Starwing Paradox,
released in Japan in November 2018. AS ONE will act as a prequel
set 20 years before the events of the game, offering a new perspective to
the original universe.