During its
panel at the Anime Expo, Warner Bros. Japan announced that the
animated adaptation of All You Need Is Kill, produced in
conjunction with STUDIO4°C, will have its North American
premiere at the 29th edition of the Fantasia International
Film Festival, which will be held in Montreal, Canada, from July 16
to August 3.
This anime
is based on the science fiction light novel written by Hiroshi
Sakurazaka and illustrated by Yoshitoshi ABe. The story
places us in a dystopian future where humanity struggles to survive in the face
of an alien invasion by the Mimics. Soldiers fight in empowered
armor, but even this technology has not been able to change the course of the
war.
A
history of time loops from a new perspective
The
original protagonist, Keiji Kiriya, is a young recruit who dies in
his first battle. However, he wakes up again and again just before combat,
trapped in a time loop that forces him to die repeatedly, learn, and improve in
order to survive.
However,
this new animated version offers a different approach: the story is
told from the point of view of Rita Vrataski, an elite soldier known as
"the combat dog", a key figure in both the original novel and the
Hollywood film Edge of Tomorrow.
Voice Cast and Anime Production
- Ai Mikami as Rita, a
warrior who has shut down her emotions and keeps her distance from others.
- Natsuki Hanae as Keiji, who
hides her anguish behind a smile.
- Kana Hanazawa as Shasta, a
brilliant student immersed in scientific research.
- hiccorohee as Raychell,
Rita's partner, concerned about her aloof attitude.
- mo-junior high school as Yonaval,
another lively but sensitive classmate with his friends.
The
direction is in charge of Kenichiro Akimoto (Children of
the Sea), and the production is by the prestigious STUDIO4°C.
A
tailor-made soundtrack
The anime's
theme song, titled "Tsuretette," is performed by
young college singer-songwriter AKASAKI, who wrote the song
specifically for this play. This is his first participation in an animated
production.
A story
with multiple adaptations
The novel
was originally published by Shueisha in December 2004. In
2009, Viz Media released its English version as part of
the Haikasoru label. In 2014, a manga adaptation illustrated
by Takeshi Obata (Death Note, Bakuman) and
written by Ryōsuke Takeuchi was published. A
single-volume color graphic novel was also released that same
year, adapted by Nick Mamatas and illustrated by Lee
Ferguson.
The story
inspired the 2014 live-action film Edge of Tomorrow,
starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, which grossed
more than $370 million worldwide.
In addition
to the Fantasia Film Festival, the anime was also previously presented at
the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France.
For its part, GKIDS has acquired the rights to distribute the
film in theaters in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland,
Australia and New Zealand
