The official website for the upcoming anime adaptation of All You Need Is Kill announced three new cast members on Friday. The anime is produced by Warner Bros. Japan and STUDIO4°C. It is based on the science fiction light novel by Hiroshi Sakurazaka and illustrated by Yoshitoshi ABe.
The new cast includes:
Kana Hanazawa as Shasta, described as “a genius graduate student who is thoroughly enjoying being immersed in Darol’s research.”
Comedian hiccorohee as Raychell, a volunteer worker on the same team as Rita. She is concerned that Rita tends to keep others at a distance.
Comedian mo-junior high school as Yonaval, another volunteer on Rita’s team. He is lively and teasing but also thoughtful toward his friends.
The story of All You Need Is Kill is set in a future Earth under attack by alien creatures called Mimics. Human soldiers fight in powered armor suits that enhance their abilities. However, humanity is still losing the war. Keiji Kiriya, a new soldier, dies in his first battle. After dying, he wakes up to a time before the fight, trapped in a time loop. He must relive the battle repeatedly, learning from his mistakes to survive longer each time. He also becomes drawn to an elite soldier named Rita Vrataski.
Unlike the original novel and the Hollywood film Edge of Tomorrow, the anime retells the story from Rita’s perspective.
The anime stars:
Ai Mikami as Rita, a soldier who has emotionally closed herself off and built walls between herself and others.
Natsuki Hanae as Keiji, who hides behind a smile to blend in and avoid standing out.
The anime is currently being screened at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France.
Kenichiro Akimoto, known for his work on Children of the Sea and Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko, directs the series at STUDIO4°C. The theme song, Tsuretette, is performed by university student and singer-songwriter AKASAKI. This is AKASAKI’s first anime theme song and was specially written for the series.
GKIDS has acquired distribution rights for multiple territories, including North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. The company plans to screen the film in theaters.
The original novel was published by Shueisha in December 2004. Viz Media released the English translation in 2009 as part of its Haikasoru imprint for Japanese science fiction and fantasy.
The novel inspired a manga series by Takeshi Obata (Death Note) and Ryōsuke Takeuchi (ST&RS), serialized in Young Jump magazine from January to May 2014. Viz also published the manga in English.
Additionally, Viz released a full-color graphic novel adaptation in May 2014. The adaptation was written by Nick Mamatas and illustrated by Lee Ferguson.
The novel also inspired the 2014 Hollywood film Edge of Tomorrow, starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. The film earned over $100 million in the U.S., $15 million in Japan, and more than $370 million worldwide.
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