The upcoming anime film adaptation of Keigo Higashino’s novel “The Camphorwood Custodian” has unveiled exciting new details. On Thursday, the production team announced five additional cast members and an exclusive original text story that will be given to moviegoers. This marks the first time Higashino has written such a bonus story for an audience.
The new story, titled “Kusunoki no Urawaza” (The Camphorwood’s Secret Power), delves into the past of Chifune’s cousin, Masakazu, and reveals a hidden power of the camphorwood tree that was not explored in the original novel or the film.
The newly announced cast members, pictured from left to right, are Kenjirō Tsuda, Tomokazu Sugita, Taku Yashiro, Reina Ueda, and Nobuo Tobita.
The film is set to hit Japanese theaters on January 30. Directed by Tomohiko Ito, known for his work on “Sword Art Online” and “ERASED,” the movie is being produced by A-1 Pictures and Psyde Kick Studio, with distribution handled by Aniplex.
Taku Kishimoto, renowned for his scripts in “Haikyu!!,” “91 Days,” and “Sakamoto Days,” is writing the screenplay. The character designs are being crafted by Tsubasa Yamaguchi, the creator of “Blue Period,” alongside Akiko Itagaki, who assisted on “Lonely Castle in the Mirror.” Hiroshi Takiguchi serves as the art director, and Yūgo Kanno, famous for his work on “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders,” “Ajin,” and “Psycho-Pass,” is composing the music. The theme song, “Katawara nite Tsukiyo” (Moonlit Night By My Side), is performed by Uru.
The novel follows Reito, a young man who, after being unjustly fired from his job, commits a crime and gets arrested. While awaiting his indictment, a lawyer offers him a chance at freedom if he follows a mysterious client’s orders. This client turns out to be his late mother’s half-sister, Chifune Yanagisawa, who tasks Reito with becoming the custodian of the camphorwood tree at Tsukigō shrine. Through this role, Reito encounters various individuals who visit the temple grounds for different reasons.
Published by Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha, “The Camphorwood Custodian” was released in hardcover in 2020 and in paperback in 2023, with over 1 million copies in circulation.
Higashino’s previous works, such as “The Miracles of the Namiya General Store,” have also seen significant adaptations, including stage plays and live-action films. His 1998 novel “Himitsu” (Secret) inspired a live-action film in 1999 and a series in 2010, with an English translation published by Vertical in 2004.
News Source: Animenewsnetwork.com
