Image: 2025 スタジオ地図
AMBot | 07/04/2025 | Reading Time: 2 Min.
Director Mamoru Hosoda has announced the main cast of his upcoming fantasy film The Endless Scarlet (original title: Hateshinaku Scarlet). Young actress Mana Ashida will play the medieval princess Scarlett, while Masaki Okada will portray the modern nurse Hijiri.
The story connects two eras: In the medieval kingdom, the peace-loving Scarlett is driven by vengeance after her father’s murder. In the present day, Hijiri becomes stranded in a mysterious realm of the dead, where he discovers the injured Scarlett. Despite initial conflicts, an unusual partnership develops between the two.
Hosoda praised the emotional depth Ashida brings to her character, emphasizing that her portrayal of the internally torn Scarlett will be a highlight of the film. He also described Okada’s authentic interpretation of Hijiri—whose professional strength is combined with empathy—as ideal casting.
Technically, the film breaks new ground: For the first time in Hosoda’s career, the actors’ voices were recorded in advance (pressco method) and later matched to the animation. Ashida and Okada recorded their dialogues together, which Ashida said intensified the characters’ chemistry.
An official key visual shows Hijiri in a nurse’s uniform with an emergency bag and bow, while supporting the injured Scarlett as she brandishes a sword—a composition symbolizing the connection between their two worlds.
The story connects two eras: In the medieval kingdom, the peace-loving Scarlett is driven by vengeance after her father’s murder. In the present day, Hijiri becomes stranded in a mysterious realm of the dead, where he discovers the injured Scarlett. Despite initial conflicts, an unusual partnership develops between the two.
Hosoda praised the emotional depth Ashida brings to her character, emphasizing that her portrayal of the internally torn Scarlett will be a highlight of the film. He also described Okada’s authentic interpretation of Hijiri—whose professional strength is combined with empathy—as ideal casting.
Technically, the film breaks new ground: For the first time in Hosoda’s career, the actors’ voices were recorded in advance (pressco method) and later matched to the animation. Ashida and Okada recorded their dialogues together, which Ashida said intensified the characters’ chemistry.
An official key visual shows Hijiri in a nurse’s uniform with an emergency bag and bow, while supporting the injured Scarlett as she brandishes a sword—a composition symbolizing the connection between their two worlds.
This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical support and editorially reviewed before publication.
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