During the MAPPA Stage 2023 event held on Sunday, exciting details about Mari Okada’s original anime film, “Alice and Therese’s Illusory Factory,” were unveiled. The event showcased the highly anticipated movie’s main cast, provided a captivating story introduction, treated fans to a tantalizing new teaser trailer and teaser visual, and most notably, announced a release date of September 15.
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The story revolves around Masamune, a third-year middle school student residing in a town trapped in time due to a sudden explosion at a steelworks factory, effectively sealing off all exits. Struggling to restore normalcy, the town’s inhabitants are forbidden from altering their circumstances, resulting in monotonous and somber lives. One fateful day, Masamune’s mysterious classmate, Atsumi, guides him to the fifth blast furnace of the factory, where they encounter a girl devoid of speech but possessing an untamed, wolf-like nature. This unexpected encounter disrupts the delicate equilibrium of their world. The irrepressible “love impulse” within the weary hearts of these boys and girls begins to unleash destruction upon their once stagnant reality.
Okada is also writing a novel of the film (cover pictured below) that Kadokawa Bunko will release on June 13.
The upcoming film features Junya Enoki as Masamune Kikuiri, a 14-year-old protagonist, alongside Reina Ueda as Atsumi Sagami, Masamune’s classmate, and Misaki Kuno as Itsumi, the enigmatic girl (character name spellings are unconfirmed).
Handling both the writing and directing duties is Okada, who is also credited as the original creator. Tadashi Hiramatsu assumes the role of assistant director, while Yuriko Ishii (known for works like Another and Persona -trinity soul-) takes charge of character design and serves as chief animation director. Overseeing the art direction is Kazuki Higashiji (known for Angel Beats!, Hanasaku Iroha – Blossoms for Tomorrow, and The Piano Forest), with all of these talented animators having previously collaborated on Okada’s Maquia – When the Promised Flower Blooms film. Providing the musical score is Masaru Yokoyama (known for works like Her Blue Sky and Horimiya). The film will be distributed by Warner Bros.
Source | Press Release, Mappa Stage 2023 Livestream
